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••TO THE PURE ALL THINGS ARE PURE"
(Puris omnia pura)
— Arab Proverb.
•Niuna corrotta mcnte intese mai sanamente parole."
— "Decameron " — conclntio*.
"Erubuit, posuitque meum Lucretia librum
Sed coram Bruto. Brute 1 recede, leget.
" Mieulx est de ris que de larmes escripre,
Pour ce que rire est le propre des homines. "
— RA
"The pleasure we derive from perusing the Thousand-and-One
Stones makes us regret that we possess only a comparatively small
part of these tatty eoeh&nting fictions."
— CWCWTON'S "^Mrfory <y-^o6«i.
PLAIN AND LITERAL TRANSLATION OF THE
ARABIAN NIGHTS' ENTERTAINMENTS, NOW
ENTITULED
THE BOOK OF THE
a
WITH INTRODUCTION EXPLANATORY NOTES ON THE
MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF MOSLEM MEN AND A
TERMINAL ESSAY UPON THE HISTORY OF THE
NIGHTS
VOLUME VII.
BY
RICHARD F. BURTON
PRINTED BY THE BURTON CLUB FOR PRIVATE
SUBSCRIBERS ONLY
ib
Shammar Edition
Limited to one thousand numbered sets,
of which this is
Number.
PRINTED IN U. S. A.
HAY 12 197?
I INSCRIBE THESE PAGES
TO
AN OLD AND VALUED FRIEND,
JOHN W. LARKING
(WHILOMB OP ALEXANDRIA),
211 WHOSE HOSPITABLE HOME (" THE SYCAMORES ") I MADE MY FINAL
PREPARATIONS FOR A PILGRIMAGE TO MECCAH
AND EL-MEDINAH.
-•«
R. F. BURTON.
CONTENTS OF THE SEVENTH VOLUME.
*AGB
CONTINUATION OF THE HISTORY OF GHARIB AND His BROTHER AJIB . i
OTBAH AND RAYYA . . . . ...'.., . 91
HIND DAUGHTER OF AL-NU'MAN AND AL-HAJJAJ . , . •". 96
KHUZAYMAH BIN BISHR AND IKRIMAH AL-FAYYAZ ... 99
YUNUS THE SCRIBE AND THE CALIPH WALID BIN SAHL . . 104
HARUN AL-RASHID AND THE ARAB GIRL 108
AL-ASMA'I AND THE THREE GIRLS OF BASSORAH . . .no
IBRAHIM OF MOSUL AND THE DEVIL 113
(Lane, Vol. I. page 22$*)
THE LOVERS OF THE BANU UZRAH 117
THE BADAWI AND HIS WIFE 124
(Lane, Vol. I. $2iJ
THE LOVERS OF 3ASSORAH . .130
ISHAK OF MOSUL AND HIS MISTRESS AND THE DEVIL . . 136
THE LOVERS OF AL-MEDINAH 139
(Lane, Another Anecdote of Two Lovers, III. 252 J
AL-MALIK AL-NASIR AND HIS WAZIR 142
viii Contents.
THE ROGUERIES OF DALILAH THE CRAFTY AND HER DAUGHTER
ZAYNAB THE CONEY-CATCHER ....... 144
(Lane omits.)
THE ADVENTURES OF MERCURY ALI OF CAIRO .... 171
(Lane omits.)
ARDASHIR AND HAYAT AL-NUFUS ....... 209
(Lane omits.)
JULNAR THE SEA-BORN AND HER SON KING BADR BASIM OF
PERSIA 264
(Lane, III. 255, The Story ofjultanar of the Sea .)
KING MOHAMMED BIN SABAIK AND THE MERCHANT HASAN . 308
(Lane, III. 373, Notes to Chapt. xxiv.)
a. STORY OF PRINCE SAYF AL-MULUK AND THE PRINCESS BADI'A AL-JAMAL . 314
(Latu, III. 308, The Story of Self El- Mu look and Badeea El-Jamal, with the Intro-
duction transferred to a notet p. 372. J
The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night.
Nofo fo&en ft foas tfje &i'x l^unteto an*
SHAHRAZAD continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King,
that Sa'adan having broken into the palace of King Jamak and
pounded to pieces those therein, the survivors cried out, " Quarter !
Quarter ! " ; and Sa'adan said to them, " Pinion your King ! " So
they bound Jamak and took him up, and Sa'adan drove them
before him like sheep and brought them to Gharib's presence, after
the most part of the citizens had perished by the enemy's swords.
When the King of Babel came to himself, he found himself bound
and heard Sa'adan say, " I will sup to-night off this King Jamak :"
whereupon he turned to Gharib and cried to him, " I throw myself
on thy mercy." Replied Gharib, " Become a Moslem, and thou
shalt be safe from the Ghul and from the vengeance of the Living
One who ceaseth not// So Jamak professed Al-Islam with heart
and tongue and Gharib bade loose his bonds. Then he expounded
The Faith to his people and they all became True Believers ; after
which Jamak returned to the city and despatched thence provaunt
and henchmen to Gharib; and wine to the camp before Babel
where they passed the night. On the morrow, Gharib gave the
signal for the march and they fared on till they came to Mayyd-
farikin,1 which they found empty, for its people had heard what
had befallen Babel and had fled to Cufa-city and told Ajib.
When he heard the news, his Doom-day appeared to him and he
assembled his braves and informing them of the enemy's approach
ordered them make ready to do battle with his brother's host ;
after which he numbered them and found them thirty thousand
horse and ten thousand foot.2 So, needing more, he levied other
fifty thousand men, cavalry and infantry, and taking horse amid a
mighty host, rode forwards, till he came upon his brother's army
encamped before Mosul and pitched his tents in face of their lines.
Then Gharib wrote a writ and said to his officers. " Which of you
will carry this letter to Ajib ? " Whereupon Sahim sprang to his
feet and cried, " O King of the Age, I will bear thy missive and
bring thee back an answer." So Gharib gave him the epistle and
1 Mayyafarikin, whose adjective for shortness is "Fariki": the place is often men-
tioned in the Nights as the then capital of Diyar Bakr, thirty parasangs from Na~sibin,
the classical Nisibis, between the upper Euphrates and Tigris'.
2 This proportion is singular to moderns but characterised Arab and more especially
Turcoman armies.
VOL. VII. A
A If Laylak wa Laylah.
he repaired to the pavilion of Ajib who, when informed of his
coming, said, " Admit him ! " and when he stood in the presence
asked him, " Whence comest thou ?" Answered Sahim, " From the
King of the Arabs and the Persians, son-in-law of Chosroe, King
of the world, who sendeth thee a writ ; so do thou return him a
reply." Quoth Ajib, " Give me the letter ;" accordingly Sahim
gave it to him and he tore it open and found therein : — " In the
name of Allah the Compassionating, the Compassionate ! Peace
on Abraham the Friend await ! But afterwards. As soon as this
letter shall come to thy hand, do thou confess the Unity of the
Bountiful King, Causer of causes and Mover of the clouds j1 and
leave worshipping idols. An thou do this thing, thou art my
brother and ruler over us and I will pardon thee the deaths of my
father and mother, nor will I reproach thee with what thou hast
done. But an thou obey not my bidding, behold, I will hasten to
thee and cut off thy head and lay waste thy dominions. Verily, I
give thee good counsel, and the Peace be on those who pace the
path of salvation and obey the Most High King ! " When Ajib
read these words and knew the threat they contained, his eyes
sank into the crown of his head and he gnashed his teeth and flew
into a furious rage. Then he tore the letter in pieces and threw it
away, which vexed Sahim and he cried out upon Ajib, saying,
" Allah wither thy hand for the deed thou hast done ! " With this
Ajib cried out to his men, saying, " Seize yonder hound and hew
him in pieces with your hangers."2 So they ran at Sahim ; but he
1 Such is the bathos caused by the Saja* -assonance : in the music of the Arabic it
contrasts strangely with the baldness of translation. The same is the case with the
Koran, beautiful in the original and miserably dull in European languages ; it is like the
glorious style of the " Anglican Version " by the side of its bastard brothers in Hindo^
stani or Marathi ; one of these marvels of stupidity translating the " Lamb of God " by
" God's little goat."
2 This incident is taken from the Life of Mohammed who, in the " Year of Missions "
(A.H. 7) sent letters to foreign potentates bidding them embrace Al-Islam ; and, his
seal being in three lines, Mohammed | Apostle | of Allah, Khusrau Parwi'z ( = the
Charming) was offended because his name was placed below Mohammed's. So he tore
the letter in pieces adding, says Firdausi, these words : —
Hath the Arab's daring performed such feat,
Fed on camel's milk and the lizard's meat,
That he cast on Kayanian crown his eye ?
Fie, O whirling world ! on thy faith and fie !
Hearing of this insult Mohammed exclaimed, " Allah shall tear his kingdom ! " a
prophecy which was of course fulfilled, or we should not have heard of it. These lines
are horribly multilated in the Dabistan iii. 99.
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 3
bared blade and fell upon them and slew of them more than fifty
braves ; after which he cut his way out, though bathed in blood, and
won back to Gharib, who said, " What is this case, O Sahim ? "
And he told him what had passed, whereat he grew livid for rage
and crying " Allaho Akbar — God is most great !"•— bade the battle-
drums beat. So the fighting-men donned their hauberks and
coats of straitwoven mail and baldrick'd themselves with their
swords ; the footmen drew out in battle-array, whilst the horsemen
mounted their prancing horses and dancing camels and levelled
their long lances, and the champions rushed into the field. Ajib
and his men also took horse and host charged down upon host.
- And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say
her permitted say.
Nofo tofjm it toas t|)e S>(x f^utrtrcrtr anfc
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Gharib and his merry men took horse, Ajib and his troops also
mounted and host charged down upon host. Then ruled the Kazi
of Battle, in whose ordinance is no wrong, for a seal is on his lips
and he speaketh not ; and the blood railed in rills and purfled
earth with curious embroidery ; heads grew gray and hotter waxed
battle and fiercer. Feet slipped and stood firm the valiant and
pushed forwards, whilst turned the faint-heart and fled, nor did
they leave fighting till the day darkened and the night starkened.
Then clashed the cymbals of retreat and the two hosts drew apart
each from other, and returned to their tents, where they nighted.
Next morning, as soon as it was day, the cymbals beat to battle
and derring-do, and the warriors donned their harness of fight and
baldrick'd l their blades the brightest bright and with the brown
lance bedight mounted doughty steed every knight and cried out,
saying, " This day no flight ! " And the two hosts drew out in
battle array, like the surging sea The first to open the chapter2 of
1 This " Taklfd " must not be translated " girt on the sword." The Arab carries hia
weapon by a baldrick or bandoleer passed over his right shoulder. In modern days the
" Majdal" over the left shoulder supports on the right hip a line of Tatarif or brass
cylinders for cartridges : the other cross-belt (Al-Masdar) bears on the left side . the
Kharizah or bullet-pouch of hide ; and the Hizam or waist-belt holds the dagger and
extra cartridges. (Pilgrimage iii. 90.)
2 Arab. " Bab," which may tnean door or gate. The plural form (Abwab) occurs m
the next line, meaning that he displayed all manner of martial prowess.
Alf Laylah wa Laylak.
war was Sahim, who drave his destrier between the two lines and
played with swords and spears and turned over all the Capitula of
combat till men of choicest wits were confounded. Then he cried
out, saying, " Who is for fighting ? Who is for jousting ? Let no
sluggard come out or weakling!" Whereupon there rushed at
him a horseman of the Kafirs, as he were a flame of fire ; but
Sahim let him not stand long before him ere he overthrew him
with a thrust. Then a second came forth and he slew him also,
and a third and he tare him in twain, and a fourth and he did him
to death ; nor did they cease sallying out to him and he left not
slaying them, till it was noon, by which time he had laid low two
hundred braves. Then Ajib cried to his men, " Charge once
more," and sturdy host on sturdy host down bone and great was
the clash of arms and battle-roar. The shining swords out rang ;
the blood in streams ran and footman rushed upon footman ;
Death showed in van and horse-hoof was shcdden with skull of
man ; nor did they cease from sore smiting till waned the day
and the night came on in black array, when they drew apart
and, returning to their tents, passed the night there. As soon
as morning morrowed the two hosts mounted and sought the
field of fight ; and the Moslems looked for Gharib to back steed
and ride under the standards as was his wont, but he came not.
So Sahim sent to his brother's pavilion a slave who, finding him
not, asked the tent-pitchers,1 but they answered, "We know
naught of him." Whereat he was greatly concerned and went
forth and told the troops, who refrained from battle, saying, " An
Gharib be absent, his foe will destroy .us." Now there was for
Gharib's absence a cause strange but true which we will set out in
order due. And it was thus. When Ajib returned to his camp
on the preceding night, he called one of his guardsmen by name
Sayydr and said to him, " O Sayyar, I have not treasured thee
save for a day like this ; and now I bid thee enter among
Gharib's host and, pushing into the marquee of their lord, bring
him hither to me and prove how wily thy cunning be." And
Sayyar said, " I hear and I obey." So he repaired to the enemy's
camp and stealing into Gharib's pavilion, under the darkness of
the night, when all the men had gone to their places of rest, stood
up as though he were a slave to serve Gharib, who presently,
1 Arab. " Farrash " (also used in Persian), a man of general utility who pitches tents,
sweeps the floors, administers floggings, etc. etc. (Pilgrimage iii. 90).
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 5
being a thirst, called to him for water. So he brought him a
pitcher of water, drugged with Bhang, and Gharib could not fulfil
his need ere he fell down with head distancing heels, whereupon
Sayyar wrapped him in his cloak and carrying him to Ajib's tent,
threw him down at his feet. Quoth Ajib, " O Sayyar, what is
this?" Quoth he, "This be thy brother Gharib ;" whereat Ajib
rejoiced and said, " The blessings of the Idols light upon thee !
Loose him and wake him." So they made him sniff up vinegar
and he came to himself and opened his eyes ; then, finding
himself bound and in a tent other than his own, exclaimed, " There
is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious,
the Great ! " Thereupon Ajib cried out at him, saying, " Dost
thou draw on me, O dog, and seek to slay me and take on me
thy blood-wreak of thy father and thy mother ? I will send thee
this very day to them and rid the world of thee." Replied
Gharib, " Kafir hound ! soon shalt thou see against whom the
wheels of fate shall revolve and who shall be overthrown by the
wrath of the Almighty King, Who wotteth what is in hearts and
Who shall leave thee in Gehenna tormented and confounded !
Have ruth on thyself and say with me : — There is no god but the
God and Abraham is the Friend of God!" When Ajib heard
Gharib's words, he snarked and snorted and railed at his god, the
stone, and called for the sworder and the leather-rug of blood ;
but his Wazir, who was at heart a Moslem though outwardly a
Miscreant, rose and kissing ground before him, said, " Patience, O
King, deal not hastily, but wait till we know the conquered from
the conqueror. If we prove the victors, we shall have power to
kill him and, if we be beaten, his being alive in our hands will be
a strength to us." And the Emirs said, " The Minister speaketh
sooth!" And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased saying her permitted say.
Wofo fojw tt foas t&e &ix ^untofc an* ^fjirtg-nmtj
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Ajib purposed to slay Gharib, the Wazir rose and said, " Deal
not hastily, for we have always power to kill him ! " So Ajib
bade lay his brother Gharib in irons and chain him up in his own
tent and set a thousand stout warriors to guard him. Meanwhile
Gharib's host when they awoke that morning and found not their
A If Laylak wa Laylak.
King, were as sheep sans a shepherd ; but Sa'adan the Ghul
cried out at them, saying, " O folk, don your war-gear and trust
to your Lord to defend you ! " So Arabs and Ajams mounted
horse, after clothing themselves in hauberks of iron and shirting
themselves in straight-knit mail, and sallied forth to the field, the
Chiefs and the colours moving in van. Then dashed out the
Ghul of the Mountain, with a club on his shoulder, two hundred
pounds in weight, and wheeled and careered, saying, " Ho,
worshippers of idols, come ye out and renown it this day, for 'tis
a day of onslaught ! Whoso knoweth me hath enough of my
mischief and whoso knoweth me not, I will make myself known
to him. I am Sa'adan, servant of King Gharib. Who is for
jousting ? Who is for fighting ? Let no faint-heart come forth
to me to-day or weakling." And there rushed upon him a
Champion of the Infidels, as he were a flame of fire, and drove at
him, but Sa'adan charged home at him and dealt him with his
club a blow which broke his ribs and cast him lifeless to the
earth. Then he called out to his sons and slaves, saying, " Light
the bonfire, and whoso falleth of the Kafirs do ye dress him and
roast him .well in the flame, then bring him to me that I may
break my fast on him ! " So they kindled a fire midmost the
plain and laid thereon the slain, till he was cooked, when they
brought him to Sa'adan, who gnawed his flesh and crunched his
bones. When the Miscreants saw the Mountain-Ghul do this
deed they were affrighted with sore affright, but Ajib cried out to
his men, saying, " Out on you ! Fall upon the Ogre and hew
him in hunks with your scymitars ! " So twenty thousand men
ran at Sa'adan, whilst the footmen circled round him and rained
upon him darts and shafts so that he was wounded in four-and-
twenty places, and his blood ran down upon the earth, and he was
alone. Then the host of the Moslems drave at the heathenry,
calling for help upon the Lord of the three Worlds, and they
ceased not from fight and fray till the day came to an end, when
they drew apart. But the Infidels had captured Sa'adan, as he
were a drunken man for loss of blood ; and they bound him fast
and set him by Gharib who, seeing the Ghul a prisoner, said,
" There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the
Glorious, the Great ! O Sa'adan, what case is this ? " " O my
lord," replied Sa'adan, " it is Allah (extolled and exalted be He !)
who ordaineth joy and annoy and there is no help but this and
that betide." And Gharib rejoined, "Thou speakest sooth, O
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 7
Sa'adan ! " But A jib passed the night in joy and he said to his
men, " Mount ye on the morrow and fall upon the Moslems so
shall not one of them be left alive." And they replied,
" Hearkening and obedience ! " This is how it fared with them ;
but as regards the Moslems, they passed the night, dejected and
weeping for their King and Sa'adan ; but Sahim said to them,
41 0 folk, be not concerned, for the aidance of Almighty Allah is
nigh/* Then he waited till midnight, when he assumed the garb
of a tent-pitcher ; and, repairing to Ajib's camp, made his way
between the tents and pavilions till he came to the King's marquee,
where he saw him seated on his throne surrounded by his Princes.
So he entered and going up to the candles which burnt in the tent,
snuffed them and sprinkled levigated henbane on the wicks j after
which he withdrew and waited without the marquee, till the smoke
of the burning henbane reached Ajib and his Princes and they fell
to the ground like dead men. Then he left them and went to the
prison tent, where he found Gharib and Sa'adan, guarded by a
thousand braves, who were overcome with sleep. So he cried
out at the guards, saying, " Woe to you ! Sleep not ; but watch
your prisoners and light the cressets." Presently he filled a cresset
with firewood, on which he strewed henbane, and lighting it, went
round about the tent with it, till the smoke entered the nostrils of
the guards, and they all fell asleep drowned by the drug ; when he
entered the tent and finding Gharib and Sa'adan also insensible
he aroused them by making them smell and sniff at a sponge full
of vinegar he had with him. Thereupon he loosed their bonds
and collars, and when they saw him, they blessed him and rejoiced
in him. After this they went forth and took all the arms of the
guards and Sahim said to them, " Go to your own camp ;" while
he re-entered A jib's pavilion and, wrapping him in his cloak, lifted
him up and made for the Moslem encampment. And the Lord,
the Compassionate, protected him, so that he reached Gharib's
tent in safety and unrolled the cloak before him. Gharib looked
at its contents and seeing his brother Ajib bound, cried out,
" Allaho Akbar— God is Most Great ! Aidance ! Victory ! " And
he blessed Sahim and bade him arouse Ajib. So he made him
smell the vinegar mixed with incense, and he opened his eyes and,
finding himself bound and shackled, hung down his head earth-
wards. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
to say her permitted say.
A If Laylak wa Laylah.
Wofo fofien it foas t&* Sbtx l^utttotfr an& ^ortfetf) Xigfjt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that after Sahim
had aroused Ajib, whom he had made insensible with henbane and
had brought to his brother Gharib, the captive opened his eyes
and, feeling himself bound and shackled, hung down his head
earthwards. Thereupon cried Sahim, " O Accursed, lift thy head !'*
So he raised his eyes and found himself amongst Arabs and Ajams
and saw his brother seated on the throne of his estate and the place
of his power, wherefore he was silent and spake not. Then Gharib
cried out and said, " Strip me this hound ! " So they stripped him
and came down upon him with whips, till they weakened his body
and subdued his pride, after which Gharib set over him a guard of
an hundred knights. And when this fraternal correction had been
administered they heard shouts of, " There is no God but the
God ! " and " God is Most Great ! " from the camp of the Kafirs.
Now the cause of this was that, ten days after his nephew King
Al-Damigh, Gharib's uncle, had set out from Al-Jazirah, with
twenty thousand horse, and on nearing the field of battle, had
despatched one of his scouts to get news. The man was absent
a whole day, at the end of which time he returned and told
Al-Damigh all that had happened to Gharib with his brother.
So he waited till the night, when he fell upon the Infidels, crying
out, " Allaho Akbar ! " and put them to the edge of the biting
scymitar. When Gharib heard the Takbir,1 he said to Sahim,
" Go find out the cause of these shouts and war-cries." So Sahim
repaired to the field of battle and questioned the slaves and camp
followers, who told him that King Al-Damigh had come up with
twenty thousand men and had fallen upon the idolaters by night,
saying, " By the virtue of Abraham the Friend, I will not forsake
my brother's son, but will play a brave man's part and beat back
the host of Miscreants and please the Omnipotent King ! " So
Sahim returned and told his uncle's derring-do to Gharib, who
cried out to his men, saying, " Don your arms and mount your
steeds and let us succour my father's brother ! " So they took
horse and fell upon the Infidels and put them to the edge of the
sharp sword. By the morning they had killed nigh fifty thousand
1 i.e. the slogan-cry of "Allaho Akbar," which M. C. Barbier de Meynard compares
,with the Christian " Te Deum."
The History of Gtiarib and his Brother Ajib. g
of the Kafirs and made other thirty thousand prisoners, and the
rest of Ajib's army dispersed over the length and breadth of earth-
Then the Moslems returned in victory and triumph, and Gharib rode
out to meet his uncle, whom he saluted and thanked for his help.
Quoth Al-Damigh, " I wonder if that dog Ajib fell in this day's
affair." Quoth Gharib, " O uncle, be of good cheer and keep thine
«yes cool and clear : know that he is with me in chains." When
Al-Damigh heard this he rejoiced with exceeding joy and the two
kings dismounted and entered the pavilion, but found no Ajib
there ; whereupon Gharib exclaimed, " O glory of Abraham, the
Friend (with whom be peace !)," adding, " Alas, what an ill end is
this to a glorious day ! " and he cried out to the tent-pitchers, say-
ing, " Woe to you ! Where is my enemy who oweth me so much ? "
Quoth they, " When thou mountedst and we went with thee, thou
didst not bid us guard him ;" and Gharib exclaimed, " There is no
Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the
Great !" But Al-Damigh said to him, "Hasten not nor be con-
cerned, for where can he go, and we in pursuit of him ? " Now
the manner of Ajib's escape was in this wise. His page Sayyar
had been ambushed in the camp and when he saw Gharib mount
and ride forth, leaving none to guard his enemy Ajib, he could
hardly credit his eyes. So he waited awhile and presently crept
to the tent and taking Ajib, who was senseless for the pain of the
bastinado, on his back, made off with him into the open country
and fared on at the top of his speed from early night to the next
day, till he came to a spring of water, under an apple tree. There
he set down Ajib from his back and washed his face, whereupon
he opened his eyes and seeing Sayyar, said to him, " O Sayyar,
carry me to Cufa that I may recover there and levy horsemen and
soldiers wherewith to overthrow my foe : and know, O Sayyar,
that I am anhungered." So Sayyar sprang up and going out to
the desert caught an ostrich-poult and brought it to his lord.
Then he gathered fuel and deftly using the fire-sticks kindled a
fire, by which he roasted the bird which he had hallal'd ! and fed
Ajib with its flesh and gave him to drink of the water of the spring,
till his strength returned to him, after which he went to one of the
Badawi tribal encampments, and stealing thence a steed mounted
Ajib upon it and journeyed on with him for many days till they
1 The Anglo-Indian term for the Moslem rite of killing animals for food. (Pilgrimage
i- 377-)
IO Alf Laylah zva Laylah.
drew near the city of Cufa. The Viceroy of the capital came out
to meet and salute the King, whom he found weak with the beat-
ing his brother had inflicted upon him ; and Ajib entered the city
and called his physicians. When they answered his summons, he
bade them heal him in less than ten days' time : they said, " We
hear and we obey," and they tended him till he became whole of
the sickness that was upon him and of the punishment Then he
commanded his Wazirs to write letters to all his Nabobs and vassals,
and he indited one-and-twenty writs and despatched them to the
governors, who assembled their troops and set out for Cufa by
forced marches. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased saying her permitted say.
Jiofo foien ft "foa* tfje Six f^untorefc anfc Jtat^fitst
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Ajib
sent orders to assemble the troops, who marched forthright to
Cufa. Meanwhile, Gharib, being troubled for Ajib's escape,
despatched in quest of him a thousand braves, who dispersed on
all sides and sought him a day and a night, but found no trace
of him ; so they returned and told Gharib, who called for his
brother Sahim, but found him not ; whereat he was sore concerned,
fearing for him from the shifts of Fortune, And lo ! Sahim entered
and kissed ground before Gharib, who rose, when he saw him, and
asked, " Where hast thou been, O Sahim ? " He answered, " O
King, I have been to Cufa and there I find that the dog Ajib hath
made his way to his capital and is healed of his hurts : eke, he
hath written letters to his vassals and sent them to his Nabobs
who have brought him troops," When Gharib heard this, he gave
the command to march ; so they struck tents and fared for Cufa.
When they came in sight of the city, they found it compassed
about with a host like the surging main, having neither beginning
nor end. So Gharib with his troops encamped in face of the
Kafirs and set up his standards, and darkness fell down upon the
two hosts, whereupon they lighted camp-fires and kept watch till
daybreak. Then King Gharib rose and making the Wuzu-ablution.
prayed a two-bow prayer according to the rite of our father
Abraham the Friend (on whom be the Peace !) ; after which he
commanded the battle-drums to sound the point of war. Accord-
ingly* the kettle-drums beat to combat and the standards fluttered
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. n
whilst the fighting men armour donned and their horses
mounted and themselves displayed and to plain fared. Now the
first to open the gate of war was King Al-Damigh, who urged his
charger between the two opposing armies and displayed himself
and played with the swords and the spears, till both hosts were con-
founded and at him marvelled, after which he cried out, saying,
" Who is for jousting ? Let no sluggard come out to me or
weakling ; for I am Al-Damigh, the King, brother of Kundamir
the King." Then there rushed forth a horseman of the Kafirs,
as he were a flame of fire, and drave at Al-Damigh, without word
said ; but the King received him with a lance-thrust in the breast
so dour that the point issued from between his shoulders and
Allah hurried his soul to the fire, the abiding-place dire. Then
came forth a second he slew, and a third he slew likewise, and
they ceased not to come out to him and he to slay them, till he
had made an end of six-and-seventy fighting men. Hereupon
the Miscreants and men of might hung back and would not
encounter him ; but Ajib cried out to his men and said, " Fie on
you, O folk ! if ye all go forth to him, one by one, he will not
leave any of you, sitting or standing. Charge on him all at once
and cleanse of them our earthly wone and strew their heads for
your horses* hoofs like a plain of stone ! w So they waved the
awe-striking flag and host was heaped upon host ; blood rained
in streams upon earth and railed and the Judge of battle ruled,
in whose ordinance is no unright. The fearless stood firm on feet
in the stead of fight, whilst the faint-heart gave back and took
to flight thinking the day would never come to an end nor the
curtains of gloom would be drawn by the hand of Night ; and
they ceased not to battle with swords and to smite till light
darkened and murk starkened. Then the kettle-drums of the
Infidels beat the retreat, but Gharib, refusing to stay his arms,
drave at the Paynimry, and the Believers in Unity, the Moslems,
followed him. How many heads and hands they shore, how many
necks and sinews they tore, how many knees and spines they
mashed and how many grown men and youths they to death
bashed ! With the first gleam of morning grey the Infidels broke
and fled away, in disorder and disarray ; and the Moslems followed
them till middle-day and took over twenty thousand of them,
whom they brought to their tents in bonds to stay. Then Gharib
sat down before the gate of Cufa and commanded a herald to
proclaim pardon and protection for every wight who should leave
12 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
the worship to idols dight and profess the unity of His All-
might the Creator of mankind and of light and night. So was
made proclamation as he bade in the streets of Cufa and all that
were therein embraced the True Faith, great and small ; then they
issued forth in a body and renewed their Islam before King
Gharib, who rejoiced in them with exceeding joy and his breast
broadened and he threw off all annoy. Presently he enquired of
Mardas and his daughter Mahdiyah, and, being told that he had
taken up his abode behind the Red Mountain, he called Sahim
and said to him, " Find out for me what is become of thy
father." Sahim mounted steed without stay or delay and set
his berry-brown spear in rest and fared on in quest till he reached
the Red Mountain, where he sought for his father, yet found no
trace of him nor of his tribe ; however, he saw in their stead an
elder of the Arabs, a very old man, broken with excess of years,
and asked him of the folk and whither they were gone. Replied
he, "O my son, when Mardas heard of Gharib's descent upon
Cufa he feared with great fear and, taking his daughter and his
folk, set out with his handmaids and negroes into the wild and
wold, and I wot not whither he went." So Sahim, hearing the
Shaykh's words, returned to Gharib and told him thereof, whereat
he was greatly concerned. Then he sat down on his father's throne
and, opening his treasuries, distributed largesse to each and every
of his braves. And he took up his abode in Cufa and sent out
spies to get news of Ajib. He also summoned the Grandees of
the realm, who came and did him homage ; as also did the
citizens and he bestowed on them sumptuous robes of honour
and commended the Ryots to their care. And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
tojen it foas tje £ix f^unforefc antr JFort^seconfc
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Gharib,
after giving robes of honour to the citizens of Cufa and com-
mending the Ryots to their care, went out on a day of the days
to hunt, with an hundred horse, and fared on till he came to a
Wady, abounding in trees and fruits and rich in rills and birds.
It was a pasturing-place for roes and gazelles, to the spirit a
delight whose scents reposed from the langour of fight. They
encamped in the valley, for the day was clear and bright, and
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 1 3
there passed the night. On the morrow, Gharib made the Wuzu*
ablution and prayed the two-bow dawn-prayer, offering np praise
and thanks to Almighty Allah ; when, lo and behold ! there arose
a clamour and confusion in the meadows, and he bade Sahim go
see what was to do. So Sahim mounted forthright and rode till
he espied goods being plundered and horses haltered and women
carried off and children crying out. Whereupon he questioned one
of the shepherds, saying, " What be all this ? "; and they replied,
" This is the Harim of Mardas, Chief of the Banu Kahtan, and his
good and that of his clan ; for yesterday Jamrkan slew Mardas and
made prize of his women and children and household stuff and all
the belonging of his tribe. It is his wont to go a-raiding and to
cut off highways and waylay wayfarers and he is a furious tyrant ;
neither Arabs nor Kings can prevail against him and he is the
scourge and curse of the country," Now when Sahim heard
these news of his sire's slaughter and the looting of his Harim and
property, he returned to Gharib and told him the case, wherefore
fire was added to his fire and his spirit chafed to wipe out his shame
and his blood-wit to claim : so he rode with his men after the
robbers till he overtook them and fell upon them, crying out and
saying, " Almighty Allah upon the rebel, the traitor, the infidel ! "
and he slew in a single charge one-and-twenty fighting-men. Then
he halted in mid-field, with no coward's heart, and cried out,
" Where is Jamrkan ? Let him come out to me, that I may make
him quaff the cup of disgrace and rid of him earth's face ! " Hardly
had he made an end of speaking, when forth rushed Jamrkan, as
he were a calamity of calamities or a piece of a mountain, cased in
steel. He was a mighty huge 1 Amalekite ; and he drave at Gharib
without speech or salute, like the fierce tyrant he was. And he
was armed with a mace of China steel, so heavy, so potent, that
had he smitten a hill he had smashed it. Now when he charged,
Gharib met him like a hungry lion, and the brigand aimed a blow
at his head with his mace ; but he evaded it and it smote the earth
and sank therein half a cubit deep. Then Gharib took his battle
flail and smiting Jamrkan on the wrist, crushed his fingers and
the mace dropped from his grasp ; whereupon Gharib bent down
from his seat in selle and snatching it up, swiftlier than the
blinding leven, smote him therewith full on the flat of the ribs,
1 Arab " tawilan jiddan " — a hideous Cairenism in these days; but formerly used
by Al-mas'udi and other good writers.
14 A If Laylah wa Lay I ah.
and he fell to the earth like a long-stemmed palm-tree. So Sahiro
took him and pinioning him, haled him off with a rope, and
Gharib's horsemen fell on those of Jamrkan and slew fifty of them :
the rest fled ; nor did they cease flying till they reached their
tribal camp and raised their voices in clamour ; whereupon all who
were in the Castle came out to meet them and asked the news.
They told the tribe what had passed ; and, when they heard that
their chief was a prisoner, they set out for the valley vying one
with other in their haste to deliver him. Now when King
Gharib had captured Jamrkan and had seen his braves take flight,
he dismounted and called for Jamrkan, who humbled himself
before him, saying, " I am under thy protection, O champion of
the Age ! " Replied Gharib, " O dog of the Arabs, dost thou cut
the road for the servants of Almighty Allah, and fearest thou
not the Lord of the Worlds ?" " O my master," asked Jamrkan,
" and who is the Lord of the Worlds ? " " O dog," answered
Gharib, "and what calamity dost thou worship?" He said, "O
my lord, I worship a god made of dates * kneaded with butter and
honey, and at times I eat him and make me another." When
Gharib heard this, he laughed till he fell backwards and said, " O
miserable, there is none worship-worth save Almighty Allah, who
created thee and created all things and provideth all creatures with
daily bread, from whom nothing is hid and He over all things is
Omnipotent." Quoth Jamrkan, " And where is this great god,
that I may worship him ? " Quoth Gahrib, " O fellow, know that
this god's name is Allah — the God — and it is He who fashioned
the heavens and the earth and garred the trees to grow and the
waters to flow. He created wild beasts and birds and Paradise
and Hell-fire and veileth Himself from all eyes seeing and of none
being seen. He, and He only, is the Dweller On high. Extolled
be His perfection! There is no god but He!" When Jamrkan
heard these words, the ears of his heart were opened ; his skin
shuddered with horripilation and he said, " O my lord, what shall
I say that I may become of you and that this mighty Lord may
accept of me ? " Replied Gharib, " Say : — There is no god but
the God and Abraham the Friend is the Apostle of God ! " So
he pronounced the profession of the Faith and was written of
1 Arab " 'Ajwah," enucleated dates pressed together into a solid mass so as to be
sliced with a knife like cold pudding. The allusion is to the dough-idols of the Hanifah,
tribe, whose eating their gods made the saturnine Caliph Omar laugh.
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 1 5
the people of felicity. Then quoth Gharib, " Say me, hast thou
tasted the sweetness of Al-Islam ? "; and quoth the other, " Yes ;"
whereupon Gharib cried, " Loose his bonds ! " So they unbound
him and he kissed ground before Gharib and his feet. Now whilst
this was going on, behold, they espied a great cloud of dust that
towered till it walled the wold. And Shahrazad perceived
the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
fo&en ft foas tje gbtx f^utrtrrrtr anfc Jportg-tijittr
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Jamrkan
islamised and kissed the ground between the hands of Gharib ; and,
as they were thus, behold, a great cloud of dust towered till it
walled the wold and Gharib said to Sahim, " Go and see for us
what it be." So he went forth, like a bird in full flight, and
presently returned, saying, " O King of the Age, this dust is of the
Banu Amir, the comrades of Jamrkan." Whereupon quoth Gharib
to the new Moslem, " Ride out to thy people and offer to them
Al-Islam : an they profess, they shall be saved ; but, an they refuse,
we will put them to the sword." So Jamrkan mounted and driving
steed towards his tribesmen, cried out to them ; and they knew him
and dismounting, came up to him on foot and said, " We rejoice in
thy safety, O our lord ! " Said he, " O folk, whoso obeyeth me
shall be saved ; but whoso gainsayeth me, I will cut him in twain
with this scymitar." And they made answer, saying, " Command
us what thou wilt, for we will not oppose thy commandment.'*
Quoth he, " Then say with me : — There is no god but the God and
Abraham is the Friend of God ! " They asked, " O our lord, whence
haddest thou these words ? " And he told them what had befallen
him with Gharib, adding, " O folk, know ye not that I am your
chief in battle-plain and where men of cut and thrust are fain ; and
yet a man single-handed me to prisoner hath ta'en and made me
the cup of shame and disgrace to drain ? " When they heard his
speech, they spoke the word of Unity and Jamrkan led them to
Gharib, at whose hands they renewed their profession of Al-Islam
and wished him glory and victory, after they had kissed the earth
before him. Gharib rejoiced in them and said to them, " O folk,
return to your people and expound Al-Islam to them ; " but all
replied, " O our lord, we will never leave thee, whilst we live ; but
we will go and fetch our families and return to thee." And Gharib
1 6 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
said, " Go, and join me at the city of Cufa." So Jamrkan and his
comrades returned to their tribal camp and offered Al-Islam to
their women and children, who all to a soul embraced the True
Faith, after which they dismantled their abodes and struck their
tents and set out for Cufa driving before them their steeds, camels
and sheep. During this time Gharib returned to Cufa, where the
horsemen met him in state. He entered his palace and sat down
on his sire's throne with his champions ranged on either hand.
Then the spies came forwards, and informed him that his brother
Ajib had made his escape and had taken refuge with Jaland1 bin
Karkar, lord of the city of Oman and land of Al-Yaman ; where-
upon Gharib cried aloud to his host, " O men, make you ready to
march in three days." Then he expounded Al-Islam to the thirty
thousand men he had captured in the first affair and exhorted
them to profess and take service with him. Twenty thousand
embraced the Faith, but the rest refused and he slew them. Then
came forward Jamrkan and his tribe and kissed the ground before
Gharib, who bestowed on him a splendid robe of honour and
made him captain of his vanguard, saying, " O Jamrkan, mount
\vith the Chiefs of thy kith and kin and twenty thousand horse
and fare on before us to the land of Jaland bin Karkar." " Heark-
ening and obedience," answered Jamrkan and, leaving the women
and children of the tribe in Cufa, he set forward. Then Gharib
passed in review the Harim of Mardas and his eye lit upon
Mahdiyah, who was among the women, wherewith he fell down
fainting. They sprinkled rose-water on his face, till he came to
himself, when he embraced Mahdiyah and carried her into a
sitting-chamber, where he sat with her; and they twain lay
together that night without fornication. Next morning he went
out and sitting down on the throne of his kingship, robed his
uncle Al-Damigh with a robe of honour ; and appointed him his
viceroy over all Al-Irak, commending Mahdiyah to his care, till
he should return from his expedition against Ajib ; and, when
the order was accepted, he set out for the land of Al-Yaman
and the City of Oman with twenty thousand horse and ten
thousand foot. Now, when Ajib and his defeated army drew in
sight of Oman, King Jaland saw the dust of their approach and
1 Mr. Payne writes " Julned." In a fancy name we must not look for grammar ; but
a quiescent lam (<Q followed by nun («) is unknown to Arabic while we find sundry cases
Of " Ian " (fath'd lam and nun), and Jalandah means noxious or injuiious. In Oman also
there was a dynasty called Julandah, for which see Mr. Badger xiii: and/owm.
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. if
sent to find out its meaning scouts who returned and said, " Verily
this is the dust of one hight Ajib, lord of Al-Irak." And Jaland
wondered at his coming to his country and, when assured of the
tidings, he said to his officers, " Fare ye forth and meet him."
So they went out and met him and pitched tents for him at the
city-gate; and Ajib entered in to Jaland, weeping-eyed and heavy-
hearted. Now Jaland's wife was the daughter of Ajib's paternal
uncle and he had children by her ; so, when he saw his kinsman
in this plight, he asked for the truth of what ailed him and Ajib
told him all that had befallen him, first and last, from his brother
and said, " O King, Gharib biddeth the folk worship the Lord of
the Heavens and forbiddeth them from the service of simulacres
and other of the gods." When Jaland heard these words he
raged and revolted and said, " By the virtue of the Sun, Lord
of Life and Light, I will not leave one of thy brother's folk in
existence! But where didst thou quit them and how many men
are they ? " Answered Ajib, " I left them in Cufa and they
be fifty thousand horse." Whereupon Jaland called his Wazir
Jawdmard,1 saying, " Take thee seventy thousand horse and fare
to Gufa and bring me the Moslems alive, that I may torture them
with all manner of tortures." So Jawamard departed with his
host and fared through the first day and the second till the
seventh day, when he came to a Wady abounding in trees and
rills and fruits. Here he called a halt And Shahrazad per-
ceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
fo&en tt foa* t&e gbix ^untrrelr an* ,ffort8*fottrft
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Jaland sent Jawamard with his army to Cufa, they came upon a
Wady abounding in trees and rills where a halt was called and
they rested till the middle of the night, when the Wazir gave the
signal for departure and mounting, rode on before them till hard
upon dawn, at which time he descended into a well-wooded valley,
whose flowers were fragrant and whose birds warbled on boughs,
as they swayed gracefully to and fro, and Satan blew into his sides
and puffed him up with pride and he improvised these couplets
and cried :—
1 Doubtless for Jawan-mard — un giovane, a brave. See vol. iv., p. 208.
VOL. VII. B
I g A If Laylah wa Laylah.
I plunge with my braves in the seething sea; o Seize the foe in my strength
and my valiancy ;
And the doughtiest knights wot me well to be o Friend to friend and fierce
foe to mine enemy.
1 will load Gharib with the captive's chains o Right soon, and return in
all joy and glee ;
For I've donned my mail and my weapons wield o And on all sides charge at
the chivalry.1
Hardly had Jawamard made an end of his verses when there came
out upon him from among the trees a horseman of terrible mien
covered and clad in steely sheen, who cried out to him, saying,
" Stand, O riff-raff of the Arabs ! Doff thy dress and ground thine
arms-gear and dismount thy destrier and be off with thy life ! "
When Jawamard heard this, the light in his eyes became darkest
night and he drew his sabre and drove at Jamrkan, for he it was,
saying, " O thief of the Arabs, wilt thou cut the road for me, who
am captain of the host of Jaland bin Karkar and am come to
bring Gharib and his men in bond ? " When Jamrkan heard these
words, he said, " How cooling is this to my heart and liver ! " And
he made at Jawamard versifying in these couplets : —
Pm the noted knight in the field of fight, o Whose sabre and spear every foe
affright !
Jamrkan am I, to my foes a fear, o With a lance-lunge known unto
every knight :
Gharib is my lord, nay my pontiff, my prince, o Where the two hosts dash
very lion of might :
An Imam of the Faith, pious, striking awe o On the plain where his foes
like the fawn take flight ;
Whose voice bids folk to the faith of the Friend, o False, doubling idols and
gods despite !
Now Jamrkan had fared on with his tribesmen ten days' journey
from Cufa-city and called a halt on the eleventh day till midnight,
when he ordered a march and rode on devancing them till he
descended into the valley aforesaid and heard Jawamard reciting
his verses. So he drave at him as the driving of a ravening lion,
and smiting him with his sword, clove him in twain and waited till
his captains came up, when he told them what had passed and
said to them, " Take each of you five thousand men and disperse
1 Mr. Payne transposes the distichs, making the last first. I have followed the Arabic
order finding it in the Mac. and Bui. Edits, (ii. 129).
The History of Gftarib and his Brother Ajib. 19
round about the Wady, whilst I and the Banu Amir fall upon the
enemy's van, shouting, Allaho Akbar — God is Most Great ! When
ye hear my slogan, do ye charge them, crying like me upon the
Lord, and smite them with the sword." " We hear and we obey,"
answered they and turning back to their braves did his bidding
and spread themselves about the sides of the valley in the twilight
forerunning the dawn. Presently, lo and behold! up came the
army of Al-Yaman, like a flock of sheep, filling plain and steep,
and Jamrkan and the Banu Amir fell upon them, shouting,
" Allaho Akbar ! " till all heard it, Moslems and Miscreants.
Whereupon the True Believers ambushed in the valley answered
from every side and the hills and mountains responsive cried and
all things replied, green and dried, saying, " God is Most Great !
Aidance and Victory to us from on High ! Shame to the
Miscreants who His name deny ! " And the Kafirs were con-
founded and smote one another with sabres keen whilst the True
Believers and pious fell upon them like flames of fiery sheen and
naught was seen but heads flying and blood jetting and faint-hearts
hieing. By the time they could see one another's faces, two-thirds
of the Infidels had perished and Allah hastened their souls to the
fire and abiding-place dire. The rest fled and to the deserts sped
whilst the Moslems pursued them to slay and take captives till
middle-day, when they returned in triumph with seven thousand
prisoners; and but six-and-twenty thousand of the Infidels
escaped and the most of them wounded. Then the Moslems
collected the horses and arms, the loads and tents of the enemy
and despatched them to Cufa with an escort of a thousand horse ;
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
her permitted say.
fojjm ft foa» tfie Sbfx
an&
Jitgljt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Jamrkan in
his battle with Jawamard slew him and slew his men ; and, after
taking many prisoners and much money and many horses and
loads, sent them with an escort of a thousand riders, to Cufa city.
Then he and the army of Al-Islam dismounted and expounded The
saving Faith to the prisoners, who made profession with heart and
tongue ; whereupon they released them from bonds and embraced
them and rejoiced in them. Then Jamrkan made his troops, who
20 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
had swelled to a mighty many, rest a day and a night and marched
with the dawn, intending to attack Jaland bin Karkar in the city
of Oman ; whilst the thousand horse fared back to Cufa with the
loot. When they reached the city, they went in to King Gharib
and told him what had passed, whereat he rejoiced and gave them
joy and, turning to the Ghul of the Mountain, said, "Take horse
with twenty thousand and follow Jamrkan." So Sa'adan and his
sons mounted and set out, amid twenty thousand horse for Oman.
Meanwhile, the fugitives of the defeated Kafirs reached Oman and
went in to Jaland, weeping and crying, " Woe ! " and " Ruin ! "
whereat he was confounded and said to them, " What calamity
hath befallen you ? " So they told him what had happened and
he said, " Woe to you ! How many men were they ? " They
replied, " O King, there were twenty standards, under each a
thousand men." When Jaland heard these words he said, " May
the sun pour no blessing on you ! Fie upon you ! What, shall
twenty thousand overcome you, and you seventy thousand horse
and Jawamard able to withstand three thousand in field of fight ?"
Then, in the excess of his rage and mortification, he bared his
blade and cried out to those who were present, saying, " Fall on
them ! " So the courtiers drew their swords upon the fugitives
and annihilated them to the last man and cast them to the dogs.
Then Jaland cried aloud to his son, saying, " Take an hundred
thousand horse and go to Al-Irak and lay it waste altogether."
Now this son's name was Kurajan and there was no doughtier
knight in all the force ; for he could charge single-handed three
thousand riders. So he and his host made haste to equip them-
selves and marched in battle-array, rank following rank, with the
Prince at their head, glorying in himself and improvising these
couplets : —
I'm Al-Kurajan, and my name is known * To beat all who in wold or in
city wone I
How many a soldier my sword at will * Struck down like a cow on the
ground bestrown?
How many a soldier I've forced to fly * And have rolled their heads as a
ball is thrown?
Now I'll drive and harry the land Irak1 * And like rain Til shower the
blood of fone ;
And lay hands on Gharib and his men, whose doom * To the wise a warning
shall soon be shown !
1 AMrak like Al-Yaman may lose the article in verse,
The History of Gharib and his Brother A jib. Zl
The host fared on twelve days' journey and, while they were still
marching, behold, a great dust cloud arose before them and walled
the horizon, and the whole region. So Kurajan sent out scouts,
saying, " Go forth and bring me tidings of what meaneth this
dust." They went till they passed under the enemy's standards
and presently returning said, " O King, verily this is the dust of
the Moslems." Whereat he was glad and said, " Did ye count
them ? " And they answered, " We counted the colours and they
numbered twenty." Quoth he, " By my faith, I will not send one
man-at-arms against them, but will go forth to them alone by
myself and strew their heads under the horses' hooves ! " Now
this was the army of Jamrkan who, espying the host of the Kafirs
and seeing them as a surging sea, called a halt ; so his troops
pitched the tents and set up the standards, calling upon the name
of the All-wise One, the Creator of light and gloom, Lord of all
creatures, Who seeth while Him none see, the High to infinity,
extolled and exalted be He! There is no God but He! The
Miscreants also halted and pitched their tents, and Kurajan said
to them " Keep on your arms, and in armour sleep, for during the
last watch of the night we will mount and trample yonder handful
under feet ! " Now one of Jamrkan's spies was standing nigh and
heard what Kurajan had contrived ; so he returned to the host and
told his chief who said to them, " Arm yourselves and as soon as
it is night, bring me all the mules and camels and hang all the
bells and clinkets and rattles ye have about their necks." Now
they had with them more than twenty thousand camels and mules.
So they waited till the Infidels fell asleep, when Jamrkan com-
manded them to mount, and they arose to ride and on the Lord of
the Worlds they relied. Then said Jamrkan, " Drive the camels
and mules to the Miscreants' camp and push them with your spears
for goads ! " They did as he bade and the beasts rushed upon the
enemy's tents, whilst the bells and clinkets and rattles jangled1
and the Moslems followed at their heels, shouting, " God is Most
Great ! " till all the hills and mountains resounded with the name
of the Highmost Deity, to whom belong glory and majesty !
The cattle hearing this terrible din, took fright and rushed upon
1 Arab. " Ka'ka'at ": hence Jabal Ka'ka'an, the higher levels in Meccah, of old.
inhabited by the Jurhamites and so called from their clashing and jangling arms ; whilst
the Amalekites dwelt in the lower grounds called Jiyad from their generous steeds
(Pilgrimage iii. 191).
22 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
the tents and trampled the folk, as they lay asleep. -- And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say
foijm it foas tij* Sbfx f^untireU an& JForts-sfxtJ W
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Jamrkan fell upon them with his men and steeds and camels, and
the camp lay sleeping, the idolaters started up in confusion and,
snatching up their arms, fell upon one another with smiting, till
the most part was slaughtered. And when the day broke, they
looked and found no Moslem slain, but saw them all on horse-
back, armed and armoured ; wherefore they knew that this was
a sleight which had been played upon them, and Kurajan cried out
to the remnant of his folk, " O sons of whores, what we had a
mind to do with them, that have they done with us and their craft
hath gotten the better of our cunning." And they were about to
charge when, lo and behold ! a cloud of dust rose high and walled
the horizon-sky, when the wind smote it, so that it spired aloft
and spread pavilion-wise in the lift and there it hung ; and pre-
sently appeared beneath it the glint of helmet and gleam of hauberk
and splendid warriors, baldrick'd with their tempered swords and
holding in rest their supple spears. When the Kafirs saw this,
they held back from the battle and each army sent out, to know
the meaning of this dust, scouts, who returned with the news that
it was an army of Moslems. Now this was the host of the Moun-
tain-Ghul whom Gharib had despatched to Jamrkan's aid, and
Sa'adan himself rode in their van. So the two hosts of the True
Believers joined company and rushing upon the Paynimry like a
flame of fire, plied them with keen sword and Rudaynian spear
and quivering lance, what while day was darkened and eyes
for the much dust starkened. The valiant stood fast and the
faint-hearted coward fled and to the wilds and the wolds swift
sped, whilst the blood over earth was like torrents shed ; nor did
they cease from fight till the day took flight and in gloom came
the night Then the Moslems drew apart from the Miscreants and
returned to their tents, where they ate and slept, till the darkness
fled away and gave place to smiling day ; when they prayed the
dawn-prayer and mounted to battle. Now Kurajan had said to
his men as they drew off from fight (for indeed two-thirds of their
number had perished by sword and spear), " O folk, to-morrow,
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 23
I will champion it in the stead of war where cut and thrust jar,
and where braves push and wheel I will take the field/' So, as
soon as light was seen and morn appeared with its shine and sheen,
took horse the hosts twain and shouted their slogans amain and
bared the brand and hent lance in hand and in ranks took stand.
The first to open the door of war was Kurajan, who cried out,
saying, " Let no coward come out to me this day nor craven ! "
Whereupon Jamrkan and Sa'adan stood by the colqurs, but there
ran at him a captain of the Banu Amir and the two drave each at
other awhile, like two rams butting. Presently Kurajan seized the
Moslem by the jerkin under his hauberk and, dragging him from,
his saddle, dashed him to the ground where he left him ; upon
which the Kafirs laid hands on him and bound him and bore him
off to their tents ; whilst Kurajan wheeled about and careered and
offered battle, till another captain came out, whom also he took
prisoner ; nor did he leave to do thus till he had made prize of
seven captains before mid-day. Then Jamrkan cried out with so
mighty a cry, that the whole field made reply and heard it the
armies twain, and ran at Kurajan with a heart in rageful pain,
improvising these couplets : —
Jamrkan am I ! and a man of might, o Whom the warriors fear with a sore
affright :
I waste the forts and I leave the walls o To wail and weep for the wights I
smite :
Then, O Kurajan, tread the rightful road o And quit the paths of thy
foul unright :
Own the One True God, who dispread the skies o And made founts to flow
and the hills pegged tight :
An the slave embrace the True Faith, he'll 'scape o Hell- pains and in Heaven
be deckt and dight !
When Kurajan heard these words, he snarked and snorted and
foully abused the sun and the moon and drave at Jamrkan, versi-
fying with these couplets : —
I'm Kurajan, of this age the knight ; o And my shade to the lions
of Shara'1 is blight :
I storm the forts and snare kings of beasts o And warriors fear me in
field of fight ;
Then, Harkye Jamrkan, if thou doubt my word, o Come forth to the combat
and try my might !
1 Al-Shara', a mountain in Arabia.
Alf Laylah wa Laylafi.
When Jamrkan heard these verses, he charged him with a stout
heart and they smote each at other with swords till the two hosts
lamented for them, and they lunged with lance and great was the
clamour between them : nor did they leave righting till the time
of mid-afternoon prayer was passed and the day began to wane.
Then Jamrkan drave at Kurajan and smiting him on the breast
with his mace,1 cast him to the ground, as he were the trunk of a
palm-tree ; and the Moslems pinioned him and dragged him off
with ropes like a camel. Now when the Miscreants saw their
Prince captive, a hot fever-fit of ignorance seized on them and
tlrey bore down upon the True Believers thinking to rescue him ;
but the Moslem champions met them and left most of them
prostrate on the earth, whilst the rest turned and sought safety
in flight, seeking surer site, while the clanking sabres their back-
sides smite. The Moslems ceased not pursuing them till they had
scattered them over mount and wold, when they returned from
them to the spoil ; whereof was great store of horses and tents
and so forth : — good look to it for a spoil ! Then Jamrkan went
in to Kurajan and expounded to him Al-Islam, threatening him
with death unless he embraced the Faith. But he refused ; so
they cut off his head and stuck it on a spear, after which they
fared on towards Oman2 city. But as regards the Kafirs, the
survivors returned to Jaland and made known to him the slaying
of his son and the slaughter of his host, hearing which he cast
his crown to the ground and buffeting his face, till the blood ran
from his nostrils, fell fainting to the floor. They sprinkled rose*
water on his head, till he came to himself and cried to his
Wazir, « Write letters to all my Governors and Nabobs, and bid
them leave not a smiter with the sword nor a lunger with the
lance nor a bender of the bow, but bring them all to me in one
body." So he wrote letters and despatched them by runners to
1 See vol.vi., 249. "This (mace) is a dangerous weapon when struck on the
shoulders or unguarded arm : I am convinced that a blow with it on a head armoured
with a salade (cassis cselata, a light iron helmet) would stun a man " (says La
Brocquiere).
2 Oman, which the natives pronounce "Aman," is the region best known by its
capital, Maskat. These are the Omana Moscha and Omanum Emporium of Ptolemy
and the Periplus. Ibn Batutah writes Amman, but the best dictionaries give " Oman."
(N.B.— Mr. Badger, p. i, wrongly derives Sachalitis from " Sawahfly " : it is evidently
'Sahili.") The people bear by no means the best character: Ibn Batutah (four-
teenth century) says, " their wives are most base ; yet, without denying this, their
husbands express nothing like jealousy on the subject." (Lee, p. 62.)
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 25
the Governors, who levied their power and joined the King with
a prevailing host, whose number was one hundred and eighty-
thousand men. Then they made ready tents and camels and
noble steeds and were about to march when, behold, up came
Jamrkan and Sa'adan the Ghul, with seventy thousand horse, as
they were lions fierce-faced, all steel-encased. When Jaland saw
the Moslems trooping on he rejoiced and said, " By the virtue
of the Sun, and her resplendent light, I will not leave alive one
of my foes ; no, not one to carry the news, and I will lay waste
th£ land of Al-Irak, that I may take my wreak for my son, the
havoc-making champion bold ; nor shall my fire be quenched or
cooled 1 " Then he turned to Ajib and said to him, " O dog of
Al-Irak, 'twas thou broughtest this calamity on us ! But by the
virtue of that which I worship, except I avenge me of mine enemy
I will do thee die after foulest fashion ! " When Ajib heard these
words he was troubled with sore trouble and blamed himself ; but
he waited till nightfall, when the Moslems had pitched their tents
for rest. Now he had been degraded and expelled the royal
camp together with those who were left to him of his suite : so
he said to them, " O my kinsmen, know that Jaland and I are
dismayed with exceeding dismay at the coming of the Moslems,
and I know that he will not avail to protect me from my brother
nor from any other ; so it is my counsel that we make our escape,
whilst all eyes sleep, and flee to King Ya'arub bin Kahtan,1 for
that he hath more of men and is stronger of reign." They, hearing
his advice exclaimed " Right is thy rede," whereupon he bade them
kindle fires at their tent-doors and march under cover of the night.
They did his bidding and set out, so by daybreak they had already
fared far away. As soon as it was morning Jaland mounted with
two hundred and sixty thousand fighting-men, clad cap-a-pie ia
hauberks and cuirasses and strait-knit mail-coats, the kettle-drums
beat a point of war and all drew out for cut and thrust and fight
and fray. Then Jamrkan and Sa'adan rode out with forty-
thousand stalwart fighting-men, under each standard a thousand
cavaliers, doughty champions, foremost in champaign. The two
hosts drew out in battles and bared their blades and levelled
their limber lances, for the drinking of the cup of death. The
1 The name I have said of a quasi historical personage, son of Joktan, the first Arabist
and the founder of the Tobba" (* 'successor") dynasty in Al-Yaman ; whik Jurham, his
brother, established that of Al-Hijaz. The name is .probably chosen because well-
(known.
36 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
first to open the gate of strife was Sa'adan, as he were a mountain
of syenite or a Marid of the Jinn. Then dashed out to him a
champion of the Infidels, and the Ghul slew him and casting him
to the earth, cried out to his sons and slaves, saying, " Light the
fire and roast me this dead one." They did as he bade and
brought him the roast and he ate it and crunched the bones, whilst
the Kafirs stood looking on from afar ; and they cried out, " Oh
for aid from the light-giving Sun ! " and were affrighted at the
thought of being slain by Sa'adan. Then Jaland shouted to his
men, saying, " Slay me yonder loathsome beast ! " Whereupon
another captain of his host drove at the Ghul ; but he slew him,
and he ceased not to slay horseman after horseman, till he had
made an end of thirty men. With this the blamed Kafirs held
back and feared to face him, crying, " Who shall cope with Jinns
and Ghuls ?" But Jaland raised his voice saying, " Let an hundred
horse charge him and bring him to me, bound or slain." So an
hundred horse set upon Sa'adan with swords and spears, and he met
them with a heart firmer than flint, proclaiming the unity of the
Requiting King, whom no one thing diverteth from other thing.
Then he cried aloud, " Allaho Akbar ! " and, smiting them with
his sword, made their heads fly and in one onset he slew of them
four-and-seventy whereupon the rest took to flight. So Jaland
shouted aloud to ten of his captains, each commanding a thousand
men, and said to them, " Shoot his horse with arrows till
it fall under him, and then lay hands on him." Therewith ten
thousand horse drove at Sa'adan who met them with a stout
heart ; and Jamrkan, seeing this, bore down upon the Miscreants
with his Moslems, crying out, " God is Most Great ! " Before
they could reach the Ghul, the enemy had slain his steed and
taken him prisoner ; but they ceased not to charge the Infidels,
till the day grew dark for dust and eyes were blinded, and the
sharp sword clanged while firm stood the valiant cavalier and
destruction overtook the faint-heart in his fear ; till the Moslems
were amongst the Paynims like a white patch on a black bull.
- And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
her permitted say.
JJofo fo&m it foas tje S>ix f^un&tft ana jfortB=S£bentJ
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that battle
raged between the Moslems and the Paynims till the True
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 27
Believers were like a white patch on a black bull. Nor did they
stint from the mellay till the darkness fell down, when they drew
apart, after there had been slain of the Infidels men without compt.
Then Jamrkan and his men returned to their tents ; but they
were in great grief for Sa'adan, so that neither meat nor sleep
was sweet to them, and they counted their host and found that
less than a thousand had been slain. But Jamrkan said, " O folk,
to-morrow I will go forth into the battle-plain and place where cut
and thrust obtain, and slay their champions and make prize of
their families after taking them captives and I will ransom Sa'adan
therewith, by the leave of the Requiting King, whom no one
thing diverteth from other thing ! " Wherefore their hearts were
heartened and they joyed as they separated to their tents. Mean-
while J aland entered his pavilion and sitting down on his sofa of
estate, with his folk about him, called for Sa'adan and forthright
on his coming, said to him, " O dog run wood and least of the
Arab brood and carrier of firewood, who was it slew my son
Kurajan, the brave of the age, slayer of heroes and caster down
of warriors ? " Quoth the Ghul, " Jamrkan slew him, captain of
the armies of King Gharib, Prince of cavaliers, and I roasted and
ate him, for I was anhungered." When Jaland heard these words,
his eyes sank into his head for rage and he bade his swordbearer
smite Sa'adan's neck. So he came forward in that intent, where-
upon Sa'adan stretched himself mightily and bursting his bonds,
snatched the sword from the headsman and hewed off his head.
Then he made at Jaland who threw himself down from the throne
and fled ; whilst Sa'adan fell on the bystanders and killed twenty
of the King's chief officers, and all the rest took to flight
Therewith loud rose the crying in the camp of the Infidels and the
Ghul sallied forth of the pavilion and falling upon the troops
smote them with the sword, right and left, till they opened and
left a lane for him to pass ; nor did he cease to press forward,
cutting at them on either side, till he won free of the Miscreants'
tents and made for the Moslem camp. Now these had heard the
uproar among their enemies and said, " Haply some calamity hath
befallen them." But whilst they were in perplexity, behold,
Sa'adan stood amongst them and they rejoiced at his coming with
exceeding joy ; more especially Jamrkan, who saluted him with
the salam as did other True Believers and gave him joy of his
escape, Such was the case with the Moslems ; but as regards the
Miscreants, when, after the Ghul's departure, they and their King
28 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
returned to their tents, Jaland said to them, " O folk, by the
virtue of the Sun's light-giving ray and by the darkness of the
Night and the light of the Day and the Stars that stray, I
thought not this day to have escaped death in mellay ; for, had I
fallen into yonder fellow's hands, he had eaten me, as I were a
kernel of wheat or a barley-corn or any other grain." They re-
plied, " O King, never saw we any do the like of this Ghul."
And he said, " O folk, to-morrow do ye all don arms and mount
steed and trample them under your horses' hooves." Meanwhile
the Moslems had ended their rejoicings at Sa'adan's return and
Jamrkan said to them, " To-morrow, I will show you my derring-
do and what behoveth the like of me, for by the virtue of Abraham
the Friend, I will slay them with the foulest of slaughters and
smite them with the bite of the sword, till all who have under-
standing confounded at them shall stand. But I mean to attack
both right and left wings ; so, when ye see me drive at the King
under the standards, do ye charge behind me with a resolute
charge, and Allah's it is to decree what thing shall be ! " Accord-
ingly the two sides lay upon their arms till the day broke through
night and the sun appeared to sight. Then they mounted swiftlier
than the twinkling of the eyelid ; the raven of the wold croaked
and the two hosts, looking each at other with the eye of fascina-
tion, formed in line-array and prepared for fight and fray. The
first to open the chapter of war was Jamrkan who wheeled and
careered and offered fight in field ; and Jaland and his men were
about to charge when, behold, a cloud of dust uprolled till it
walled the wold and overlaid the day. Then the four winds
smote it and away it floated torn to rags, and there appeared be-
neath it cavaliers, with helms black and garb white and many a
princely knight and lances that bite and swords that smite and
footmen who lion-like knew no affright. Seeing this both armies
left fighting and sent out scouts to reconnoitre and report who
thus had come in main and might. So they went and within the
dust-cloud disappeared from sight, and returned after awhile with
the news aright that the approaching host was one of Moslems,
under the command of King Gharib. When the True Believers
heard from the scouts of the coming of their King, they rejoiced
and driving out to meet him, dismounted and kissed the earth
between his hands And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased to say her permitted say.
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 29
fojm ft foa* rt)e S>(x ^unfcreli an* jFoi%ctj$t!J
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
the Moslems saw the presence of their King Gharib, they joyed
with exceeding joy ; and, kissing the earth between his hands,
saluted him and gat around him whilst he welcomed them and
rejoiced in their safety. Then they escorted him to their camp
and pitched pavilions for him and set up standards ; and Gharib
sat down on his couch of estate, with his Grandees about him ;
and they related to him all that had befallen, especially to
Sa'adan. Meanwhile the Kafirs sought for Ajib and finding him
not among them nor in their tents, told Jaland of his flight,
whereat his Doomsday rose and he bit his fingers, saying, " By
the Sun's light-giving round, he is a perfidious hound and hath
fled with his rascal rout to desert-ground. But naught save force
of hard fighting will serve us to repel these foes ; so fortify your
resolves and hearten your hearts and beware of the Moslems.'*
And Gharib also said to the True Believers, " Strengthen your
courage and fortify your hearts and seek aid of your Lord, be-
seeching him to vouchsafe you the victory over your enemies."
They replied, " O King, soon thou shalt see what we will do fn
battle-plain where men cut and thrust amain." So the two hosts
slept till the day arose with its sheen and shone and the rising
sun rained light upon hill and down, when Gharib prayed the
two-bow prayer, after the rite of Abraham the Friend (on whom
be the Peace !) and wrote a letter, which he despatched by his
brother Sahim to 'the King of the Kafirs. When Sahim reached
the enemies' camp, the guards asked him what he wanted, and
he answered them, "I want your ruler."1 Quoth they, "Wait
till we consult him anent thee ; " and he waited, whilst they went
in to their Sovran and told him of the coming of a messenger,
and he cried, " Hither with him to me ! " So they brought Sahim
before Jaland, who said to him, "Who hath sent thee.?'1 Quoth
he, " King Gharib sends me, whom Allah hath made ruler over
Arab and Ajam ; receive his letter and return its reply." Jaland
took the writ and opening it, read as follows : — " In the name of
1 Arab " Hakim M : lit. one who orders; often confounded by the unscientific with
Hakim, a doctor, a philosopher. The latter re-appears in the Heb. Khakham applied
in modern days to the Jewish scribe who takes the place of the Rabbi.
3o A If Laylah wa Laylak.
Allah, the Compassionating, the Compassionate * the One, the
All-knowing, the supremely Great o the Immemorial, the Lord
of Noah and Sdlih and Hud and Abraham and of all things He
made! * The Peace be on him who followeth in the way of
righteousness and who feareth the issues of frowardness * who
obeyeth the Almighty King and followeth the Faith saving and
preferreth the next world to any present thing ! * But afterwards :
0 Jaland, none is worthy of worship save Allah alone, the
Victorious, the One, Creator of night and day and the sphere
revolving alway # Who sendeth the holy Prophets and garreth
the streams to flow and the trees to grow, who vaulted the heavens
and spread out the earth like a carpet below * Who feedeth the
birds in their nests and the wild beasts in the deserts * for He is
Allah the All-powerful, the Forgiving, the Long-suffering, the
Protector, whom eye comprehendeth on no wise and who maketh
night on day arise * He who sent down the Apostles and their
Holy Writ Know, O Jaland, that there is no faith but the Faith
of Abraham the Friend ; so cleave to the Creed of Salvation and
be saved from the biting glaive and the Fire which followeth the
grave * But, an thou refuse Al-Islam look for ruin to haste and
thy reign to be waste and thy traces untraced * And, lastly, send
me the dog Ajib hight that I may take from him my father's and
mother's blood-wit." When Jaland had read this letter, he said
to Sahim, "Tell thy lord that Ajib hath fled, he and his folk, and
1 know not whither he is gone ; but, as for Jaland, he will not
forswear his faith, and to-morrow, there shall be battle between us
and the Sun shall give us the victory." So Sahim returned to
his brother with this reply, and when the morning morrowed, the
Moslems donned their arms and armour and bestrode their stout
steeds, calling aloud on the name of the All-conquering King,
Creator of bodies and souls, and magnifying Him with " Allaho
Akbar." Then the kettle-drums of battle beat until earth trembled,
and sought the field all the lordly warriors and doughty champions.'
The first to open the gate of battle was Jamrkan, who drave his
charger into mid-plain and played with sword and javelin, till the
understanding was amazed; after which he cried out, saying,
" Ho ! who is for tilting ? Ho ! who is for fighting ? Let no
sluggard come out to me to-day nor weakling ! I am the slayer
of Kurajan bin Jaland ; who will come forth to avenge him ? "
When Jaland heard the name of his son, he cried out to his men,
" O whore-sons, bring me yonder horseman who slew my son, that
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 31
I may eat his flesh and drink his blood." So an hundred fighting
men charged at Jamrkan, but he slew the most part of them and
put their chief to flight ; which feat when Jaland saw, he cried out
to his folk, " At him all at once and assault him with one assault."
Accordingly they waved the awe-striking banners and host was
heaped on host ; Gharib rushed on with his men and Jamrkan did
the same and the two sides met like two seas together clashing.
The Yamdni sword and spear wrought havoc and breasts and
bellies were rent, whilst both armies saw the Angel of Death face
to face and the dust of the battle rose to the skirts of the sky.
Ears went deaf and tongues went dumb and doom from every side
came on whilst valiant stood fast and faint-heart fled : and they
ceased not from fight and fray till ended the day, when the drums
beat the retreat and the two hosts drew apart and returned, each
to its tents. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased saying her permitted say.
jlofo tojjm ft foas tj* Sfct'x f^un&refc anb JpottB=nmtf)
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when King
Gharib ended the battle and the two hosts drew apart and each had
returned to his own tents, he sat down on the throne of his realm
and the place of his reign, whilst his chief officers ranged them-
selves about him, and he said, " I am sore concerned for the flight
of the cur Ajib and I know not whither he has gone. Except I
overtake him and take my wreak of him, I shall die of despite.'*
Whereupon Sahim came forward and kissing the earth before him,
said, " O King, I will go to the army of the Kafirs and find out
what is come of the perfidious dog Ajib." Quoth Gharib, " Go,
and learn the truth anent the hog." So Sahim disguised himself
in the habit of the Infidels and became as he were of them; then,
making for the enemy's camp, he found them all asleep, drunken
with war and battle, and none were on wake save only the guards.
He passed on and presently came to the King's pavilion where he
found King Jaland asleep unattended ; so he crept up and made
him smell and sniff up levigated Bhang and he became as one
dead. Then Sahim went out and took a male mule, and wrapping
the King in the coverlet of his bed, laid him on its back ; after
which he threw a mat over him and led the beast to the Moslem
camp. Now when he came to Gharib's pavilion and would have
32 A If Laylafi wa Laylah.
entered, the guards knew him not and prevented him, saying,
" Who art thou ? " He laughed and uncovered his face, and they
knew him and admitted him. When Gharib saw him he said,
« What bearest thou there, O Sahim ?" ; and he replied, "O King,
this is Jaland bin Karkar." Then he uncovered him, and Gharib
knew him and said, " Arouse him, O Sahim," So he made him
smell vinegar1 and frankincense; and he cast the Bhang from his
nostrils and, opening his eyes, found himself among the Moslems;
whereupon quoth he, " What is this foul dream ? " and closing his
eyelids again, would have slept ; but Sahim dealt him a kick,
saying, " Open thine eyes, O accursed ! " So he opened them and
asked, " Where am I ? " ; and Sahim answered, " Thou art in the
presence of King Gharib bin Kundamir, King of Irak." When
Jaland heard this, he said, " O King, I am under thy protection !
Know that I am not at fault, but that who led us forth to fight theo
was thy brother, and the same cast enmity between us and then
fled." Quoth Gharib, " Knowest thou whither he is gone ? " ; and
quoth Jaland, " No, by the light-giving sun, I know not whither."
Then Gharib bade lay him in bonds and set guards over him, whilst
each captain returned to his own tent, and Jamrkan while wending
said to his men, " O sons of my uncle, I purpose this night to do a
deed wherewith I may whiten my face with King Gharib." Quoth
they, " Do as thou wilt, we hearken to thy commandment and obey
it.*' Quoth he, " Arm yourselves and, muffling your steps while I
go with you, let us fare softly and disperse about the Infidels' camp,
so that the very ants shall not be ware of you ; and, when you hear
me cry Allaho Akbar, do ye the like and cry out, saying, God is
Most Great ! and hold back and make for the city gate ; and we
seek aid from the Most High." So the folk armed themselves
cap-a-pie and waited till the noon of night, when they dispersed
about the enemy's camp and tarried awhile when, lo and behold !
Jamrkan smote shield with sword and shouted, " Allaho Akbar ! "
Thereupon they all cried out the like, till rang again valley and
mountain, hills, sands and ruins. The Miscreants awoke in dismay
and fell one upon other, and the sword went round amongst them ;
1 As has been seen, acids have ever been and are still administered as counter-
inebriants, while hot spices and sweets greatly increase the effect of Bhang, opium,
henbane, datura, &c. The Persians have a most unpleasant form of treating men when
dead-drunk with wine or spirits. They hang them up by the heels, as we used to do
with the drowned, and stuff their mouths with human ordure which is sure to produce
emesis.
The History of Gharib and his Brother A jib. 33
the Moslems drew back and made for the city gates, where they
slew the warders and entering, made themselves masters of the
town, with all that was therein of treasure and women. Thus it
befel with Jamrkan ; but as regards King Gharib, hearing the
noise and clamour of " God is Most Great," he mounted with his
troops to the last man and sent on in advance Sahim who, when
he came near the field of fight, saw that Jamrkan had fallen upon
the Kafirs with the Banu Amir by night and made them drink the
cup of death. So he returned and told all to his brother, who
called down blessings on Jamrkan. And the Infidels ceased not
to smite one another with the biting sword and expending their
strength till the day rose and lighted up the land, when Gharib cried
out to his men, " Charge, O ye noble, and do a deed to please the
All-knowing King ! " So the True Believers fell upon the idolaters
and plied upon every false hypocritical breast the keen sword and
the quivering spear. They sought to take refuge in the city ; but
Jamrkan came forth upon them with his kinsmen, who hemmed
them in between two mountain-ranges, and slew an innumerable
host of them, and the rest fled into the wastes and wolds.
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say heir
permitted say.
JSofo fofcn ft ferns tf)e gbt'x f^untafc atft jptftietl) Jiu$t,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
the Moslem host charged upon the Miscreants they hewed them
in pieces with the biting scymitar and the rest fled to the wastes
and wolds ; nor did the Moslems cease pursuing them with the
sword, till they had scattered them abroad in the plains and stony
places. Then they returned to Oman city, and King Gharib
entered the palace of the King and, sitting down on the throne of
his kingship, with his Grandees and Officers ranged right and left,
sent for J aland, They brought him in haste and Gharib ex-
pounded to him Al-Islam ; but he rejected it ; wherefore Gharib
bade crucify him on the gate of the city, and they shot at him with
shafts till he was like unto a porcupine. Then Gharib honourably
robed Jamrkan and said to him, " Thou shalt be lord of this city
and ruler thereof with power to loose and to bind therein, for it
was thou didst open it with thy sword and thy folk." And
Jamrkan kissed the King's feet, thanked him and wished him
abiding victory and glory and every blessing. Moreover Gharib
VOL. vn. C
34 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
opened Jaland's treasuries and saw what was therein of coin,
whereof he gave largesse to his captains and standard-bearers and
fighting-men, yea, even to the girls and children ; and thus he
lavished his gifts ten days long. After this, one night he dreamt
a terrible dream and awoke, troubled and trembling. So he
aroused his brother Sahim and said to him, " I saw in my vision
that we were in a wide valley, when there pounced down on us
two ravening birds of prey, never in my life saw I greater than
they ; their legs were like lances, and as they swooped we were in
sore fear of them." Replied Sahim, " O King, this be some great
enemy; so stand on thy guard against him." Gharib slept not
the rest of the night and, when the day broke, he called for his
courser and mounted. Quoth Sahim, " Whither goest thou, my
brother ? " and quoth Gharib, " I awoke heavy at heart ; so I mean
to ride abroad ten days and broaden my breast." Said Sahim,
" Take with thee a thousand braves ;" but Gharib replied, " I will
not go forth but with thee and only thee." So the two brothers
mounted and, seeking the dales and leasows, fared on from Wady
to Wady and from meadow to meadow, till they came to a valley
abounding in streams and sweet-smelling flowers and trees laden
with all manner eatable fruits, two of each kind. Birds warbled
on the branches their various strains ; the mocking-bird trilled out
her sweet notes fain and the turtle filled with her voice the plain.
There sang the nightingale, whose chant arouses the sleeper, and
the merle with his note like the voice of man and the cushat
and the ring-dove, whilst the parrot with its eloquent tongue
answered the twain. The valley pleased them and they ate of its
fruits and drank of its waters, after which they sat under the
shadow of its trees till drowsiness overcame them and they slept,
— glory be to Him who sleepeth not ! As they lay asleep, lo ! two
fierce Marids swooped down on them and, taking each one on his
shoulders, towered with them high in air, till they were above
the clouds. So Gharib and Sahim awoke and found themselves
betwixt heaven and earth ; whereupon they looked at those who
bore them and saw that they were two Marids, the head of the one
being as that of a dog and the head of the other as that of an ape1
with hair like horses' tails and claws like lions' claws, and both
were big as great palm-trees. When they espied this case, they
exclaimed, " There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in
1 Compare the description of the elephant-faced Vetala (Kathd S.S. Fasc. xi. p. 388).
The History of Gkarib and his Brother Ajib. 35
Allah, the Glorious, the Great ! " Now the cause of this was that
a certain King of the Kings of the Jinn, hight Mura'ash, had a
son called Sd'ik, who loved a damsel of the Jinn, named Najmah;1
and the twain used to foregather in that Wady under the sem-
blance of two birds. Gharib and Sahim saw them thus and
deeming them birds, shot at them with shafts but wounding only
Sa'ik whose blood flowed. Najmah mourned over him ; then,
fearing lest the like calamity befal herself, snatched up her lover
and flew with him to his father's palace, where she cast him down
at the gate. The warders bore him in and laid him before his sire
who, seeing the pile sticking in his rib exclaimed, " Alas, my son !
Who hath done with thee this thing, that I may lay waste his
abiding-place and hurry on his destruction, though he were the
greatest of the Kings of the Jann ? " Thereupon Sa'ik opened his
eyes and said, " O my father, none slew me save a mortal in the
Valley of Springs." Hardly had he made an end of these words,
when his soul departed; whereupon his father buffeted his face,
till the blood streamed fix m his mouth, and cried out to two
Marids, saying, " Hie ye to the Valley of Springs and bring me all
who are therein." So they betook themselves to the Wady in
question, where they found Gharib and Sahim asleep, and, snatching
them up, carried them to King Mura'ash.2 And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Jlofo fofjen ft foas tfie gbix f^untrreb an& JFtftg-first
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
two Marids, after snatching up Gharib and Sahim in their sleep,
carried them to Mura'ash, king of the Jann, whom they saw
seated on the throne of his kingship, as he were a huge mountain,
with four heads on his body,3 the first that of a lion, the second
that of an elephant, the third that of a panther, and the fourth that
1 The lover's name Sa'ik = the Striker (with lightning) ; Najmah, the beloved = the
star.
2 I have modified the last three lines of the Mac. Edit, which contain a repetition
evidently introduced by the carelessness of the copyist.
3 The Hindu Charvakas explain the Triad, Bramha, Vishnu and Shiva, by the sexual
organs and upon Vishnu's having four arms they gloss, "At the time of sexual inter-
course, each man and woman has as many.'* (Dabistan ii. 202). This is the Eastern
view of Rabelais' " beast with two backs."
Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
of a lynx. The Marids set them down before Mura'ash and said
to him, " O King, these twain be they we found in the Valley of
Springs." Thereupon he looked at them with wrathful eyes and
snarked and snorted and shot sparks from his nostrils, so that
all who stood by feared him. Then said he, " O dogs of mankind,
ye have slain my son and lighted fire in my liver." Quoth Gharib,
" Who is thy son, and who hath seen him ? " Quoth Mura'ash,
" Were ye not in the Valley of Springs and did ye not see my son
there, in the guise of a bird, and did ye not shoot at him with
wooden bolts that he died ?" Replied Gharib, " I know not who
slew him ; and, by the virtue of the Great God, the One, the
Immemorial who knoweth things all, and of Abraham the Friend,
we saw no bird, neither slew we bird or beast ! " Now when
Mura'ash heard Gharib swear by Allah and His greatness and by
Abraham the Friend, he knew him for a Moslem (he himself
being a worshipper of Fire, not of the All-powerful Sire), so he
cried out to his folk, " Bring me my Goddess.1 " Accordingly they
brought a brazier of gold and, setting it before him, kindled therein
fire and cast on drugs, whereupon there arose therefrom green and
blue and yellow flames and the King and all who were present
prostrated themselves before the brazier, whilst Gharib and Sahim
ceased not to attest the Unity of Allah Almighty, to cry out " God
is Most Great "and to bear witness to His Omnipotence. Pre-
sently, Mura'ash raised his head and, seeing the two Princes
standing in lieu of falling down to worship, said to them, " O dogs,
why do ye not prostrate yourselves ? " Replied Gharib, " Out on
you, O ye accursed ! Prostration befitteth not man save to the
Worshipful King, who bringeth forth all creatures into beingness
from nothingness and maketh water to well from the barren rock-
well, Him who inclineth heart of sire unto new-born scion and who
may not be described as sitting or standing ; the God of Noah and
Salfh and Hud and Abraham the Friend, Who created Heaven
and Hell and trees and fruit as well,2 for He is Allah, the One, the
All-powerful." When Mura'ash heard this, his eyes sank into his
head3 and he cried out to his guards, saying, " Pinion me these
two dogs and sacrifice them to my Goddess." So they bound
them and were about to cast them into the fire when, behold,
1 Arab. " Rabbat-i," my she Lord, fire (nar) being feminine.
8 The prose-rhyme is answerable for this galimatias.
* A common phrase equivalent to our «« started from his head,"
The History of Gharib and hts Brother Ajib. 37
one of the crenelles of the palace-parapet fell down upon the
brazier and brake it and put out the fire, which became ashes
flying in air. Then quoth Gharib, "God is Most Great! He
giveth aid and victory and He forsaketh those who deny Him,
Fire worshipping and not the Almighty King !" Presently quoth
Mura'ash, " Thou art a sorcerer and hast bewitched my Goddess,
so that this thing hath befallen her. Gharib replied, " O madman,
an the fire had soul or sense it would have warded off from self all
that hurteth it." When Mura'ash heard these words, he roared
and bellowed and reviled the Fire, saying, " By my faith, I will
not kill you save by the fire !" Then he bade cast them into gaol ;
and, calling an hundred Marids, made them bring much fuel and set
fire thereto. So they brought great plenty of wood and made a
huge blaze, which flamed up mightily till the morning, when
Mura'ash mounted an elephant, bearing on its back a throne of
gold dubbed with jewels, and the tribes of the Jinn gathered about
him in their various kinds. Presently they brought in Gharib and
Sahim who, seeing the flaming of the fire, sought help of the One,
the All-conquering Creator of night and day, Him of All-might,
whom no sight comprehendeth, but who comprehendeth all sights,
for He is the Subtle, the All-knowing. And they ceased not
humbly beseeching Him till, behold, a cloud arose from West to
East and, pouring down showers of rain, like the swollen sea,
quenched the fire. When the King saw this, he was affrighted, he
and his troops, and entered the palace, where he turned to the
Wazirs and Grandees and said to them, " How say ye of these two
men ? " They replied, " O King, had they not been in the right,
this thing had not befallen the fire ; wherefore we say that they
be true men which speak sooth." Rejoined Mura'ash, "Verily
the Truth hath been displayed to me, ay, and the manifest way,
and I am certified that the worship of the fire is false ; for, were
it goddess, it had warded off from itself the rain which quenched
it and the stone which broke its brasier and beat it into ashes.
Wherefore I believe in Him Who created the fire and the light
and the shade and the heat. And ye, what say ye ? " They
answered, " O King, we also hear and follow and obey." So the
King called for Gharib and embraced him and kissed him between
the eyes and then summoned Sahim ; whereupon the bystanders
all crowded to kiss their hands and heads. And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
38 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
fo&en it foas t&e &fo l^untetr an*
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Mura'ash and his men found salvation in the Saving Faith,
Al-Islam, he called for Gharib and Sahim and kissed them between
the eyes and so did all the Grandees who crowded to buss their
hands and heads. Then Mura'ash sat down on the throne of his
kingship and, seating Gharib on his right and Sahim on his left
hand, said to them, " O mortals, what shall we say, that we
may become Moslems ? " Replied Gharib, " Say : — There is no
god but the God, and Abraham is the Friend of God ! " So the
King and his folk professed Al-Islam with heart and tongue, and
Gharib abode with them awhile, teaching them the ritual of prayer.
But presently he called to mind his people and sighed, whereupon
quoth Mura'ash, "Verily, trouble is gone and joy and gladness are
come." Quoth Gharib, " O King, I have many foes and I fear for
my folk from them.'* Then he related to him his history with his
brother Ajib from first to last, and the King of the Jinns said, " O
King of men, I will send one who shall bring thee news of thy
people, for I will not let thee go till I have had my fill of thy
face." Then he called two doughty Marids, by name Kaylajan
and Kurajan, and after they had done him homage, he bade them
repair to Al-Yaman and bring him news of Gharib's army. They
replied, " To hear is to obey," and departed. Thus far concerning
the brothers ; but as regards the Moslems, they arose in the morn-
ing and led by their captains rode to King Gharib's palace, to do
their service to him ; but the eunuchs told them that the King had
mounted with his brother and had ridden forth at peep o' day.
So they made for the valleys and mountains and followed the
track of the Princes, till they came to the Valley of Springs, where
they found their arms cast down and their two gallant steeds
grazing and said, " The King is missing from this place, by the
glory of Abraham the Friend ! " Then they mounted and sought
in the valley and the mountains three days, but found no trace of
them • whereupon they began the mourning ceremonies and, send-
ing for couriers, said to them, " Do ye disperse yourselves about
the cities and sconces and castles, and seek ye news of our King."
"Hearkening and obedience!" cried the couriers, who dispersed
hither and thither each over one of the Seven Climes and sought
everywhere for Gharib. but found no trace of him. Now when the
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 39
tidings came to Ajib by his spies that his brother was lost and
there was no news of the missing, he rejoiced and going in to
King Ya'arub bin Kahtan, sought of him aid which he granted
and gave him two hundred thousand Amalekites, wherewith he
set out for Al-Yaman and sat down before the city of Oman.
Jamrkan and Sa'adan sallied forth and offered him battle, and
there were slain of the Moslems much folk, so the True Believers
retired into the city and shut the gates and manned the walls.
At this moment came up the two Marids Kaylajan and Kurajan
and, seeing the Moslem beleaguered waited till nightfall, when
they fell upon the miscreants and plied them with sharp swords
of the swords of the Jinn, each twelve cubits long, if a man smote
therewith a rock, verily he would cleave it in sunder. They
charged the Idolaters, shouting, " Allaho Akbar ! God is Most
Great ! He giveth aid and victory and forsaketh those who deny
the Faith of Abraham the Friend ! " and whilst they raged amongst
the foes, fire issued from their mouths and nostrils, and they made
great slaughter amongst them. Thereupon the Infidels ran out
of their tents offering battle but, seeing these strange things, were
confounded and their hair stood on end and their reason fled. So
they snatched up their arms and fell one upon other, whilst the
Marids shore off their heads, as a reaper eareth grain, crying,
"God is Most Great! We are the lads of King Gharib, the
friend of Mura'ash, King of the Jinn ! " The sword ceased not
to go round amongst them till the night was half spent, when the
Misbelievers, imagining that the mountains were all Ifrits, loaded
their tents and treasure and baggage upon camels and made off;
and the first to fly was Ajib. And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Nofo fo&en (t foas tje S>ix ^untefc an* Jaftg.-tfu'rtr NfgSt,
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
Misbelievers made off and the first to fly was Ajib. Thereupon
the Moslems gathered together, marvelling at this that had
betided the Infidels and fearing the tribesmen of the Jinn. But
the Marids ceased not from pursuit, till they had driven them far
away into the hills and wolds ; and but fifty thousand Rebels l of
two hundred thousand escaped with their lives and made for their
1 Arab. " Mariduna " = rebels (against Allah and his prders)-
40 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
own land, wounded and sore discomfited. Then the two Jinns
returned and said to them, " O host of the Moslems, your lord
King Gharib and his brother Sahim salute you ; they are the
guests of Mura'ash, King of the Jann, and will be with you anon."
When Gharib's men heard that he was safe and well, they joyed
with exceeding joy and said to the Marids, "Allah gladden
you twain with good news, O noble spirits ! " So Kurajan and
Kaylajan returned to Mura'ash and Gharib ; and acquainted them
with that which had happened, whereat Gharib finding the two
sitting together felt heart at ease and said, "Allah abundantly
requite you ! " Then quoth King Mura'ash, " O my brother, I am
minded to show thee our country and the city of Japhet ! son of
Noah (on whom be peace !) " Quoth Gharib, " O King, do what
seemeth good to thee." So he called for three noble steeds and
mounting, he and Gharib and Sahim, set out with a thousand
Marids, as they were a piece of a mountain cloven lengthwise.
They fared on, solacing themselves with the sight of valleys and
mountains, till they came to Jabarsd,2 the city of Japhet son of
Noah (on whom be peace !) where the townsfolk all, great and
small, came forth to meet King Mura'ash and brought them into
the city in great state. Then Mura'ash went up to the palace of
Japhet son of Noah and sat down on the throne of his kingship,
which was of alabaster, ten stages high and latticed with wands of
gold wherefrom hung all manner coloured silks. The people of
the city stood before him and he said to them, " O seed of Yafis
bin Nuh, what did your fathers and grandfathers worship ? " They
replied, "We found them worshipping Fire and followed their
example, as thou well knowest." " O folk," rejoined Mura'ash,
" we have been shown that the fire is but one of the creatures of
Almighty Allah, Creator of all things ; and when we knew this,
we submitted ourselves to God, the One, the All-powerful, Maker
1 Arab. Yafis or Yafat. He had eleven sons and was entitled Abu al-Turk because
this one engendered the Turcomans as others did the Chinese, Scythians, Slaves (Saklab),
Gog, Magog, and the Muscovites or Russians. According to the Moslems there was a
rapid falling off in size amongst this family. Noah's grave at Karak (the Ruin) a
suburb of Zahlah, in La Brocquiere's "Valley of Noah, where the Ark was built," is
104 ft. 10 in. long by 8 ft. 8 in. broad. (N.B.— It is a bit of the old aqueduct which Mr.
Porter, the learned author of the "Giant Cities of Bashan," quotes as a "traditional
memorial of primeval giants"— talibus carduis pascuntur asini !). Nabi Ham measures
only 9 ft. 6 in. between headstone and tombstone, being in fact about as long as hi*
father was broad.
* See Night dcliv., vol. vii., p, 43, infra.
The History of Gharib and his Brother A jib. 41
of night and day and the sphere revolving alway, Whom compre-
hendeth no sight, but Who comprehendeth all sights, for He is
the Subtle, the All-wise. So seek ye Salvation and ye shall be
saved from the wrath of the Almighty One and from the fiery
doom in the world to come." And they embraced Al-Islam with
heart and tongue. Then Mura'ash took Gharib by the hand and
showed him the palace and its ordinance and all the marvels it
contained, till they came to the armoury, wherein were the arms
of Japhet son of Noah. Here Gharib saw a sword hanging to a
pin of gold and asked, "O King, whose is that?0 Mura'ash
answered, " 'Tis the sword of Yafis bin Nuh, wherewith he was
wont to do battle against men and Jinn. The sage Jardum forged
it and graved on its back names of might.1 It is named Al-Mahik
— the Annihilator — for that it never descendeth upon a man, but
it annihilateth him, nor upon a Jinni, but it crusheth him ; and if
one smote therewith a mountain 'twould overthrow it." When
Gharib heard tell of the virtues of the sword, he said, " I desire to
look on this blade ; " and Mura'ash said, " Do as thou wilt." So
Gharib put out his hand, and, hending the sword, drew it from its
sheath ; whereupon it flashed and Death crept on its edge and
glittered; and it was twelve spans long and three broad. Now
Gharib wished to become owner of it, and King Mura'ash said,
" An thou canst smite with it, take it." " 'Tis well," Gharib replied,
and took it up, and it was in his hand as a staff; wherefore all
who were present, men and Jinn, marvelled and said, " Well done,
O Prince of Knights ! " Then said Mura'ash " Lay thy hand on
this hoard for which the Kings of the earth sigh in vain, and
mount, that I may show thee the city." Then they took horse
and rode forth the palace, with men and Jinns attending them on
foot, -- And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
to say her permitted say.
Nofo to&en (t foas tjc §btx f^untafc an& JFtftB=fourtl)
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Gharib and King Mura'ash rode forth the palace of Japhet, with
1 According to Turcoman legends (evidently post-Mohammedan) Noah gave his son
Japhet a stone inscribed with the Greatest Name, and it had the virtue of bringing on or
driving off rain. The Moghuls long preserved the tradition and hence probably the
sword.
42 A If Laylah iva Laylah.
men and Jinns attending them on foot, they passed through the
streets and thoroughfares of the town, by palaces and deserted
mansions and gilded doorways, till they issued from the gates
and entered gardens full of trees fruit-bearing and waters welling
and birds speaking and celebrating the praises of Him to whom
belong Majesty and Eternity ; nor did they cease to solace them-
selves in the land till nightfall, when they returned to the palace
of Japhet son of Noah and they brought them the table of food.
So they ate and Gharib turned to the King of the Jann and said
to him, " O King, I would fain return to my folk and my force ;
for I know not their plight after me." Replied Mura'ash, " By
Allah, O my brother, I will not part with thee for a full month,
till I have had my fill of thy sight." Now Gharib could not say
nay, so he abode with him in the city of Japhet, eating and
drinking and making merry, till the month ended, when Mura'ash
gave him great store of gems and precious ores, emeralds and
balass-rubies, diamonds and other jewels, ingots of gold and silver
and likewise ambergis and musk and brocaded silks and else of
rarities and things of price. Moreover he clad him and Sahim in
silken robes of honour gold-inwoven and set on Gharib's head a
crown jewelled with pearls and diamonds of inestimable value.
All these treasures he made up into even loads for him and,
calling five hundred Marids, said to them, " Get ye ready to
travel on the morrow, that we may bring King Gharib and Sahim
back to their own country." And they answered, " We hear and
we obey/' So they passed the night in the city, purposing to
depart on the morrow, but, next morning, as they were about to
set forth behold, they espied a great host advancing upon the
city, with horses neighing and kettle-drums beating and trumpets
braying and riders filling the earth for they numbered threescore
and ten thousand Marids, flying and diving, under a King called
Barkan. Now this Barkan was lord of the City of Carnelian and
the Castle of Gold and under his rule were five hill-strongholds, in
each five hundred thousand Marids ; and he and his tribe
worshipped the Fire, not the Omnipotent Sire. He was a cousin
of Mura'ash, the son of his father's brother, and the cause of his
coming was that there had been among the subjects of King
Mura'ash a misbelieving Marid, who professed Al-Islam hypo-
critically, and he stole away from his people and made for the
Valley of Carnelian, where he went in to King Barkan and,
kissing the earth before him, wished him abiding glory and
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 43
prosperity. Then he told him of Mura'ash being converted to
Al-Islam, and Barkan said, " How came he to tear himself away
from his faith l ? " So the rebel told him what had passed and,
when Barkan heard it, he snorted and snarked and railed at Sun
and Moon and sparkling Fire, saying, " By the virtue of my faith,
I will surely slay mine uncle's son and his people and this mortal,
nor will I leave one of them alive ! " Then he cried out to the
legions of the Jinn and choosing of them seventy thousand
Marids, set out and fared on till he came to Jabarsa 2 the city of
Japhet and encamped before its gates. When Mura'ash saw this,
he despatched a Marid, saying, " Go to this host and learn all that
it wanteth and return hither in haste." So the messenger rushed
away to Barkan's camp, where the Marids flocked to meet him
and said to him, " Who art thou ? " Replied he, " An envoy from
King Mura'ash ; " whereupon they carried him in to Barkan,
before whom he prostrated himself, saying, " O my lord, my
master hath sent me to thee, to learn tidings of thee." Quoth
Barkan, " Return to thy lord and say to him : — This is thy
cousin Barkan, who is come to salute thee." - And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted
say.
Koto tof)*n it toas tjc S>tx ^untrrefc anto jFtftg-fiftf) Nifl&t,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
Marid-envoy of Mura'ash was borne before Barkan and said to
him, " O my lord, my master hath sent me to thee to learn tidings
of thee," Barkan replied, "Return to thy lord and say to him:—
This is thy cousin Barkan who is come to salute thee ! " So the
messenger went back and told Mura'ash, who said to Gharib,
" Sit thou on thy throne whilst I go and salute my cousin and
return to thee." Then he mounted and rode to the camp of his
uncle's son. Now this was a trick 3 of Barkan, to bring Mura'ash
out and seize upon him, and he said to his Marids, whom he had
stationed about him, " When ye see me embrace him,4 lay hold of
1 This expresses Moslem sentiment ; the convert to Al-Islam being theoretically
respected and practically despised. The Turks call him a " Burma "= twister, a
turncoat, and no one either trusts him or believes in his sincerity.
2 The name of the city first appears here : it is found also in the Bui. Edit., vol. ii.
P- i32-
3 Arab. " 'Amala hilah,*' a Syro-Egyptian vulgarism.
4 i.e. his cousin, but he will not use the word.
44 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
him and pinion him." And they replied, " To hear is to obey."
So, when King Mura'ash came up and entered Barkan's pavilion,
the owner rose to him and threw his arms round his neck ;
whereat the Jann fell upon Mura'ash and pinioned him and
chained him. Mura'ash looked at Barkan and said, "What
manner of thing is this ? " Quoth Barkan, " O dog of the Jann,
wilt thou leave the faith of thy fathers and grandfathers and enter
a faith thou knowest not ?" Rejoined Mura'ash, "O son of my
uncle, indeed I have found the faith of Abraham the Friend to be
the True Faith and all other than it vain." Asked Barkan, "And
who told thee of this ? " ; and Mura'ash answered, " Gharib, King
of Irak, whom I hold in the highest honour." By the right of the
Fire and the Light and the Shade and the Heat," cried Barkan,
" I will assuredly slay both thee and him ! " And he cast him
Into gaol. Now when Mura'ash's henchman saw what had befallen
his lord, he fled back to the city and told the King's legionaries
who cried out and mounted. Quoth Gharib, "What is the
matter ? " And they told him all that had passed, whereupon he
cried out to Sahim, " Saddle me one of the chargers that King
Mura'ash gave me. Said Sahim, " O my brother, wilt thou do
battle with the Jinn ? " Gharib replied, " Yes, I will fight them
with the sword of Japhet son of Noah, seeking help of the Lord of
Abraham the Friend (on whom be the Peace !) ; for He is the
Lord of all things and sole Creator ! " So Sahim saddled him a
sorrel horse of the horses of the Jinn, as he were a castle strong
among castles, and he armed and mounting, rode out with the
legions of the Jinn, hauberk 'd cap-a-pie. Then Barkan and his
host mounted also and the two hosts drew out in lines facing each
other. The first to open the gate of war was Gharib, who drave
his steed into the mid-field and bared the enchanted blade,
whence issued a glittering light that dazzled the eyes of all the
Jinn and struck terror to their hearts. Then he played ! with the
sword till their wits were wildered, and cried out, saying, " Allaho
Akbar ! I am Gharib, King of Irak. There is no Faith save the
Faith of Abraham the Friend ! " Now when Barkan heard
Gharib's words, he said, " This is he who seduced my cousin from
his religion ; so, by the virtue of my faith, I will not sit down on
my throne till I have decapitated this Gharib and suppressed his
1 Arab." La'ab," meaning very serious use of the sword: we still preserve the old
"sword-play."
The History of Gharib and his Brother A jib. 45
breath of life and forced my cousin and his people back to their
belief: and whoso baulketh me, him will I destroy." Then he
mounted an elephant paper-white as he were a tower plastered
with gypsum, and goaded him with a spike of steel which ran
deep into his flesh, whereupon the elephant trumpeted and made
for the battle-plain where cut and thrust obtain ; and, when he
drew near Gharib, he cried out to him, saying, " O dog of mankind,
what made thee come into our land, to debauch my cousin and his
folk and pervert them from one faith to other faith." Know that
this day is the last of thy worldly days/1 Gharib replied,
41 Avaunt,1 O vilest of the Jann 1 " Therewith Barkan drew a
javelin and making it quiver2 in his hand, cast it at Gharib ; but
it missed him. So he hurled a second javelin at him ; but
Gharib caught it in mid-air and after poising it launched it at
the elephant. It smote him on the flank and came out on the
other side, whereupon the beast fell to the earth dead and Barkan
was thrown to the ground, like a great palm-tree. Before he
could stir, Gharib smote him with the flat of Japhet's blade on
the nape of the neck, and he fell upon the earth in a fainting-fit ;
whereupon the Marids swooped down on him and surrounding
him pinioned his elbows. When Barkan's people saw their
king a prisoner, they drove at the others, seeking to rescue him,
but Gharib and the Islamised Jinn fell upon them and gloriously
done for Gharib ! indeed that day he pleased the Lord who
answereth prayer and slaked his vengeance with the talisman-
sword ! Whomsoever he smote, he clove him in sunder and
before his soul could depart he became a heap of ashes in the
fire ; whilst the two hosts of the Jinn shot each other with flamy
meteors till the battle-field was wrapped in smoke. And Gharib
tourneyed right and left among the Kafirs who gave way before
him, till he came to King Barkan's pavilion, with Kaylajan and
Kurajan on his either hand, and cried out to them, " Loose your
lord ! " So they unbound Mura'ash and broke his fetters and •
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say
her permitted say.
1 Arab. " Ikhsa," from a root meaning to drive away a dog.
2 Arab. " Hazza-hu," the quivering motion given to the " Harbak" (a light throw
«pear or javelin) before it leaves the hand.
46 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
ttfofo fofien ft foas tje &ix f^untofc antr JFi
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
King Gharib cried out to Kaylajan and Kurajan, saying, " Loose
your lord ! ", they unbound Mura'ash and broke his fetters, and
he said to them, " Bring me my arms and my winged horse.
Now he had two flying steeds, one of which he had given to
Gharib and the other he had kept for himself; and this he
.mounted after he had donned his battle-harness. Then he and
Gharib fell upon the enemy, flying through the air on their winged
horses, and the true believing Jinn followed them, shouting
" Allaho Akbar— God is Most Great ! " — till plains and hills,
valleys and mountains re-worded the cry. The Infidels fled
before them and they returned, after having slain more than
thirty thousand Marids and Satans, to the city of Japhet, where
the two Kings sat down on their couches of estate and sought
Barkan, but found him not ; for after capturing him they were
diverted from him by stress of battle, where an Ifrit of his servants
made his way to him and loosing him, carried him to his folk,
of whom he found part slain and the rest in full flight. So he
flew up with the King high in air and sat him down in the City
of Carnelian and Castle of Gold, where Barkan seated himself on
the throne of his kingship. Presently, those of his people who
had survived the affair came in to him and gave him joy of his
safety ; and he said, " O folk, where is safety ? My army is slain
and they took me prisoner and have rent in pieces mine honour
among the tribes of the Jann." Quoth they, " O King, 'tis ever
thus that kings still afflict and are afflicted " Quoth he, " There
is no help but I take my wreak and wipe out my shame, else shall
I be for ever disgraced among the tribes of the Jann." Then he
wrote letters to the Governors of his fortresses, who came to him
right loyally and, when he reviewed them, he found three
hundred and twenty thousand fierce Marids and Satans ; who
said to him, " What is thy need ? " And he replied, " Get ye
ready to set out in three days' time ; " whereto they rejoined
" Harkening and obedience ! " On this wise it befel King
Barkan ; but as regards Mura'ash, when he discovered his
prisoner's escape, it was grievous to him and he said," Had we
set an hundred Marids to guard him, he had not fled ; but
whither shall he go from us ? " Then said he to Gharib, " Know,
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 47
0 my brother, that Barkan is perfidious and will never rest from
wreaking blood-revenge on us, but will assuredly assemble his
legions and return to attack us ; wherefore I am minded to fore-
stall him and follow the trail of his defeat, whilst he is yet
weakened thereby." Replied Gharib, " This is the right rede,
and will best serve our need ; " and Mura'ash, said, " Oh my
brother, let the Marids bear thee back to thine own country and
leave me to fight the battles of the Faith against the Infidels, that
1 may be lightened of my sin-load." But Gharib rejoined,
" By the virtue of the Clement, the Bountiful, the Veiler, I will
not go hence till I do to death all the misbelieving Jinn ; and
Allah hasten their souls to the fire and dwelling-place dire ;
and none shall be saved but those who worship Allah the One,
the Victorious ! But do thou send Sahim back to the city of
Oman, so haply he may be healed of his ailment." For Sahim
was sick. So Mura'ash cried to the Marids, saying, " Take ye
up Sahim and these treasures and bear them to Oman city."
And after replying, " We hear and we obey," they took them and
made for the land of men. Then Mura'ash wrote letters to all
his Governors and Captains of fortresses and they came to him
with an hundred and sixty thousand warriors. So they made
them ready and departed for the City of Carnelian and the Castle
of Gold, covering in one day a year's journey and halted in a
valley, where they encamped and passed the night. Next morning
as they were about to set forth, behold, the vanguard of Barkan's
army appeared, whereupon the Jinn cried out and the two hosts
met and fell each upon other in that valley. Then the
engagement was dight and there befel a sore fight as though an
earthquake shook the site and fair plight waxed foul plight.
Earnest came and jest took flight, and parley ceased 'twixt wight
and wight,1 whilst long lives were cut short in a trice and the
Unbelievers fell into disgrace and despite ; for Gharib charged
them, proclaiming the Unity of the Worshipful, the All-might and
shore through necks and left heads rolling in the dust ; nor did
night betide before nigh seventy thousand of the Miscreants were
slain, and of the Moslemised over ten thousand Marids had fallen.
Then the kettle-drums beat the retreat, and the two hosts drew
apart, And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
saying her permitted say.
Here the translator must either order the sequence of the sentences or follow the rhyme.
48 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
Kofo foftcn ft foas t&e Sbfx ^un&refc an* JftftB-sebent!) Nfgjt,
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
the two hosts drew apart, Gharib and Mura'ash returned to their
tents, after wiping their weapons, and supper being set before
them, they ate and gave each other joy of their safety, and the
loss of their Marids being so small. As for Barkan, he returned
to his tent, grieving for the slaughter of his champions, and said
to his officers, " O folk, an we tarry here and do battle with them
on this wise in three days' time we shall be cut off to the last
wight." Quoth they, " And how shall we do, O King ? " Quoth
Barkan, " We will fall upon them under cover of night whilst they
are deep in sleep, and not one of them shall be left to tell the tale.
So take your arms and when I give the word of command, attack
and fall on your enemies as one." Now there was amongst
them a Marid named Jandal whose heart inclined to Al-Islam ;
so, when he heard the Kafirs' plot, he stole away from them and
going in to King Mura'ash and King Gharib, told the twain what
Barkan had devised ; whereupon Mura'ash turned to Gharib and
said to him, " O my brother, what shall we do ? " Gharib replied,
" To-night we will fall upon the Miscreants and chase them into
the wilds and the wolds if it be the will of the Omnipotent King."
Then he summoned the Captains of the Jann and said to them,
" Arm yourselves, you and yours ; and, as soon as 'tis dark, steal
out of your tents on foot, hundreds after hundreds, and lie in
ambush among the mountains ; and when ye see the enemy
engaged among the tents, do ye fall upon them from all quarters.
Hearten your hearts and rely on your Lord, and ye shall certainly
conquer ; and behold, I am with you ! " So, as soon as it was
dark night, the Infidels attacked the camp, invoking aid of the
fire and light ; but when they came among the tents, the Moslems
fell upon them, calling for help on the Lord of the Worlds and
saying, "O Most Merciful of Mercifuls, O Creator of all createds ! "
till they left them like mown grass, cut down and dead. Nor did
morning dawn before the most part of the unbelievers were species
without souls and the rest made for the wastes and marshes, whilst
Gharib and Mura'ash returned triumphant and victorious ; and,
making prize of the enemy's baggage, they rested till the morrow,
when they set out for the City of Carnelian and Castle of Gold.
As for Barkan, when the battle had turned against him and most
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 49
of his lieges were stain, he fled through the dark with the remnant
of his power to his capital where he entered his palace and
assembling his legionaries said to them, " O folk, whoso hath
aught of price, let him take it and follow me to the Mountain
Kaf, to the Blue King, lord of the Pied Palace ; for he it is who
shall avenge us." So they took their women and children and
goods and made for the Caucasus-mountain. Presently Mura'ash
and Gharib arrived at the City of Carnelian and Castle of Gold to
find the gates open and none left to give them news ; whereupon
they entered and Mura'ash led Gharib that he might show him
the city, whose walls were builded of emeralds and its gates of
red carnelian, with studs of silver, and the terrace-roofs of its houses
and mansions reposed upon beams of lign-aloes and sandal-wood.
So they took their pleasure in its streets and alleys, till they
came to the Palace of Gold and entering passed through seven
vestibules, when they drew near to a building, whose walls were of
royal balass-rubies and its pavement of emerald and jacinth. The
two Kings were astounded at the goodliness of the place and fared
on from vestibule to vestibule, till they had passed through the
seventh and happened upon the inner court of the palace wherein
they saw four dai'ses, each different from the others, and in the
midst a jetting fount of red gold, compassed about with golden
lions,1 from whose mouths issued water. These were things to
daze man's wit. The estrade at the upper end was hung and
carpeted with brocaded silks of various colours and thereon stood
two thrones of red gold, inlaid with pearls and jewels. So
Mura'ash and Gharib sat down on Barkan's thrones and held
high state in the Palace of Gold. -And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Koto fo&m it foas tje &>fx ?^un&reb antr JFiftg^tg&tJ Nfgjt,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that
Mura'ash and Gharib took seat on Barkan's thrones and held
high state. Then said Gharib to Mura'ash, " What thinkest thou
to do?" And Mura'ash replied, "O King of mankind, I have
despatched an hundred horse to learn where Barkan is, that we
1 Possibly taken from the Lions' Court in the Alhambra = (Dar) Al-hamra, the Red
House.
VOL VII. D
A If Laylah wa Laylah.
may pursue him." Then they abode three days in the palace, till
the scouting Marids returned with the news that Barkan had fled
to the Mountain Kaf and craved protection of the Blue King who
granted it ; whereupon quoth Mura'ash to Gharib, " What sayest
thou, O my brother ? " and quoth Gharib, " Except we attack
them they will attack us." So they bade the host make ready for
departure and after three days, they were about to set out with
their troops, when the Marids, who had carried Sahim and the
presents back to Oman, returned and kissed ground before Gharib.
He questioned them of his people and they replied, " After the
last affair, thy brother Ajib, leaving Ya'arub bin Kahtan, fled to
the King of Hind and, submitting his case, sought his protection.
The King granted his prayer and writing letters to all his
governors, levied an army as it were the surging sea, having
neither beginning nor end, wherewith he purposeth to invade
Al-Irak and lay it waste." When Gharib heard this, he said,
Perish the Misbelievers ! Verily, Allah Almighty shall give the
victory to Al-Islam and I will soon show them hew and foin."
Said Mura'ash, " O King of humans, by the virtue of the Mighty
Name, I must needs go with thee to thy kingdom and destroy
thy foes and bring thee to thy wish." Gharib thanked him and
they rested on this resolve till the morrow, when they set out,
intending for Mount Caucasus and marched many days till they
reached the City of Alabaster and the Pied Palace. Now this
city was fashioned of alabaster and precious stones by Barik bin
Faki', father of the Jinn, and he also founded the Pied Palace,
which was so named because edified with one brick of gold
alternating with one of silver, nor was there builded aught like it
in all the world. When they came within half a day's journey of
the city, they halted to take their rest, and Mura'ash sent out to
reconnoitre a scout who returned and said, " O King, within the
City of Alabaster are legions of the Jinn, for number as the leaves
of the trees or as the drops of rain." So Mura'ash said to Gharib,
" How shall we do, O King of Mankind ? " He replied, " O King,
divide your men into four bodies and encompass with them the
camp of the Infidels ; then, in the middle of the night, let them
cry out, saying; -God is Most Great! and withdraw and watch
what happeneth among the tribes of the Jinn." So Mura'ash did
as Gharib counselled and the troops waited till midnight, when
they encircled the foe and shouted " Allaho Akbar ! Ho for the
Faith of Abraham the Friend, on whom be the Peace ! " The
Tfo History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 5 1
Misbelievers at this cry awoke in affright and snatching up their
arms, fell one upon other till the morning, when most part of them
were dead bodies and but few remained. Then Gharib cried out
to the True Believers, saying, " Up and at the remnant of the
Kafirs ! Behold I am with you, and Allah is your helper ! " So
the Moslems drave at the enemy and Gharib bared his magical
blade Al-Mahik and fell upon the foe, lopping off noses and
making heads wax hoary and whole ranks turn tail. At last
he came up with Barkan and smote him and bereft him of life
and he fell down, drenched in his blood. On like wise he did
with the Blue King, and by undurn-hour not one of the Kafirs
was left alive to tell the tale. Then Gharib and Mura'ash entered
the Pied Palace and found its walls builded of alternate courses
of gold and silver, with door-sills of crystal and keystones of
greenest emerald. In its midst was a fountain adorned with bells
and pendants and figures of birds and beasts spouting forth water,
and thereby a dais ] furnished with gold-brocaded silk, bordered
or embroidered with jewels : and they found the treasures of the
palace past count or description. Then they entered the women's
court, where they came upon a magnificent serraglio and Gharib
saw, among the Blue King's woman-folk a girl clad in a dress
worth a thousand dinars, never had he beheld a goodlier. About
her were an hundred slave-girls, upholding her train with golden
hooks, and she was in their midst as the moon among stars.
When he saw her, his reason was confounded and he said to
one of the waiting-women, " Who may be yonder maid ? " Quoth
they, " This is the Blue King's daughter, Star o' Morn." And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
Nofo fo&en ft foas tje grfx f^un&retr anfc JFiftg-ntmf)
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Gharib asked the slave-women saying, " Who may be yonder
1 Arab. " Shazarwan " from Pers. Shadurwan, a palace, cornice, etc. That of the
Meccan Ka'abah is a projection of about a foot broad in pent house shape sloping down-
wards and two feet above the granite pavement : its only use appears in the large brass
rings welded into it to hold down the covering. There are two breaks in it, one under
the doorway and the other opposite Ishmael's tomb ; and pilgrims are directed during
circuit to keep the whole body outside it.
\lf Laylah wa Laylah.
maid,0 they replied, " This is Star o' Morn, daughter to the Blue
King." Then Gharib turned to Mura'ash and said to him, " O
King of the Jinn, I have a mind to take yonder damsel to wife."
Replied Mura'ash, " The palace and all that therein is, live stock
and dead, are the prize of thy right hand ; for, hadst thou not
devised a stratagem to destroy the Blue King and Barkan, they
had cut us off to the last one : wherefore the treasure is thy
treasure and the folk thy thralls." Gharib thanked him for his
/air speech and going up to the girl, gazed steadfastly upon her
and loved her with exceeding love, forgetting Fakhr Taj the
IPrincess and even Mahdiyah. Now her mother was the Chinese
King's daughter whom the Blue King had carried off from her
palace and perforce deflowered, and she conceived by him and
bare this girl, whom he named Star o' Morn, by reason of her
beauty and loveliness ; for she was the very Princess of the Fair.
Her mother died when she was a babe of forty days, and the
nurses and eunuchs reared her, till she reached the age of seven-
teen ; but she hated her sire and rejoiced in his slaughter. So
Gharib put his palm to hers * and went in unto her that night and
found her a virgin. Then he bade pull down the Pied Palace
and divided the spoil with the true-believing Jinn, and there fell
to his share one-and-twenty thousand bricks of gold and silver and
money and treasure beyond speech and count. Then Mura'ash
took Gharib and showed him the Mountain Kaf and all its
marvels; after which they returned to Barkan's fortress and dis-
mantled it and shared the spoil thereof. Then they repaired to
Mura'ash's capital, where they tarried five days, when Gharib
sought to revisit his native country and Mura'ash said, "O
King of mankind, I will ride at thy stirrup and bring thee to
thine own land." Replied Gharib, " No, by the virtue of Abraham
the Friend, I will not suffer thee to weary thyself thus, nor will
I take any of the Jinn save Kaylajan and Kurajan." Quoth the
King, "Take with thee ten thousand horsemen of the Jinn, to
^erve thee ; " but quoth Gharib, " I will take only as I said to
thee." So Mura'ash bade a thousand Marids carry him to his
native land, with his share of the spoil; and he commanded
Kaylajan and Kurajan to follow him and obey him ; and they
answered, " Hearkening and obedience." Then said Gharib to
the Marids, " Do ye carry the treasure and Star o' Morn ; " for
1 The " Musafahah " before noticed, voL vi., p. 287.
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 53
he himself thought to ride his flying steed. But Mura'ash said
to him, " This horse, O my brother, will live only in our region,
and, if it come upon man's earth, 'twill die : but I have in my
stables a sea-horse, whose fellow is not found in Al-Irak, no, nor
in all the world is its like." So he caused bring forth the horse,
and when Gharib saw it, it interposed between him and his wits.1
Then they bound it and Kaylajan bore it on his shoulders and
Kurajan took what he could carry. And Mura'ash embraced
Gharib and wept for parting from him, saying, "O my brother,
if aught befal thee wherein thou art powerless, send for me and
I will come to thine aid with an army able to lay waste the
whole earth and what is thereon." Gharib thanked him for his
kindness and zeal for the True Faith and took leave of him ;
whereupon the Marids set out with Gharib and his goods; and,
after traversing fifty years' journey in two days and a night,
alighted near the city of Oman and halted to take rest. Then
Gharib sent out Kaylajan, to learn news of his people, and he
returned and said, " O King, the city is beleaguered by a host
of Infidels, as they were the surging sea, and thy people are
fighting them. The drums beat to battle and Jamrkan goeth
forth as champion in the field." When Gharib heard this, he
cried aloud, " God is Most Great ! " and said to Kaylajan, " Saddle
me the steed and bring me my arms and spear ; for to-day the
valiant shall be known from the coward in the place of war and
battle-stead. So Kaylajan brought him all he sought and Gharib
armed and belting in baldrick Al-Mahik, -mounted the sea-horse
and made toward the hosts. Quoth Kaylajan and Kurajan to
him, " Set thy heart at rest and let us go to the Kafirs and scatter
them abroad in the wastes and wilds till, by the help of Allah,
the All-powerful, we leave not a soul alive, no, not a blower of
the fire." But Gharib said " By the virtue of Abraham the Friend,
I will not let you fight them without me and behold, I mount ! "
Now the cause of the coming of that great host was right mar-
vellous.2 And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
to say her permitted say.
1 i.e. He was confounded at its beauty.
2 Arab. " 'Ajib," punning upon the name.
54 A If Laylah wa Laylak.
Wofo tofjen it toas tfte &ft f^untafc an* gbixtfct!) XfgJt,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Gharib had bidden Kaylajan go and learn news of his people, the
Jinn fared forth and presently returning said, "Verily around thy
city is a mighty host ! " Now the cause of its coming was that
Ajib, having fled the field after Ya'arub's army had been put to
the rout, said to his people, " O folk, if we return to Ya'arub bin
Kahtan, he will say to us : — But for you, my son and my people
had not been slain ; and he will put us to death, even to the last
man. Wherefore, methinks we were better go to Tarkandn, King
of Hind, and beseech him to avenge us.*' Replied they, " Come,
let us go thither ; and the blessing of the Fire be upon thee ! "
So they fared days and nights till they reached King Tarkanan's
capital city and, after asking and obtaining permission to present
himself, Ajib went in to him and kissed ground before him.
Then he wished him what men use to wish to monarchy and
said to him, " O King, protect me, so may protect thee the
sparkling Fire and the Night with its thick darkness ! " Tarkanan
looked at Ajib and asked, " Who art thou and what dost thou
want?"; to which the other answered, "I am Ajib King of
Al-Irak ; my brother hath wronged me and gotten the martery
of the land and the subjects have submitted themselves to him.
Moreover, he hath embraced the faith of Al-Islam and he ceaseth
not to chase me from country to country ; and behold, I am come
to seek protection of thee and thy power." When Tarkanan
heard Ajib's words, he rose and sat down and cried, " By the
virtue of the Fire, I will assuredly avenge thee and will let none
serve other than my goddess the Fire ! " And he called aloud to
his son, saying, " O my son, make ready to go to Al-Irak and lay
it waste and bind all who serve aught but the Fire and torment
them and make example of them ; yet slay them not, but bring
them to me, that I may ply them with various tortures and make
them taste the bitterness of humiliation and leave them a warning
to whoso will be warned in this our while." Then he chose out
to accompany him eighty thousand fighting men on horseback and
the like number on giraffes,1 besides ten thousand elephants,
1 Arab. "Zarrdf" (whence our word) from "Zarf"= walking hastily : the old
" cameleopard " which originated the nursery idea of its origin. It is one of the most
timid of the antelope tribe and unfit for riding;
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 55
bearing on their backs seats1 of sandal-wood, latticed with golden
rods, plated and studded with gold and silver and shielded with
pavoises of gold and emerald ; moreover he sent good store of
war-chariots, in each eight men fighting with all kinds of weapons.
Now the Prince's name was Ra'ad Shah,2 and he was the champion
of his time, for prowess having no peer. So he and his army
equipped them in ten day's time, then set out, as they were a bank
of clouds, and fared on two months' journey, till they came upon
Oman city and encompassed it, to the joy of Ajib, who thought
himself assured of victory. Jamrkan and Sa'adan and all their
fighting-men sallied forth into the field of fight whilst the kettle-
drums beat to battle and the horses neighed. At this moment up
came King Gharib, who, as we have said, had been warned by
Kaylajan ; and he urged on his destrier and entered among the
Infidels waiting to see who should come forth and open the chapter
of war. Then out rushed Sa'adan the Ghul and offered combat,
whereupon there issued forth to him one of the champions of
Hind ; but Sa'adan scarce let him take stand in front ere he smote
him with his mace and crushed his bones and stretched him on the
ground ; and so did he with a second and a third, till he had slain
thirty fighting men. Then there dashed out at him an Indian
cavalier, by name Battdsh al-Akrdn,3 uncle to King Tarkanan
and of his day the doughtiest man, reckoned worth five thousand
horse in battle-plain and cried out to Sa'adan, saying, " O thief of
the Arabs, hath thy daring reached that degree that thou shouldst
slay the Kings of Hind and their champions and capture their
horsemen ? But this day is the last of thy worldly days." When
Sa'adan heard these words, his eyes waxed blood-red and he
drave at Battash and aimed a stroke at him with his club ; but he
evaded it and the force of the blow bore Sa'adan to the ground ;
1 Arab. " Takht," a useful word, meaning even a saddle. The usual term is " Haudaj "
r= the Anglo-Indian " howdah."
2 " Thunder-King," Arab, and Persian.
3 i.e. " He who violently assaults his peers " (the best men of the age). Batshat al-
Kubra = the Great Disaster, is applied to the unhappy " Battle of Bedr " (Badr) on
Ramazan 17, A.H. 2 ( = Jan. 13, 624) when Mohammed was so nearly defeated that the
Angels were obliged to assist him (Koran, chapts. iii. II ; i. 42 j viii. 9). Mohammed
is soundly rated by Christian writers for beheading two prisoners Utbah ibn Rabi'a who
had once spat on his face and Nazir ibn Haris who recited Persian romances and pre-
ferred them to the "foolish fables of the Koran." What would our forefathers have
done to a man who spat in the face of John Knox and openly preferred a French play to
the Pentateuch ?
56 A If Laylah wa Laylqh.
and before he could recover himself, the Indians pinioned him and
haled him off to their tents. Now when Jamrkan saw his comrade
a prisoner, he cried out, saying, " Ho for the Faith of Abraham
the Friend ! " and clapping heel to his horse, ran at Battash.
They wheeled about awhile, till Battash charged Jamrkan and
catching him by his jerkin1 tare him from his saddle and cast him
to the ground ; whereupon the Indians bound him and dragged him
away to their tents. And Battash ceased not to overcome all who
came out to him, Captain after Captain till he had made prisoners
of four-and-twenty Chiefs of the Moslems, whereat the True
Believers were sore dismayed. When Gharib saw what had
befallen his braves, he drew from beneath his knee2 a mace of gold
weighing six-score pounds which had belonged to Barkan King of
the Jann And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased saying her permitted say.
Nofo tojen it toas ify &tx f^untottti antJ gbixtg^fitst
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Gharib beheld what had befallen his braves he drew forth a golden
mace which had belonged to Barkan King of the Jann and clapped
heel to his sea-horse, which bore him like the wind-gust into mid-
•field. Then he let drive at Battash, crying out, "God is Most
Great! He giveth aid and victory and He abaseth whoso reject
the Faith of Abraham the Friend ! " and smote him with the mace,
whereupon he fell to the ground and Gharib, turning to the
Moslems, saw his brother Sahim and said to him, " Pinion me this
hound." When Sahim heard his brother's words, he ran to
Battash and bound him hard and fast and bore him off, whilst the
Moslem braves wondered who this knight could be and the
Indians said one to other, " Who is this horseman which came out
from among them and hath taken our Chief prisoner ? " Mean-
while Gharib continued to offer battle and there issued forth to
him a captain of the Hindfs whom he felled to earth with his mace,
and Kaylajan and Kurajan pinioned him and delivered him over
to Sahim ; nor did Gharib leave to do thus, till he had taken
.l Arab. " Jilbab" either habergeon (mail-coat) or the buff-jacket worn under it.
2 A favourite way, rough and ready, of carrying Kght weapons ; often alluded to in
The Nights. So Khusrawan in Antar carried " under his thighs four small darts, each
like a blazing flame."
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 57
prisoner two-and-fifty of the doughtiest Captains of the army of
Hind. Then the day came to an end and the kettle-drums beat
the retreat ; whereupon Gharib left the field and rode towards the
Moslem camp. The first to meet him was Sahim, who kissed his
feet in the stirrups and said, "May thy hand never wither,
O champion of the age ! Tell us who thou art among the braves."
So Gharib raised his vizor of mail and Sahim knew him and cried
out, saying, " This is your King and your lord Gharib, who is come
back from the land of the Jann ! " When the Moslems heard
Gharib's name, they threw themselves off their horses' backs, and,
crowding about him, kissed his feet in the stirrups and saluted
him, rejoicing in his safe return. Then they carried him into the
city of Oman, where he entered his palace and sat down on the
throne of his kingship, whilst his officers stood around him in the
utmost joy. Food was set on and they ate, after which Gharib
related to them all that had betided him with the Jinn in Mount
Kaf, and they marvelled thereat with exceeding marvel and
praised Allah for his safety. Then he dismissed them to their
sleeping-places ; so they withdrew to their several lodgings, and
when none abode with him but Kaylajan and Kurajan, who never
Jeft him, he said to them, " Can ye carry me to Cufa that I may
take my pleasure in my Harim, and bring me back before the end
of the night ? " They replied, " O our lord, this thou askest is
easy." Now the distance between Cufa and Oman is sixty days'
journey for a diligent horseman, and Kaylajan said to Kurajan, " I
will carry him going and thou coming back.'* So he took up
Gharib and flew off with him, in company with Kurajan ; nor was
an hour past before they set him down at the gate of his palace,
in Cufa. He went in to his uncle Al-Damigh, who rose to him
and saluted him ; after which quoth Gharib, " How is it with my
wives Fakhr Taj1 and Mahdiyah ?" Al-Damigh answered, " They
are both well and in good case." Then the eunuch went in and
acquainted the women of the Harim with Gharib's coming, whereat
they rejoiced and raised the trill of joy and gave him the reward
for good news. Presently in came King Gharib, and they rose
and saluting him, conversed with him, till Al-Damigh entered,
1 Mr. Payne very reasonably supplants here and below Fakhr Taj (who in Night
dcxxxiv. is left in her father's palace and who is reported to be dead in Night dclxvii.) by
Star o' Morn. But the former is also given in the Bui. Edit. (ii. 148), so the story-
teller must have forgotten all about her. I leave it as a model specimen of Eastern
incuriousness.
58 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
when Gharib related to them all that had befallen him in the land
of the Jinn, whereat they all marvelled. Then he lay with Fakhr
Taj till near daybreak, when he took leave of his wives and his
uncle and mounted Kurajan's back, nor was the darkness dispelled
before the two Marids set him down in the city of Oman. Then
he and his men armed and he bade open the gates when, behold,
up came a horseman from the host of the Indians, with Jamrkan
and Sa'adan and the rest of the captive captains whom he had
delivered, and committed them to Gharib. The Moslems, rejoicing
in their safety, donned their mails and took horse, while the kettle
drums beat a point of war ; and the Miscreants also drew up in
line. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to
say her permitted say.
ft foas t&e Sbtx f^untrrrtr an& Stxtg^contr Ni
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
the Moslem host mounted and rode to the plain of cut and thrust,
the first to open the door of war was King Gharib who, drawing
his sword Al-Mahik, drove his charger between the two ranks and
cried out, saying, " Whoso knoweth me hath enough of my mischief
and whoso unknoweth me, to him I will make myself known. I
am Gharib, King of Al-Irak and Al-Yaman, brother of Ajib."
When Ra'ad Shah, son of the King of Hind, heard this, he shouted
to his captains, " Bring me Ajib." So they brought him and
Ra'ad Shah said to him, "Thou wottest that this quarrel is thy
quarrel and thou art the cause of all this slaughter. Now yonder
standeth thy brother Gharib amiddle-most the fightfield and stead
where sword and spear we shall wield ; go thou to him and bring
him to me a prisoner, that I may set him on a camel arsy-versy,
and make a show of him and carry him to the land of Hind."
Answered Ajib, " O King, send out to him other than I, for I am
in ill-health this morning." But Ra'ad Shah snarked and snorted
and cried, " By the virtue of the sparkling Fire and the light and
the shade and the heat, unless thou fare forth to thy brother and
bring him to me in haste, I will cut off thy head and make an end
of thee." So Ajib took heart and urging his horse up to his
brother in mid-field, said to him, " O dog of the Arabs and vilest
of all who hammer down tent-pegs, wilt thou contend with Kings ?
Take what to thee cometh and receive the glad tidings of thy
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 59
death." When Gharib heard this, he said to him, " Who art thou
among the Kings ?" And Ajib answered, saying, " I am thy
brother, and this day is the last of thy worldly days." Now when
Gharib was assured that he was indeed his brother Ajib, he cried
out and said, " Ho, to avenge my father and mother ! " Then
giving his sword to Kaylajan,1 he drave at Ajib and smote him
with his mace a smashing blow and a swashing, that went nigh to
beat in his ribs, and seizing him by the mail-gorget tore him
from the saddle and cast him to the ground ; whereupon the two
Marids pounced upon him and binding him fast, dragged him off
dejected and abject ; whilst Gharib rejoiced in the capture of his
enemy and repeated these couplets of the poet : —
I have won my wish and my need have scored o Unto Thee be the praise and
the thanks, O our Lord !
I grew up dejected and abject ; poor, « But Allah vouchsafed me all
boons implored :
I have conquered countries and mastered men o But for Thee were I naught,
O thou Lord adored !
When Ra'ad Shah saw how evilly Ajib fared with his brother, he
called for his charger and donning his harness and habergeon,
mounted and dashed out a-field, As soon as he drew near King
Gharib, he cried out at him, saying, " O basest of Arabs and bearer
of scrubs,2 who art thou, that thou shouldest capture Kings and
braves ? Down from thy horse and put elbows behind back and
kiss my feet and set my warriors free and go with me in bond
of chains to my reign that I may pardon thee and make thee a
Shaykh in our own land, so mayst thou eat there a bittock of
bread." When Gharib heard these words he laughed till he fell
backwards and answered, saying, O mad hound and mangy
wolf, soon shalt thou see against whom the shifts of Fortune will
turn ! " Then he cried out to Sahim, saying, " Bring me the
prisoners ;" so he brought them, and Gharib smote off their heads ;
whereupon Ra'ad Shah drave at him, with the driving of a lordly
1 There is some chivalry in his unwillingness to use the magical blade. As a rule the
Knights of Romance utterly ignore fair play and take every dirty advantage in the magic
line that comes to hand.
2 Arab. " Hammal al-Hatabi " = one who carries to market the fuel-sticks which he
picks up in the waste. In the Koran (chapt. cxi.) it is applied to Umm Jamil, wife of
Mohammed's hostile cousin, Abd al-Uzza, there termed Abu Lahab (Father of smokeless
Flame) with the implied meaning that she will bear fuel to feed Hell-fire.
60 A If Lay la h wa Laylah.
champion and the onslaught of a fierce slaughterer and they falsed
and fainted and fought till nightfall, when the kettle-drums beat
the retreat. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased saying her permitted say.
Nofo fojen it foas tfjt &>fx f^utrtrrett an* Jblxtg-ftf* Nt'gR
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
the kettle-drums beat the retreat, the two Kings parted and
returned, each to his own place where his people gave him joy of
his safety. And the Moslems said to Gharib, " Tis not thy want,
O King, to prolong a fight ;" and he replied, " O folk, I have done
battle with many royalties J and champions ; but never saw I a
harder hitter than this one. Had I chosen to draw Al-Mahik upon
him, I had mashed his bones and made an end of his days : but I
delayed with him, thinking to take him prisoner and give him part
enjoyment in Al-Islam.J> Thus far concerning Gharib ; but as
regards Ra'ad Shah, he returned to his marquee and sat upon his
throne, when his Chiefs came in to him and asked him of his
adversary, and he answered, " By the truth of the sparkling Fire,
never in my life saw I the like of yonder brave ! But to-morrow I
will take him prisoner and lead him away dejected and abject."
Then they slept till daybreak, when the battle-drums beat to fight
and the swords in baldric were dight ; and war-cries were cried
amain and all mounted their horses of generous strain and drew
out into the field, filling every wide place and hill and plain. The
first to open the door of war was the rider outrageous and the lion
rageous, King Gharib, who drave his steed between the two hosts
and wheeled and careered over the field, crying, " Who is for fray,
who is for fight ? Let no sluggard come out to me this day nor
dullard ! " Before he had made an end of speaking, out rushed
1 Arab. " Akyal," lit. whose word (Kaul) is obeyed, a title of the Himyarite Kings,
of whom Al-Bergendi relates that one of them left an inscription at Samarcand, which
many centuries ago no man could read. This evidently alludes to the dynasty which
preceded the " Tobba " and to No. xxiv. Shamar Yar'ash (Shamar the Palsied). Some
make him son of Malik surnamed Nashir al-Ni'am (Scatterer of Blessings) others of
Afrikus (No. xviii.), who, according to Al-Jannabi, Ahmad bin Yusuf and Ibn Ibdun
(Pocock, Spec. Hist. Arab.) founded the Berber (Barbar) race, the remnants of the
Causanites expelled by the " robber, Joshua son of Nun," and became the eponymus of
" Africa." This word which, under the Romans, denoted a small province on the
Northern Sea-board, is, I would suggest, A'far-Kahi (Afar-land), the Afar being now the
Dankali race, the country of Osiris whom my learned friend, the late Mariette Pasha,
derived from the Egyptian " Punt " identified by him with the Somali country. This
would make " Africa," as it ought to be, an Eyptian (Coptic) term.
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 6 1
Ra'ad Shah, riding on an elephant, as he were a vast tower, in a
seat girthed with silken bands ; and between the elephant's ears
sat the driver, bearing in hand a hook, wherewith he goaded the
beast and directed him right and left. When the elephant drew
near Gharib's horse, and the steed saw a creature it had never
before set eyes on, it took fright j1 wherefore Gharib dismounted
and gave the horse to Kaylajan. Then he drew Al-Mahik and
advanced to meet Ra'ad Shah a-foot, walking on till he faced the
elephant. Now it was Ra'ad Shah's wont, when he found himself
overmatched by any brave, to mount an elephant, taking with him
an implement called the lasso,2 which was in the shape of a net,
wide at base and narrow at top with a running cord of silk passed
through rings along its edges. With this he would attack horse-
men and casting the meshes over them, draw the running noose
and drag the rider off his horse and make him prisoner ; and thus
had he conquered many cavaliers. So, as Gharib came up to him,
he raised his hand and, despreading the net over him, pulled him
on to the back of the elephant and cried out to the beast to return
to the Indian camp. But Kaylajan and Kurajan had not left
Gharib and, when they beheld what had befallen their lord, they
laid hold of the elephant, whilst Gharib strove with the net, till
fee rent it in sunder. Upon this the two Marids seized Ra'ad
Shah and bound him with a cord of palm-fibre. Then the two
armies drove each at other and met with a shock like two seas
crashing or two mountains together dashing, whilst the dust, rose
to the confines of the sky and blinded was every eye. The battle
waxed fierce and fell, the blood ran in rills, nor did they cease to
wage war with lunge of lance and sway of sword in lustiest way,
till the day darkened and the night starkened, .when the drums
beat the retreat and the two hosts drew asunder.3 Now the
1 Herodotus (i. 80) notes this concerning the camel. Elephants are not allowed to
walk the streets in Anglo-Indian cities, where they have caused many accidents.
2 Arab. Wahk or Wahak, suggesting the Roman retiarius. But the lasso pure and
simple, the favourite weapon of shepherd and herdsmen was well-known to the old
Egyptians and in ancient India. It forms one of the T-letters in the hieroglyphs.
3 Compare with this and other Arab battle-pieces the Pandit's description in the
Katha Sarit Sagara, e.g. "Then a confused battle arose with dint of arrow, javelin,
lance, mace and axe, costing the lives of countless soldiers (N.B.— Millions are
nothing to him) ; rivers of blood flowed with the bodies of elephants and horses for
alligators, with the pearls from the heads of elephants for sands and with the heads of
heroes for stones. That feast of battle delighted the flesh-loving demons who, drunk
with blood instead of wine, were dancing with the palpitating trunks," etc., etc.
Fasc. xii. 526.
(52 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
Moslems were evilly entreated that day by reason of the riders
on elephants and giraffes,1 and many of them were killed and
most of the rest were wounded. This was grievous to Gharib,
who commanded the hurt to be medicined and turning to his
Chief Officers, asked them what they counselled. Answered they,
"O King, 'tis only the elephants and giraffes that irk us; were
we but quit of them, we should overcome the enemy." Quoth
Kaylajan and Kurajan, " We twain will unsheath our swords and
fall on them and slay the most part of them." But there came
forward a man of Oman, who had been privy counsellor to Jaland,
and said, " O King, I will be surety for the host, an thou wilt but
hearken to me and follow my counsel." Gharib turned to his
Captains and said to them, " Whatsoever this wise man shall say
to you that do." And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased to say her permitted say.
TSTofo fo!)w ft foas tf)* §bfx l^un&reU atrt gbtxtjufourt!) Kt'g&t,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Gharib said to his Captains, " Whatsoever this wise man shall say
to you, that do "; they replied, " Hearing and obeying ! " So the
Omani chose out ten captains and asked them, " How many
braves have ye under your hands ? "; and they answered, " Ten
thousand fighting-men." Then he carried them into the armoury
and armed five thousand of them with harquebuses and other five
thousand with cross-bows and taught them to shoot with these
new weapons.2 Now as soon as it was day, the Indians came out
to the field, armed cap-a-pie, with the elephants, giraffes and
champions in their van ; whereupon Gharib and his men mounted
and both hosts drew out and the big drums beat to battle. Then
1 The giraffe is here mal-place* : it is, I repeat, one of the most timid of the antelope
tribe. Nothing can be more graceful than this huge game as it stands under a tree
extending its long and slender neck to the foliage above it ; but when in flight all the
limbs seem loose and the head is carried almost on a level with the back.
2 The fire-arms may have been inserted by the copier ; the cross-bow (Arcubalista) is
of unknown antiquity. I have remarked in my book of the Sword (p. 19) that the bow
is the first crucial evidence of the distinction between the human weapon and the bestial
arm, and like the hymen or membrane of virginity proves a difference of degree if not
of kind between man and the so-called lower animals. I note from Yule's Marco Polo
(ii., 143) "that the cross-bow was re-introduced into European warfare during the
twelfth century"; but the arbalesta was well known to the fan rot Charlemagne
(Regnier Sat. X).
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 63
the man of Oman cried out to the archers and harquebusiers to
shoot, and they plied the elephants and giraffes with shafts and
leaden bullets, which entered the beasts' flanks, whereat they
roared out and turning upon their own ranks, trod them down
with their hoofs. Presently the Moslems charged the Misbelievers
and outflanked them right and left, whilst the elephants and
giraffes trampled them and drove them into the hills and wolds,
whither the Moslems followed hard upon them with the keen-
edged sword and but few of the giraffes and elephants escaped.
Then King Gharib and his folk returned, rejoicing in their victory;
and on the morrow they divided the loot and rested five days ;
after which King Gharib sat down on the throne of his kingship
and sending for his brother Ajib, said to him, <( O dog, why hast
thou assembled the Kings against us ? But He who hath power
over all things hath given us the victory over thee. So embrace
the Saving Faith and thou shalt be saved, and I will forbear to
avenge my father and mother on thee therefor, and I will make
thee King again as thou wast, placing myself under thy hand."
But Ajib said, " I will not leave my faith." So Gharib bade lay
him in irons and appointed an hundred stalwart slaves to guard
him ; after which he turned to Ra'ad Shah and said to him, " How
sayst thou of the faith of Al-Islam ? " Replied he, " O my lord,
I will enter thy faith ; for, were it not a true Faith and a goodly,
thou hadst not conquered us. Put forth thy hand and I will testify
that there is no god but the God arid that Abraham the Friend is
the Apostle of God." At this Gharib rejoiced and said to him," Is
thy heart indeed stablished in the sweetness of this Belief?" And
he answered, saying, "Yes, O my lord!" Then quoth Gharib,
" O, Ra'ad Shah, wilt thou go to thy country and thy kingdom ? ";
and quoth he, " O* my lord, my father will put me to death, for
that I have left his faith." Gharib rejoined, " I will go with thee
and make thee king of the country and constrain the folk to obey
thee, by the help of Allah the Bountiful, the Beneficent." And
Ra'ad Shah kissed his hands and feet. Then Gharib rewarded
the counsellor who had caused the rout of the foe and gave him.
great wealth ; after which he turned to Kaylajan and Kurajan,
and said to them, " Harkye, Chiefs of the Jinn, 'tis my will that
ye carry me, together with Ra'ad Shah and Jamrkan and Sa'adan
to the land of Hind." " We hear and we obey," answered they.
So Kurajan took up Jamrkan and Sa'adan, whilst Kalajan took
Gharib and Ra'ad Shah and made for the land of Hind. And
A If Laylah wa Laylah.
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her per-
mitted say.
Nofo fofjm ft foas tfje &fx |§un&re& an* ^fxtg-Kftb
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
two Marids had taken up Gharib and Jamrkan, Sa'adan the Ghul
and Ra'ad Shah, they flew on with them from sundown till the
last of the night, when they set them down on the terrace of King
Tarkanan's palace at Cashmere. Now news was brought to
Tarkanan by the remnants of his host of what had befallen his
son, whereat he. slept not neither took delight in aught, and he was
troubled with sore trouble. As he sat in his Harim, pondering
his case, behold, Gharib and his company descended the stairways
of the palace and came in to him ; and when he saw his son and
those who were with him, he was confused and fear took him of
the Marids. Then Ra'ad Shah turned to him and said, " How
long wilt thou persist in thy frowardness, O traitor and worshipper
of the Fire ? Woe to thee ! Leave worshipping the Fire and
serve the Magnanimous Sire, Creator of day and night, whom
attaineth no sight." When Tarkanan heard his son's speech, he
cast at him an iron club he had by him ; but it missed him and
fell upon a buttress of the palace and smote out three stones.
Then cried the King, " O dog, thou hast destroyed mine army and
hast forsaken thy faith and comest now to make me do likewise ! "
With this Gharib went up to him and dealt him a cuff on the
neck which knocked him down ; whereupon the Marids hound
him fast and all the Harim-women fled. Then Gharib sat down
on the throne of kingship and said to Ra'ad Shah, " Do thou
justice upon thy father." So Ra'ad Shah turned to him and
said, " O perverse old man, become one of the saved and thou
shalt be saved from the fire and the wrath of the All-powerful."
But Tarkanan cried, " I will not die save in my own faith."
Whereupon Gharib drew Al-Mahik and smote him therewith,
and he fell to the earth in two pieces, and Allah hurried his soul
to the fire and abiding-place dire.1 Then Gharib bade hang his
body over the palace gate and they hung one-half on the right
1 In AMslam this was unjustifiable homicide, excused only because the Kafir had
tried to slay his own son. He should have been summoned to become a tributary and
then, on express refusal, he might legally hav« been put to death.
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 6$
hand and the other on the left and waited till day, when Gnarib
caused Ra'ad Shah don the royal habit and sit down on his
father's throne, with himself on his dexter hand and Jamrkan and
Sa'adan and the Marids standing right and left ; and he said to
Kaylajan and Kurajan, " Whoso entereth of the Princes and
Officers, seize him and bind him, and let not a single Captain
escape you." And they answered, " Hearkening and obedience ! "
Presently, the Officers made for the palace, to do their service to
the King, and the first to appear was the Chief Captain who,
seeing King Tarkanan's dead body cut in half and hanging on
either side of the gate, was seized with terror and amazement.
Then Kaylajan laid hold of him by the collar and threw him and
pinioned him ; after which he dragged him into the palace and
before sunrise they had bound three hundred and fifty Captains
and set them before Gharib, who said to them, " O folk, have you
seen your King hanging at the palace-gate ? " Asked they, who
hath done this deed ?"; and he answered, " I did it, by the help
of Allah Almighty ; and whoso opposeth me, I will do with him
likewise." Then quoth they, " What is thy will with us ? " ; and
quoth he, " I am Gharib, King of Al-Irak, he who slew your
warriors ; and now Ra'ad Shah hath embraced the Faith of
Salvation and is become a mighty King and ruler over you. So
do ye become True Believers and all shall be well with you ; but,
if ye refuse, you shall repent it." So they pronounced the pro-
fession of the Faith and were enrolled among the people of felicity.
Then said Gharib, " Are your hearts indeed stablished in the
sweetness of the Belief ? "; and they replied, " Yes "; whereupon
he bade release them and clad them in robes of honour, saying,
"Go to your people and expound Al-Islam to them. Whoso
accepteth the Faith, spare him ; but if he refuse slay him."-
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say
her permitted say.
fo$cn (t foas tie Sbfx l^untrrft an* %
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that King
Gharib said to the troops of Ra'ad Shah, " Go to your people and
offer Al-Islam to them. Whoso accepteth the Faith spare him ;
but if he refuse, slay him." So they went out and, assembling
the men under their command, explained what had taken place
and expounded Al-Islam to them, and they all professed, except
VOL. VIL E
66 A tf Laylak wa Laylak.
a few, whom they put to death ; after which they returned and
told Gharib, who blessed Allah and glorified Him, saying, " Praised
be the Almighty who hath made this thing easy to us without
strife ! " Then he abode in Cashmere of India forty days, till he
had ordered the affairs of the country and cast down the shrines
and temples of the Fire and built in their stead mosques and
cathedrals, whilst Ra'ad Shah made ready for him rarities and
treasures beyond count and despatched them to Al-Irak in ships.
Then Gharib mounted on Kaylajan's back and Jamrkan and
Sa'adan on that of Kurajan, after they had taken leave of Ra'ad
Shah ; and journeyed through the night till break of day, when
they reached Oman city where their troops met them and saluted
them and rejoiced in them. Then they set out for Cufa where
Gharib called for his brother Ajib and commanded to hang him.
So Sahim brought hooks of iron and driving them into the tendons
of Ajib's heels, hung him over the gate ; and Gharib bade them
shoot him ; so they riddled him with arrows, till he was like unto
a porcupine. Then Gharib entered his palace and sitting down
on the throne of his kingship, passed the day in ordering the
affairs of the state. At nightfall he went in to his Harim, where
Star o' Morn came to meet him and embraced him and gave him
joy, she and her women, of his safety. He spent that day and
lay that night with her and on the morrow, after he had made the
Ghusl-ablution and prayed the dawn-prayer, he sat down on his
throne and commanded preparation to be made for his marriage
with Mahdiyah. Accordingly they slaughtered three thousand
head of sheep and two thousand oxen and a thousand he-goats
and five hundred camels and the like number of horses, beside
four thousand fowls and great store of geese ; never was such
wedding in Al-Islam to that day. Then he went in to Mahdiyah
and took her maidenhead and abode with her ten days; after
which he committed the kingdom to his uncle Al-Damigh, charging
him to rule the lieges justly, and journeyed with his women and
warriors, till he came to the ships laden with the treasures and
rarities which Ra'ad Shah had sent him, and divided the monies
among his men who from poor became rich. Then they fared on
till they reached the city of Babel, where he bestowed on Sahim
Al-Layl a robe of honour and appointed him Sultan of the city.
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
her permitted say.
The History of Charib and his Brother Ajib. 67
Nofo fo&en it teas fte Sbii f^imfcrefc anto §bfxt|?^ebcnt!>
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Gharib,
after robing his brother Sahim and appointing him Sultan, abode
with him ten days, after which he set out again and journeyed nor
stinted travel till he reached the castle of Sa'adan the Ghul, where
they rested five days. Then quoth Gharib to Kaylajan and
Kurajan, "Pass over to Isbanir al-Madain, to the palace of the
Chosroe, and find what is come of Fakhr Taj and bring me one
of the King's kinsmen, who shall acquaint me with what hath
passed." Quoth they, " We hear and we obey," and set out forth-
right for Isbanir. As they flew between heaven and earth, hehold,
they caught sight of a mighty army, as it were the surging sea,
and Kaylajan said to Kurajan, " Let us descend and determine
what be this host." So they alighted and walking among the
troops, found them Persians and questioned the soldiers whose
men they were and whither they were bound ; whereto they made
answer, " We are en route for Al-Irak, to slay Gharib and all who
company him." When the Marids heard these words, they repaired
to the pavilion of the Persian general, whose name was Rustam,
and waited till the soldiers slept, when they took up Rustam, bed
and all, and made for the castle where Gharib lay. They arrived
there by midnight and going to the door of the King's pavilion,
cried, " Permission ! " which when he heard, he sat up and said,
"Come in." So they entered and set down the couch with
Rustam asleep thereon. Gharib asked, " Who be this ? " and they
answered, " This be a Persian Prince, whom we met coming with
a great host, thinking to slay thee and thine, and we have brought
him to thee, that he may tell thee what thou hast a mind to
know." " Fetch me an hundred braves ! " cried Gharib, and they
fetched them ; whereupon he bade them, " Draw your swords and
stand at the head of this Persian carle ! " Then they awoke him
and he opened his eyes ; and, finding an arch of steel over his
head, shut them again, crying, " What be this foul dream ? " But
Kaylajan pricked him with his sword-point and he sat up and
said, " Where am I ? " Quoth Sahim, " Thou art in the presence
of King Gharib, son-in-law of the King of the Persians. What is
thy name and whither goest thou ? " When Rustam heard Gharib's
name, he bethought himself and said in his mind, " Am I asleep
or awake ? " Whereupon Sahim dealt him a buffet, saying, " Why
68 A If Laylafy wa Laylah.
dost thou not answer ? " And he raised his head and asked, " Who
brought me from my tent out of the midst of my men ? J> Gharib
answered, " These two Marids brought thee." So he looked at
Kaylajan and Kurajan and skited in his bag-trousers. Then the
Marids fell upon him, baring their tusks and brandishing their
blades, and said to him, " Wilt thou not rise and kiss ground before
King Gharib ? " And he trembled at them and was assured that
he was not aleep ; so he stood up and kissed the ground between
the hands of Gharib, saying, " The blessing of the Fire be on thee,
and long life be thy life, O King ! " Gharib cried, " O dog of the
Persians, fire is not worshipful, for that it is harmful and profiteth
not save in cooking food." Asked Rustam, "Who then is wor-
shipful ? " ; and Gharib answered, " Alone worshipworth is God,
who formed thee and fashioned thee and created the heavens and
the earth." Quoth the Ajami, "What shall I say that I may
become of the party of this Lord and enter thy Faith ? " ; and
quoth Gharib, " Say : — There is no god but the God, and Abraham
is the Friend of God." So Rustam pronounced the profession of
the Faith and was enrolled among the people of felicity. Then
said he to Gharib, " Know, O my lord, that thy father-in-law, King
Sabur, seeketh to slay thee ; and indeed he hath sent me with an
hundred thousand men, charging me to spare none of you." Gharib
rejoined, " Is this my reward for having delivered his daughter
from death and dishonour ? Allah will requite him his ill intent.
But what is thy name ? " The Persian answered, " My name is
Rustam, general of Sabur;" and Gharib, " Thou shalt have the
like rank in my army," adding, " But tell me, O Rustam, how is it
with the Princess Fakhr Taj ? " " May thy head live, O King of
the age!" "What was the cause of her death?" Rustam re-
plied, " O my lord, no sooner hadst thou left us than one of the
Princess's women went in to King Sabur and said to him : — O my
master, didst thou give Gharib leave to lie with the Princess my
mistress? whereto he answered :—• No, by the virtue of the fire!
and drawing his sword, went in to his daughter and said to her : —
O foul baggage, why didst thou suffer yonder Badawi to sleep
with thee, without dower or even wedding? She replied :— O my
papa, 'twas thou gavest him leave to sleep with me. Then he
asked : — Did the fellow have thee ? but she was silent and hung
down her head. Hereupon he cried out to the midwives and
slave-girls, saying : — Pinion me this harlot's elbows behind her
and look at her privy parts. So they did as he 'bade them and
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 69
after inspecting her slit said to him :— O King, she hath lost her
maidenhead. Whereupon he ran at her and would have slain her,
but her mother rose up and threw herself between them crying : —
O King, slay her not, lest thou be for ever dishonoured ; but shut
her in a cell till she die. So he cast her into prison till nightfall,
when he called two of his courtiers and said to them : — Carry her
afar off and throw her into the river Jayhun and tell none. They
did his commandment, and indeed her memory is forgotten and
her time is past." And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased to say her permitted say.
fofitn it foas tfte &>tx |&utrtrre& anb
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Gharib
asked news of Fakhr Taj, Rustam informed him that she had been
drowned in the river by her sire's command. And when Gharib
heard this, the world waxed wan before his eyes and he cried, " By
the virtue of Abraham the Friend, I will assuredly go to yonder
dog and overwhelm him and lay waste his realm ! " Then he sent
letters to Jamrkan and to the governors of Mosul and Mayyafdrikfn ;
and, turning to Rustam, said to him, " How many men hadst thou
in thine army?" He replied, "An hundred thousand Persian
horse;" and Gharib rejoined, "Take ten thousand horse and go
to thy people and occupy them with war ; I will follow on thy
trail." So Rustam mounted and taking ten thousand Arab horse
made for his tribe, saying in himself, " I will do a deed shall
whiten my face with King Gharib." So he fared on seven days,
till there remained but half a day's journey between him and the
Persian camp ; when, dividing his host into four divisions he said
to his men, " Surround the Persians on all sides and fall upon them
with the sword." They rode on from eventide till midnight, when
they had compassed the camp of the Ajamis, who were asleep in
security, and fell upon them, shouting, " God is Most Great ! "
Whereupon the Persians started up from sleep and their feet
slipped and the sabre went round amongst them ; for the All-
knowing King was wroth with them, and Rustam wrought amongst
them as fire in dry fuel ; till, by the end of the night, the whole of
the Persian host was slain or wounded or fled, and the Moslems
made prize of their tent;s and baggage, horses, camels and treasure-
chests. Then they alighted and rested in the tents of the Ajamis
70 A If Laylah wa Lay la ft.
till King Gharib came up and, seeing what Rustam had done and
how he had gained by stratagem a great and complete victory, he
invested him with a robe of honour and said to him, " O Rustam,
it was thou didst put the Persians to the rout ; wherefore all the
spoil is thine." So he kissed Gharib's hand and thanked him, and
they rested till the end of the day, when they set out for King
Sabur's capital. Meanwhile, the fugitives of the defeated force
reached Isbanir and went in to Sabur, crying out and saying,
" Alas ! " and " Well-away ! " and " Woe worth the day ! " Quoth
he, " What hath befallen you and who with his mischief hath
smitten you ? " So they told him all that had passed and said,
" Naught befel us except that thy general Rustam, fell upon us in
the darkness of the night because he had turned Moslem ; nor did
Gharib come near us." When the King heard this, he cast his
crown to the ground and said, " There is no worth left us ! " Then
he turned to his son Ward Shah1 and said to him, "O my son,
there is none for this affair save thou." Answered Ward Shah,
" By thy life, O my father, I will assuredly bring Gharib and his
chiefs of the people in chains and slay all who are with him."
Then he numbered his army and found it two hundred and twenty
thousand men. So they slept, intending to set forth on the
morrow ; but, next morning, as they were about to march, behold,
a cloud of dust arose and spread till it walled the world and
baffled the sight of the farthest-seeing wight. Now Sabur had
mounted to farewell his son, and when he saw this mighty great
dust, he let call a runner and said to him, " Go find me out the
cause of this dust-cloud." The scout went and returned, saying,
" O my lord, Gharib and his braves are upon you ; " whereupon
they unloaded their bat-beasts and drew out in line of battle.
When Gharib came up and saw the Persians ranged in row, he
cried out to his men, saying, " Charge with the blessing of Allah ! "
So they waved the flags, and the Arabs and the Ajamis drave one
at other and folk were heaped upon folk. Blood ran like water
and all souls saw death face to face ; the brave advanced and
pressed forward to assail and the coward hung back and turned tail
and they ceased not from fight and fray till ended day, when the
kettle-drums beat the retreat and the two hosts drew apart. Then
Sabur commanded to pitch his camp hard over the city-gate, and
*l i.e. " Rose King," like the Sikh name " Gulab Singh " = Rosewater Lion, sound*
ing in translation almost too absurd to be true.
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 71
Gharib set up his pavilions in front of theirs ; and every one went
to his tent. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased saying her permitted say.
Nofo fo&en ft toas t&e §b(x
anfc &ixtg-n(ntl)
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
two hosts drew apart, every one went to his tent until the morning.
As soon as it was day, the two hosts mounted their strong steeds
and levelled their lances and wore their harness of war ; then they
raised their slogan-cries and drew out in battle-array, whilst came
forth all the lordly knights and the lions of fights. Now the first
to open the gate of battle was Rustam, who urged his charger into
mid-field and cried out, " God is most Great ! I am Rustam
champion-in-chief of the Arabs and Ajams. Who is for tilting,
who is for fighting ? Let no sluggard come out to me this day or
weakling ! " Then there rushed forth to him a champion of the
Persians ; the two charged each other and there befel between
them a sore fight, till Rustam sprang upon his adversary and
smote him with a mace he had with him, seventy pounds in
weight, and beat his head down upon his breast, and he fell to the
earth, dead and in his blood drowned. This was no light matter
to Sabur and he commanded his men to charge ; so they drave at
the Moslems, invoking the aid of the light-giving Sun, whilst the
True Believers called for help upon the Magnanimous King. But
the Ajams, the Miscreants, outnumbered the Arabs, the Moslems,
and made them drain the cup of death ; which when Gharib saw
he drew his sword Al-Mahik and crying out his war-cry, fell upon
the Persians, with Kaylajan and Kurajan at either stirrup ; nor
did he leave playing upon them with blade till he hewed his way
to the standard-bearer and smote him on the head with the flat of
his sword, whereupon he fell down in a fainting-fit and the two
Marids bore him off to their camp. When the Persians saw the
standard fall, they turned and fled and for the city-gates made ;
but the Moslems followed them with the blade and they crowded
together to enter the city, so that they could not shut the gates
and there died of them much people. Then Rustam and Sa'adan,
Jamrkan and Sahim, Al-Damigh, Kaylajan and Kurajan and all
the braves Mohammedan and the champions of Faith Unitarian
fell upon the misbelieving Persians in the gates, and the blood of
72 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
the Kafirs ran in the streets like a torrent till they threw down
their arms and harness and called out for quarter ; whereupon the
Moslems stayed their swords from the slaughter and drove them to
their tents, as one driveth a flock of sheep. Meanwhile Gharib
returned to his pavilion, where he doffed his gear and washed him-
self of the blood of the Infidels ; after which he donned his royal
robes and sat down on his chair of estate. Then he called for the
King of the Persians and said to him, " O dog of the Ajams, what
moved thee to deal thus with thy daughter ? How seest thou me
unworthy to be her baron ? " And Sabur answered, saying, " O
King, punish me not because of that deed which I did ; for I
repent me and confronted thee not in fight but in my fear of thee."1
When Gharib heard these words he bade throw him flat and beat
him. So they bastinadoed him, till he could no longer groan, and
cast him among the prisoners. Then Gharib expounded Al-Islam
to the Persians and one hundred and twenty thousand of them
embraced The Faith, and the rest he put to the sword. Moreover
all the citizens professed Al-Islam and Gharib mounted and
entered in great state the city Isbanir Al-Madain. Then he went
into the King's palace and sitting down on Sabur's throne, gave
robes and largesse and distributed the booty and treasure among
the Arabs and Persians, wherefore they loved him and wished him
victory and honour and endurance of days. But Fakhr Taj's
mother remembered her daughter and raised the voice of mourning
for her, and the palace was filled with wails and cries. Gharib
heard this and entering the Harim, asked the women what ailed
them, whereupon the Princess's mother came forward and said, "O
my lord, thy presence put me in mind of my daughter and how
she would have joyed in thy coming, had she been alive and well.'*
Gharib wept for her and sitting down on his throne, called for
Sabur, and they brought him stumbling in his shackles. Quoth
Gharib to him, " O dog of the Persians, what didst thou do with
thy daughter ? " " I gave her to such an one and such an one,"
quoth the King, "saying:— Drown her in the river Jayhun." So
Gharib sent for the two men and asked them, " Is what he saith
true ? " Answered they, " Yes ; but, O King, we did not drown
her, nay we took pity on her and left her on the banks of the
Jayhun, saying :— Save thyself and return not to the city, lest the
* " Repentance acquits the penitent" is a favourite and noble saying popular in
Islam. It is first found in Seneca ; and is probably as old as the dawn of literature.
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 73
King slay thee and slay us with thee. This is all we know of her."
- And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say
her permitted say.
Nofo fofjen it foas t!je &ix ^unbrefc anfc SbebentktJ NtgSt,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
two men ended the tale of Fakhr Taj with these words, " And we
left her upon the bank of the river Jayhun ! " Now, when Gharib
heard this he bade bring the astrologers and said to them, " Strike
me a board of geomancy and find out what is come of Fakhr Taj,
and whether she is still in the bonds of life or dead.'* They did
so and said, " O King of the age, it is manifest to us that the
Princess is alive and hath borne a male child j but she is with a
tribe of the Jinn, and will be parted from thee twenty years ;
count, therefore, how many years thou hast been absent in travel."
So he reckoned up the years of his absence and found them eight
years and said, " There is no Majesty and there is no Might save
in Allah, the Glorious, the Great ! " l Then he sent for all Sabur's
Governors of towns and strongholds and they came and did him
homage. Now one day after this, as he sat in his palace, behold,
a cloud of dust appeared in the distance and spread till it walled
the whole land and darkened the horizon. So he summoned the
two Marids and bade them reconnoitre, and they went forth
under the dust cloud and snatching up a horseman of the ad-
vancing host, returned and set him down before Gharib, saying,
" Ask this fellow, for he is of the army." Quoth Gharib, " Whose
power is this ? " and the man answered, " O King, 'tis the army of
Khirad Shah,2 King of Shiras, who is come forth to fight thee."
Now the cause of Khirad Shah's coming was this. When Gharib
defeated Sabur's army, as hath been related, and took him
prisoner, the King's son fled, with a handful of his father's force
and ceased not flying till he reached the city of Shiras, where he
went into King Khirad Shah and kissed ground before him,
whilst the tears ran down his cheeks. When the King saw him in
this case, he said to him, " Lift thy head, O youth, and tell me
1 Here an ejaculation of impatience.
2 i.e. "King Intelligence": it has a ludicrous sound suggesting only " Dandanha-i«
Khirad " = wisdom-teeth. The Mac. Edit, persistently keeps " Ward Shah," copyist-
error.
74 A If Laylak iva Laylak.
what maketh thee weep." He replied, " O King, a King of the
Arabs, by name Gharib, hath fallen on us and captured the King
my sire and slain the Persians making them drain the cup of
death." And he told him all that had passed from first to last.
Quoth Khirad Shah, " Is my wife1 well ?" and quoth the Prince,
"Gharib hath taken her." Cried the King " As my head liveth,
I will not leave a Badawi or a Moslem on the face of the earth ! "
So he wrote letters to his Viceroys, who levied their troops and
joined him with an army which when reviewed numbered eighty-
five thousand men. Then he opened his armouries and distributed
arms and armour to the troops, after which he set out with them
and journeyed till he came to Isbanir, and all encamped before
the city-gate. Hereupon Kaylajan and Kurajan came in to
Gharib and kissing his knee, said to him, " O our Lord, heal our
hearts and give us this host to our share." And he said, " Up
and at them!*1 So the two Marids flew aloft high in the lift
and lighting down in the pavilion of the King of Shiras, found
him seated on his chair of estate, with the Prince of Persia,
Ward Shah son of Sabur, sitting on his right hand, and about him
his Captains, with whom he was taking counsel for the slaughter
of the Moslems, Kaylajan came forward and caught up the
Prince and Kurajan snatched up the King and the twain flew back
with them to Gharib, who caused beat them till they fainted.
Then the Marids returned to the Shirazian camp and, drawing their
swords, which no mortal man had strength to wield, fell upon the
Misbelievers and Allah hurried their souls to the Fire and abiding-
place dire, whilst they saw no one and nothing save two swords
flashing and reaping men, as a husbandman reaps corn. So they left
their tents and mounting their horses bare-backed, fled ; and the
Marids pursued them two days and slew of them much people ;
after which they returned and kissed Gharib's hand. He thanked
them for the deed they had done and said to them, " The spoil of
the Infidels is yours alone : none shall share with you therein."
So they called down blessings on him and going forth, gathered
the booty together and abode in their own homes. On this wise it
fared with them ; but as regards Gharib and his lieges, And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
1 i.e. Fakhr Taj, who had been promised him in marriage. See Night dcxxxiii.
supra, vol. vi.
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 75
JJofo fofjen ft foag tfie &Cx f^untafc antr gicbemg-first Wfi&t,
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that after
Gharib had put to flight the host of Khirad Shah, he bade
Kaylajan and Kurajan take the spoil to their own possession nor
share it with any ; so they gathered the booty and abode in their
own homes. Meanwhile the remains of the beaten force ceased
not flying till they reached the city of Shiras and there lifted up
the voice of weeping and began the ceremonial lamentations for
those of them that had been slain. Now King Khirad Shah had a
brother Siran the Sorcerer hight, than whom there was no greater
wizard in his day, and he lived apart from his brother in a certain
stronghold, called the Fortalice of Fruits,1 in a place abounding in
trees and streams and birds and blooms, half a day's journey from
Shiras. So the fugitives betook them thither and went in to Siran
the Sorcerer, weeping and wailing aloud. Quoth he, " O folk,
what garreth you weep ?" and they told him all that had happened,
especially how the two Marids had carried off his brother Khirad
Shah ; whereupon the light of his eyes became night and he said,
" By the virtue of my faith, I will certainly slay Gharib and all his
men and leave not one alive to tell the tale !" Then he pro-
nounced certain magical words and summoned the Red King, who
appeared and Siran said to him, " Fare for Isbanir and fall on
Gharib, as he sitteth upon his throne." Replied he, " Hearkening
and obedience ! " and, gathering his troops, repaired to Isbanir
and assailed Gharib, who seeing him, drew his sword Al-Mahik
and he and Kaylajan and Kurajan fell upon the army of the Red
King and slew of them five hundred and thirty and wounded the
King himself with a grevious wound ; whereupon he and his people
fled and stayed not in their flight, till they reached the Fortalice
of Fruits and went into Siran, crying out and exclaiming, " Woe ! "
and " Ruin ! " And the Red King said to Siran, " O sage, Gharib
hath with him the enchanted sword of Japhet son of Noah, and
whomsoever he smiteth therewith he severeth him in sunder, and
with him also are two Marids from Mount Caucasus, given to him
by King Mura'ash. He it is who slew the blue King and Barkan
Lord of the Carnelian City, and did to death much people of the
1 The name does not appear till further on, after vague Eastern fashion which, her«!
and elsewhere I have not had the heart to adopt. The same may be found in Ariosto,/arw«r.
76 A If Laylah wa Laylak.
Jinn." When the Enchanter heard this, he said to the Red King"
" Go," and he went his ways ; whereupon he resumed his conjura-
tions, and calling up a Marid, by name Zu'azi'a gave him a drachm
of levigated Bhang and said to him, "Go thou at Isbanir, and
enter King Gharib's palace and assume the form of a sparrow.
Wait till he fall and there be none with him ; then put the
Bhang up his nostrils and bring him to me." " To hear is to
obey/' replied the Marid and flew to Isbanir, where, changing
himself into a sparrow, he perched on the window of the palace
and waited till all Gharib's attendants retired to their rooms
and the King himself slept. Then he flew down and going up to
Gharib, blew the powdered Bhang into his nostrils, till he lost
his senses, whereupon he wrapped him in the bed-coverlet and
flew off with him, like the storm-wind, to the Fortalice of Fruits ;
where he arrived at midnight and laid his prize before Sirart.. The
Sorcerer thanked him and would have put Gharib to death, as he
lay senseless under Bhang ; but a man of his people withheld him
saying, " O Sage, an thou slay him, his friend King Mura'ash
will fall on us with all his Ifrits and lay waste our realm.'*
" How then shall we do with him ? " asked Siran, and the other
answered, " Cast him into the Jayhun while he is still in Bhang
and he shall be drowned and none will know who threw him in."
And Siran bade the Marid take Gharib and cast him into Jayhun
river. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to
say her permitted say.
Noto fofjen ft foas tje Sbtx f^untrretr atrtr Sbefontg-seconlr
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
Marid took Gharib and carried him to the Jayhun purposing to
cast him therein, but it was grievous to him to drown him, where-
fore he made a raft of wood and binding it with cords, pushed it
out (and Gharib thereon) into the current, which carried it away.
Thus fared it with Gharib ; but as regards his people, when they
awoke in the morning and went in to do their service to their
King, they found him not and seeing his rosary on the throne,
awaited him awhile, but he came not. So they sought out the
head Chamberlain and said to him, " Go into the Harim and look
for the King : for it is not his habit to tarry till this time."
Accordingly, the Chamberlain entered the Serraglio and enquired
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 77
for the King, but the women said, " Since yesterday we have not
seen him." Thereupon he returned and told the Officers, who
were confounded and said, " Let us see if he have gone to take his
pleasure in the gardens." Then they went out and questioned the
gardeners if they had seen the King, and they answered, " No ; "
whereat they were sore concerned and searched all the garths till
the end of the day, when they returned in tears. Moreover, the
two Marids sought for him all round the city, but came back
after three days, without having happened on any tidings of him.
So the people donned black and made their complaint to the
Lord of all worshipping men who doth as he is fain. Mean-
while, the current bore the raft along for five days till it brought
it to the salt sea, where the waves disported with Gharib and his
stomach, being troubled, threw up the Bhang. Then he opened
his eyes and finding himself in the midst of the main, a plaything
of the billows, said, " There is no Majesty and there is no Might
save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great ! Would to Heaven I wot
who hath done this deed by me ! " Presently as he lay, perplexed
concerning his case, lo ! he caught sight of a ship sailing by and
signalled with his sleeve to the sailors, who came to him and took
him up, saying, rt Who art thou and whence comest thou ? " He
replied, " Do ye feed me and give me to drink, till I recover my-
self, and after I will tell you who I am." So they brought him
water and victual, and he ate and drank and Allah restored to him
his reason. Then he asked them, " O folk, what countrymen are
ye and what is your Faith ? ; " and they answered, " We are from
Karaj l and we worship an idol called Minkash." Cried Gharib,
" Perdition to you and your idol ! O dogs, none is worthy of worship
save Allah who created all things, who saith to a thing Be ! and
it becometh." When they heard this, they rose up and fell upon
him in great wrath and would have seized him. Now he was
without weapons, but whomsoever he struck, he smote down and
deprived of life, till he had felled forty men, after which they over-
came him by force of numbers and bound him fast, saying, " We
will not slay him save in our own land, that we may first show him
to our King." Then they sailed on till they came to the city of
Karaj. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
saying her permitted say.
1 A town in Persian Irak, unhappily far from the " Salt sea.'
Alf Laylah wa Lay/aft.
ETofo fofjni ft foas tfie S>ix f^untafc an* &ebentg-rt)hfo
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
the ship's crew seized Gharib and bound him fast they said, " We
will not slay him save in our own land. Then they sailed on till
they came to the city of Karaj, the builder whereof was an
Amalekite, fierce and furious ; and he had set up at each gate of the
city a magical figure of copper which, whenever a stranger entered,
blew a blast on a trumpet, that all in the city heard it and fell
upon the stranger and slew him, except they embraced their creed.
When Gharib entered the city, the figure stationed at the gate
blew such a horrible blast that the King was affrighted and going
into his idol, found fire and smoke issuing from its mouth, nose
and eyes. Now a Satan had entered the belly of the idol and
speaking as with its tongue, said, " O King, there is come to thy
city one hight Gharib, King of Al-Irak, who biddeth the folk quit
their belief and worship his Lord ; wherefore, when they bring him
before thee, look thou spare him not." So the King went out
and sat down on his throne ; and presently, the sailors brought in
Gharib and set him before the presence, saying, " O King, we
found this youth shipwrecked in the midst of the sea, and he is a
Kafir and believeth not in our gods." Then they told him all
that had passed and the King said, " Carry him to the house of
the Great Idol and cut his throat before him, so haply our god
may look lovingly upon us." But the Wazir said, " O King, it
befitteth not to slaughter him thus, for he would die in a moment :
better we imprison him and build a pyre of fuel and burn him
with fire." Thereupon the King commanded to cast Gharib into
gaol and caused wood to be brought, and they made a mighty
pyre and set fire to it, and it burnt till the morning. Then the
King and the people of the city came forth and the Ruler sent to
fetch Gharib ; but his lieges found him not ; so they returned and
told their King who said, "And how made he his escape?"
Quoth they, " We found the chains and shackles cast down and
the doors fast locked." Whereat the KingNmarvelled and asked,
" Hath this fellow to Heaven up flown or into the earth gone
down ? ; " and they answered, " We know not." Then said the
King, " I will go and question my God, and he will inform me
whither he is gone/' So he rose and went in, to prostrate himself
to his idol, but found it not and began to rub his eyes and say,
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 79
" Am I in sleep or on wake ? " Then he turned to his Wazir
and said to him, " Where is my God and where is my prisoner ?
By my faith, O dog of Wazirs, haddest thou not counselled me to
burn him, I had slaughtered him ; for it is he who hath stolen my
god and fled ; and there is no help but I take blood-wreak of
him ! " Then he drew his sword and struck off the Wazir's head.
Now there was for Gharib's escape with the idol a strange cause
and it was on this wise. When they had shut him up in a cell
adjoining the doomed shrine under which stood the idol, he rose
to pray, calling upon the name of Almighty Allah and seeking
deliverance of Him, to whom be honour and glory ! The Marid
who had charge of the idol and spoke in its name, heard him
and fear got hold upon his heart and he said, " O shame upon me !
Who is this seeth me while I see him not ? " So he went in
to Gharib and throwing himself at his feet, said to him, " O my
Lord, what must I say that I may become of thy company
and enter thy religion ? " Replied Gharib, " Say : — There is no
god but the God and Abraham is the Friend of God/' So the
Marid pronounced the profession of Faith and was enrolled among
the people of felicity. Now his name was Zalzal, son of
Al-Muzalzil,1 one of the Chiefs of the Kings of the Jinn. Then
he unbound Gharib and taking him and the idol, made for the
higher air. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say.
Noto fofjen ft toas t&e &>t'x f^unfctrti anfc Sb^entg-fourtfi Nt'gfct,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
Marid took up Gharib and the idol and made for the higher air.
Such was his case ; but as regards the King, when his soldiers
saw what had befallen and the slaughter of the Wazir they
renounced the worship of the idol and drawing their swords, slew
the King ; after which they fell on one another, and the sword
went round amongst them three days, till there abode alive but
two men, one of whom prevailed over the other and killed him.
Then the boys attacked the survivor and slew him and fell to
fighting amongst themselves, till they were all killed ; and the
women and girls fled to the hamlets and forted villages ; wherefore
the city became desert and none dwelt therein but the owi.
1 " Earthquake son of Ennosigaius " (the Earthquake-maker).
A If Laylah wa Laylah.
Meanwhile, the Marid Zalzal flew with Gharib towards his own
country, the Island of Camphor and the Castle of Crystal and
the Land of the Enchanted Calf, so called because its King
Al-Muzalzil, had a pied calf, which he had clad in housings brocaded
with red gold, and worshipped as a god. One day the King and
his people went in to the calf and found him trembling ; so the
King said, " O my God, what hath troubled thee ? " whereupon
the Satan in the calfs belly cried out and said, " O Muzalzil,
verily thy son hath deserted to the Faith of Abraham the Friend,
at the hands of Gharib Lord of Al-Irak ; " and went on to tell
him all that had passed from first to last. When the King heard
the words of his calf he was confounded and going forth, sat
down upon his throne. Then he summoned his Grandees who
came in a body, and he told them what he had heard from the
idol, whereat they marvelled and said, " What shall we do, O
King ? " Quoth he, " When my son cometh and ye see him
embrace him, do ye lay hold of him." And they said,
* Hearkening and obedience ! " After two days came Zalzal and
Gharib, with the King's idol of Karaj, but no sooner had they
entered the palace-gate than the Jinn seized on them and
carried them before Al-Muzalzil, who looked at his son with
eyes of ire and said to him, " O dog of the Jann, hast thou
left thy Faith and that of thy fathers and grandfathers ? " Quoth
Zalzal, " I have embraced the True Faith, and on like wise do
thou (Woe be to thee!) seek salvation and thou shalt be saved
from the wrath of the King Almighty in sway, Creator of Night
and Day/' Therewith his father waxed wroth and said, " O son
of adultery, dost confront me with these words ? " Then he bade
clap him in prison and turning to Gharib, said to him, " O
wretch of a mortal, how hast thou abused my son's wit and
seduced him from his Faith ? " Quoth Gharib, " Indeed, I have
brought him out of wrongousness into the way of righteousness,
out of Hell into Heaven and out of unfaith to the True Faith."
Whereupon the King cried out to a Marid called Sayyar, saying,
*' Take this dog and cast him into the Wady of Fire, that he may
perish.'' Now this valley was in the " Waste Quarter1 " and
was thus named from the excess of its heat and the flaming of its
fire, which was so fierce that none who went down therein could
* Arab. " Ruba'al-Kharab " or Ruba'al-Khali (empty quarter), the great central
wilderness of Arabia covering some 50,000 square miles and still left white on our
maps (Pilgrimage, i. 14).
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 81
live an hour, but was destroyed ; and it was compassed about
by mountains high and slippery wherein was no opening. So
Sayyar took up Gharib and flew with him towards the Valley
of Fire, till he came within an hour's journey thereof, when being
weary, he alighted in a valley full of trees and streams and fruits,
and setting down from his back Gharib chained as he was, fell
asleep for fatigue. When Gharib heard him snore, he strove with
his bonds till he burst them ; then, taking up a heavy stone,
he cast it down on the Hand's head and crushed his bones, so
that he died on the spot. Then he fared on into the valley.
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
jgofo fojen ft foas tje §bix f^un&refc anfc ^cbentg-fiftfi
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Gharib
after killing the Marid fared on into the valley and found him-
self in a great island in mid-ocean, full of all fruits that lips
and tongue could desire. So he abode alone on the island,
drinking of its waters and eating of its fruits and of fish that
he caught, and days and years passed over him, till he had
sojourned there in his solitude seven years. One day, as he sat, be-
hold, there came down on him from the air two Marids, each carry-
ing a man ; and seeing him they said, " Who art thou, O fellow,
and of which of the tribes art thou ? " Now they took him for a
Jinni, because his hair was grown long ; and he replied, saying,
" I am not of the Jann," whereupon they questioned him, and he
told them all that had befallen him. They grieved for him and
one of the Ifrits said, "Abide thou here till we bear these two
lambs to our King, that he may break his fast on the one and
sup on the other, and after we will come back and carry thee to
thine own country." He thanked them and said, " Where be the
lambs ? " Quoth they, " These two mortals are the lambs." And
Gharib said, " I take refuge with Allah the God of Abraham the
Friend, the Lord of all creatures, who hath power over every-
thing ! " Then the Marids flew away and Gharib abode awaiting
them two days, when one of them returned, bringing with him a
suit of clothes wherewith he clad him. Then he took him up and
flew with him sky-high out of sight of earth, till Gharib heard
the angels glorifying God in heaven, and a flaming shaft issued
VOL. VIL
82 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
from amongst them and made for the Marid, who fled from it
towards the earth. The meteor pursued him, till he came within
a spear's cast of the ground, when Gharib leaped from his
shoulders and the fiery shaft overtook the Marid, who became a
heap of ashes. As for Gharib, he fell into the sea and sank two
fathoms deep, after which he rose to the surface and swam for
two days and two nights, till his strength failed him and he made
certain of death. But, on the third day as he was despairing
he caught sight of an island steep and mountainous; so he swam
for it and landing, walked on inland, where he rested a day and a
night, feeding on the growth of the ground. Then he climbed to the
mountain top, and, descending the opposite slope, fared on two days
till he came in sight of a walled and bulwarked city, abounding in
trees and rills. He walked up to it ; but, when he reached the
gate, the warders seized on him, and carried him to their Queen,
whose name was Jan Shah.1 Now she was five hundred years
old, and every man who entered the city, they brought to her
and she made him sleep with her, and when he had done his
work, she slew him and so had she slain many men. When she
saw Gharib, he pleased her mightily ; so she asked him, " What be
thy name and Faith and whence comest thou ? " and he answered >
" My name is Gharib King of Irak, and I am a Moslem.'1 Said
she, <s Leave this Creed and enter mine and I will marry thee
and make thee King." But he looked at her with eyes of ire and
cried, " Perish thou and thy faith ! " Cried she, " Dost thou
blaspheme my idol, which is of red carnelian, set with pearls and
gems?" And she called out to her men, saying, " Imprison him
in the house of the idol ; haply it will soften his heart." So they
shut him up in the domed shrine and locking the doors upon him,
went their way. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased to say her permitted say.
Nofo fo&m it foas tfje %ix ^untatr an& gbebentB-sixtft Nt'g&t,
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
they took Gharib, they jailed him in the idol's domed shrine ; and
locking the doors upon him, went their way. As soon as they
were gone, Gharib gazed at the idol, which was of red carnelian,
1 Pers. " Life King," women also assume the title of Shah,
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 83
with collars of pearls and precious stones about its neck, and
presently he went close to it and lifting it up, dashed it on the
ground and brake it in bits ; after which he lay down and slept
till daybreak. When morning morrowed, the Queen took seat on
her throne and said, " O men, bring me the prisoner." So they
opened the temple doors and entering, found the idol broken in
pieces, whereupon they buffeted their faces till the blood ran
from the corners of their eyes. Then they made at Gharib to
seize him ; but he smote one of them with his fist and slew him,
and so did he with another and yet another, till he had slain
five-and-twenty of them and the rest fled and went in to Queen
Jan Shah, shrieking loudly. Quoth she, " What is the matter ? "
and quoth they, " The prisoner hath broken thine idol and slain
thy men," and told her all that had passed. When she heard this,
she cast her crown to the ground and said, " There is no worth
left in idols ! " Then she mounted amid a thousand fighting-men
and rode to the temple, where she found Gharib had gotten him a
sword and come forth and was slaying men and overthrowing
warriors. When she saw his prowess, her heart was drowned in
the love of him and she said to herself, " I have no need of the
idol and care for naught save this Gharib, that he may lie in my
bosom the rest of my life." Then she cried to her men, " Hold
aloof from him and leave him to himself!"; then, going up to
him she muttered certain magical words, whereupon his arm
became benumbed, his forearm relaxed and the sword dropped
from his hand. So they seized him and pinioned him, as he
stood confounded, stupefied. Then the Queen returned to her
palace, and seating herself on her seat of estate, bade her people
withdraw and leave Gharib with her. When they were alone, she
said to him, " O dog of the Arabs, wilt thou shiver my idol and
slay my people ? " He replied, " O accursed woman, had he been
a god he had defended himself?" Quoth she, " Stroke me and I
will forgive thee all thou hast done." But he replied, saying,
" I will do nought of this." And she said, " By the virtue of my
faith, I will torture thee with grievous torture ! " So she took
water and conjuring over it, sprinkled it upon him and he became
an ape. And she used to feed and water and keep him in a
closet, appointing one to care for him ; and in this plight he abode
two years. Then she called him to her one day and said to him,
" Wilt thou hearken to me ? " And he signed to her with his
head, " Yes," So she rejoiced and freed him from the enchant-
A If Laylah wa Laylah.
ment. Then she brought htm food and he ate and toyed with
her and kissed her, so that she trusted in him. When it was
night she lay down and said to him, " Come, do thy business."
He replied, "'Tis well;0 and, mounting on her breast, seized her
by the neck and brake it, nor did he arise from her till life had
left her. Then, seeing an open cabinet, he went in and found
there a sword of damascened * steel and a targe of Chinese iron ;
so he armed himself cap-^-pie and waited till the day. As soon
as it was morning, he went forth and stood at the gate of the
palace. When the Emirs came and would have gone in to do their
service to the Queen, they found Gharib standing at the gate, clad
in complete war-gear ; and he said to them, " O folk, leave the
service of idols and worship the All-wise King, Creator of Night
and Day, the Lord of men, the Quickener of dry bones, for He
made all things and hath dominion over all." When the Kafirs
heard this, they ran at him, but he fell on them like a rending
lion and charged through them again and again, slaying of them
much people ; And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased saying her permitted say.
fofien it foas tije §>ix l^uirtrrEfc anfc §b*bentp=seb£nt{)
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
the Kafirs fell upon Gharib, he slew of them much people ; but,
when the night came, they overcame him by dint of numbers and
would have taken him by strenuous effort, when behold, there
descended upon the Infidels a thousand Marids, under the
command of Zalzal, who plied them with the keen sabre and
made them drink the cup of destruction, whilst Allah hurried
their souls to Hell-fire, till but few were left of the people of Jan
Shah to tell the tale and the rest cried out, " Quarter ! Quarter ! "
and believed in the Requiting King, whom no one thing diverteth
from other thing, the Destroyer of the Jababirah2 and Extermi-
nator of the Akdsirah, Lord of this world and of the next. Then
1 Arab. '* Mujauhar '*: the watery or wavy mark upon Eastern blades is called the
"jauhar," lit. = jewel. The peculiarity is also called water and grain, which gives
rise to a host of double-entendres, puns, paronomasias and conceits more or less frigid.
3 Etymologically meaning tyrants or giants ; and applied to great heathen conquerors
like Nimrod and the mighty rulers of Syria, the Anakim, Giants and other peoples of
Hebrew fable. The Akasirah are the Chosroes before noticed.
The History of Gharib and his Brother A jib. 85
Zalzal saluted Gharib and gave him joy of his safety ; and
Gharib said to him, " How knowest thou of my case ? " and he
replied, " O my lord, my father kept me in prison two years, after
sending thee to the Valley of Fire ; then he released me, and I
abode with him another year, till I was restored to favour with
him, when I slew him and his troops submitted to me. I ruled
them for a year's space till, one night, I lay down to sleep,
having thee in thought, and saw thee in a dream, fighting against
the people of Jan Shah ; wherefore I took these thousand Marids
and came to thee." And Gharib marvelled at this happy con-
juncture. Then he seized upon Jan Shah's treasures and those of
the slain and appointed a ruler over the city; after which the
Marids took up Gharib and the monies and he lay the same night
in the Castle of Crystal. He abode Zalzal's guest six months,
when he desired to depart ; so Zalzal gave him rich presents and
despatched three thousand Marids, who brought the spoils of
Karaj-city and added them to those of Jan Shah. Then Zalzal
loaded forty thousand Marids with the treasure and himself
taking up Gharib, flew with his host towards the city of Isbanir
al-Madain where they arrived at midnight. But as Gharib
glanced around he saw the walls invested on all sides by a
conquering army,1 as it were the surging sea, so he said to Zalzal,
" O my brother, what is the cause of this siege and whence came
this army ? " Then he alighted on the terrace-roof of his palace
and cried out, saying, ' Ho, Star o' Morn ! Ho, Mahdiyah ! "
Whereupon the twain started up from sleep in amazement and
said, "Who calleth us at this hour?" Quoth he, "Tis I, your
lord, Gharib, the Marvellous One of the deeds wondrous." When
the Princesses heard their lord's voice, they rejoiced and so did
the women and the eunuchs. Then Gharib went down to them
and they threw themselves upon him and lullilooed with cries of
joy, so that all the palace rang again and the Captains of the
army awoke and said, " What is to do ? " So they made for the
palace and asked the eunuchs, " Hath one of the King's women
given birth to a child ? " ; and they answered, " No ; but rejoice
ye, for King Gharib hath returned to you." So they rejoiced,
and Gharib, after salams to the women came forth amongst his
comrades, who threw themselves upon him and kissed his hands
1 Arab. " Askar jarra"r " lit. " drawing*': so in Egyptian slang " Nas jarrar " » folk
who wish to draw your money out of your pocket, greedy cheats.
86 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
and feet, returning thanks to Almighty Allah and praising Him.
Then he sat down on his throne, with his officers sitting about
him, and questioned them of the beleaguering army. They
replied, "O King, these troops sat down before the city three
days ago and there are amongst them Jinns as well as men; but
we know not what they want, for we have had with them neither
battle nor speech." And presently they added, " The name of
the commander of the besieging army is Murad Shah and he hath
with him an hundred thousand horse and three thousand foot,
besides two hundred tribesmen of the Jinn." Now the manner
of his coming was wondrous. And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Nofo fofcen tt foa* tie Sbfe f^untKefc ant*
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the cause
of this army coming upon Isbanir city was wondrous. When
the two men, whom Sabur had charged to drown his daughter
Fakhr Taj, let her go, bidding her flee for her life, she went forth
distracted, unknowing whither to turn and saying, "Where is
thine eye, O Gharib, that thou mayst see my case and the misery
I am in ? ".; and wandered on from country to country, and
valley to valley, till she came to a Wady abounding in trees and
streams, in whose midst stood a strong-based castle and a lofty-
builded as it were one of the pavilions of Paradise. So she betook
herself thither and entering the fortilice, found it hung and car-
peted with stuffs of silk and great plenty of gold and silver vessels ;
and therein were an hundred beautiful damsels. When the
maidens saw Fakhr Taj, they came up to her and saluted her,
deeming her of the virgins of the Jinn, and asked her of her
case. Quoth she, " I am daughter to the Persians' King ; " and
told them all that had befallen her ; which when they heard, they
wept over her and condoled with her and comforted her, saying,
" Be of good cheer and keep thine eyes cool and clear, for here
shalt thou have meat and drink and raiment, and we all are thy
handmaids.'1 She called down blessings on them and they
brought her food, of which she ate till she was satisfied. Then
quoth she to them, " Who is the owner of this palace and lord
over you girls ? " and quoth they, " King Salsal, son of Dal, is
our master ; he passeth a night here once in every month and
The History of Gharib and his Brother A jib. 87
fareth in the morning to rule over the tribes of the Jahn." So
Fakhr Taj took up her abode with them and after five days she
gave birth to a male child, as he were the moon. They cut his
navel cord and kohl'd his eyes then they named him Murad Shah,
and he grew up in his mother's lap. After a while came King
Salsal, riding on a paper-white elephant, as he were a tower
plastered with lime and attended by the troops of the Jinn. He
entered the palace, where the hundred damsels met him and
kissed ground before him, and amongst them Fakhr Taj. When
the King saw her, he looked at her and said to the others, " Who
is yonder damsel ? " ; and they replied, " She is the daughter of
Sabur, King of the Persians and Turks and Daylamites." Quoth he,
" Who brought her hither ? " So they repeated to him her story ;
whereat he was moved to pity for her and said to her, " Grieve
not, but take patience till thy son be grown a man, when I will
go to the land of the Ajams and strike off thy father's head from
between his shoulders and seat thy son on the throne in his
stead." So she rose and kissed his hands and blessed him. Then
she abode in the castle and her son grew up and was reared with
the children of the King. They used to ride forth together
a-hunting and birding and he became skilled in the chase of wild
beasts and ravening lions arid ate of their flesh, till his heart
became harder than the rock. When he reached the age of fifteen,
his spirit waxed big in him and he said to Fakhr Taj, " O my
mamma, who is my papa ? " She replied, " O my son, Gharib,
King of Irak, is thy father and I am the King's daughter, of the
Persians," and she told him her story. Quoth he, "Did my
grandfather indeed give orders to slay thee and my father
Gharib?"; and quoth she, "Yes.'1 Whereupon he, "By the
claim thou hast on me for rearing me, I will assuredly go to
thy father's city and cut off his head and bring it into thy pre-
sence!" And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased saying her permitted say.
Sfofo fofjm ft foas t&e &>fx ffeunlrrclr antr &EtontB=mnt&
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Murad Shah son of Fakhr Taj thus bespake his mother, she
rejoiced in his speech. Now he used to go a-riding with two
hundred Marids till he grew to man's estate, when he and they
88 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
fell to making raids and cutting off the roads and they pushed
their razzias ever farther till one day he attacked the city of
Shiraz and took it. Then he proceeded to the palace and cut off
the King's head, as he sat on his throne, and slew many of his
troops, whereupon the rest cried " Quarter ! Quarter ! " and kissed
his stirrups. Finding that they numbered ten thousand horse, he
led them to Balkh, where he slew the King of the city and put
his men to the rout and made himself master of the riches of the
place. Thence he passed to Niirayn,1 at the head of an army of
thirty thousand horse, and the Lord of Nurayn came out to him,
with treasure and tribute, and did him homage. Then he went
on to Samarcand of the Persians and took the city, and after that
to Akhldt 2 and took that town also ; nor was there any city he
came to but he captured it. Thus Murad Shah became the head
of a mighty host, and all the booty he made and spoils in the
sundry cities he divided among his soldiery, who loved him for
his valour and munificence. At last he came to Isbanir al-Madain
and sat down before it, saying, " Let us wait till the rest of my
army come up, when I will seize on my grandfather and solace
my mother's heart by smiting his neck in her presence." So he
sent for her, and by reason of this, there was no battle for three
days, when Gharib and Zalzal arrived with the forty thousand
Marids, laden with treasure and presents. They asked concerning
the besiegers, but none could enlighten them beyond saying that
the host had been there encamped for three days without a fight
taking place. Presently came Fakhr Taj, and her son Murad
Shah embraced her saying, "Sit in thy tent till I bring thy
father to thee." And she sought succour for him of the Lord
of the Worlds, the Lord of the heavens and the Lord of the
earths. Next morning, as soon as it was day, Murad Shah
mounted and rode forth, with the two hundred Marids on his
right hand and the Kings of men on his left, whilst the kettle-
drums beat to battle. When Gharib heard this, he also took
to horse and, calling his people to the combat, rode out, with
the Jinn on his dexter hand and the men on his sinistral. Then
came forth Murad Shah, armed cap-a-pie and drave his charger
right and left, crying, " O folk, let none come forth to me but
your King. If he conquer me, he shall be lord of both armies,
1 In Turkestan: the name means " Two lights."
* In Armenia, mentioned by Sadik Isfahdni (Transl. p. 62).
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 89
and if I conquer him, I will slay him, as I have slain others."
When Gharib heard his speech, he said, " Avaunt, O dog of the
Arabs ! " And they charged at each other and lunged with
lances, till they broke, then hewed at each other with swords,
till the blades were notched ; nor did they cease to advance and
retire and wheel and career, till the day was half spent and their
horses fell down under them, when they dismounted and gripped
each other. Then Murad Shah seizing Gharib lifted him up and
strove to dash him to the ground ; but Gharib caught him by
the ears and pulled him with his might, till it seemed to the
youth as if the heavens were falling on the earth ' and he cried
out, with his heart in his mouth, saying, " I yield myself to thy
mercy, O Knight of the Age!" So Gharib bound him, And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
Nofo fo&cn ft foag tjje §bfx f^unfcrcfc anfc (JBtijfjtfetf)
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Gharib caught Murad Shah by the ears and well nigh tore them
off he cried, " I yield myself to thy mercy, O Knight of the Age ! "
So Gharib bound him, and the Marids his comrades would have
charged and rescued him, but Gharib fell on them with a thousand
Marids and was about to smite them down, when they cried out,
" Quarter ! Quarter ! " and threw away their arms. Then Gharib
returned to his Shahmiyanah which was of green silk, embroidered
with red gold and set with pearls and gems ; and, seating himself
on his throne, called for Murad Shah. So they brought him,
shuffling in his manacles and shackles. When the prisoner saw
him, he hung down his head for shame ; and Gharib said to him,
" O dog of the Arabs, who art thou that thou shouldst ride forth
and measure thyself against kings ? " Replied Murad Shah, " O
my lord, reproach me not, for indeed I have excuse." Quoth
Gharib, " What manner of excuse hast thou ? "; And quoth he,
" Know, O my lord, that I came out to avenge my mother and
my father on Sabur, King of the Persians ; for he would have
slain them ; but my mother escaped and I know not whether
1 This is the only ludicrous incident in the tale which justifies Von Hammer's sus-
picion. Compare it with the combat between Rustam and his son Sohrab.
' 90 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
he killed my father or not." When Gharib heard these words,
he replied, " By Allah, thou art indeed excusable ! But who were
thy father and mother and what are their names ? " Murad Shah
said, " My sire was Gharib, King of Al-Irak, and my mother
Fakhr Taj, daughter of King Sabur of Persia." When Gharib
heard this, he gave a great cry and fell down fainting. They
sprinkled rose-water on him, till he came to himself, when he
said to Murad Shah, " Art thou indeed Gharib's son by Fakhr
Taj?"; and he replied, "Yes." Cried Gharib, "Thou art a
champion, the son of a champion. Loose my child ! " And
Sahim and Kaylajan went up to Murad Shah and set him free.
Then Gharib embraced his son and, seating him beside himself,
said to him, " Where is thy mother ? " " She is with me in my
tent," answered Murad Shah ; and Gharib said, " Bring her to
me." So Murad Shah mounted and repaired to his camp, where
his comrades met him, rejoicing in his safety, and asked him of
his case ; but he answered, " This is no time for questions."
Then he went in to his mother and told her what had passed ;
whereat she was gladdened with exceeding gladness: so he
carried her to Gharib, and they two embraced and rejoiced in
each other. Then Fakhr Taj and Murad Shah islamised and
expounded The Faith to their troops, who all made profession
with heart and tongue. After this, Gharib sent for Sabur and
his son Ward Shah, and upbraided them for their evil dealing
and expounded Al-Islam to them ; but they refused to profess ;
wherefore he crucified them on the gate of the city and the people
decorated the town and held high festival, Then Gharib crowned
Murad Shah with the crown of the Chosroes and made him King
of the Persians and Turks and Medes ; moreover, he made his
uncle Al-Damigh, King over Al-Irak, and all the peoples and
lands submitted themselves to Gharib. Then he abode in his
kingship, doing justice among his lieges, wherefore all the people
loved him, and he and his wives and comrades ceased not from
all solace of life, till there came to them the Destroyer of Delights
and Sunderer of Societies, and extolled be the perfection of Him
whose glory endureth for ever and aye and whose boons embrace
all His creatures ! This is every thing that hath come down to
us of the history of Gharib and Ajib. And Abdullah bin
Ma'amar al-Kaysi hath thus related the tale of
Otbah and Rayya. 91
OTBAHi AND RAYYA.
I WENT one year on the pilgrimage to the Holy House of Allah,
and when I had accomplished my pilgrimage, I turned back for
visitation of the tomb of the Prophet, whom Allah bless and
keep! One night, as I sat in the garden,2 between the tomb and
the pulpit, I heard a low moaning in a soft voice ; so I listened
to it and it said : —
Have the doves that moan in the lotus-tree o Woke grief in thy heart and
bred misery ?
Or doth memory of maiden in beauty deckt o Cause this doubt in thee,
this despondency? ,
0 night, thou art longsome 'for love-sick sprite o Complaining of Love and its
ecstacy :
Thou makest him wakeful, who burns with fire o Of a love, like the live coal's
ardency.
The moon is witness my heart is held o By a moonlight brow of the
brightest blee :
1 reckt not to see me by Love ensnared o Till ensnared before I could
reck or see.
Then the voice ceased and not knowing whence it came to me
I abode perplexed ; but lo ! it again took up its lament and
recited . —
Came Rayya's phantom to grieve thy sight o In the thickest gloom of the
black-haired Night !
And hath love of slumber deprived those eyes o And the phantom-vision vexed
thy sprite ?
1 cried to the Night, whose glooms were like o Seas that surge and billow with
might, with might :
UO Night, thou art longsome to lover who o Hath no aid nor help save the
morning-light ! "
She replied, " Complain not that 1 am long : * 'Tis love is the cause of thy long-
some plight ! "
1 I cannot understand why Trebutien, iii., 457> writes this word Afba. He remarks
that it is the " Oina and Riya " of Jami, elegantly translated by M. de Chezy in the
Journal Asiatique, vol. I, 144.
2 I have described this part of the Medinah Mosque in Pilgrimage ii , 62-69. The
name derives from a saying of Mohammed (of which there are many variants),
"Setweeen my tomb and my pulpit is a garden of the Gardens of Paradise'*
(Burckhardt, Arabia, p. 337). The whole Southern portico (not only a part) now
enjoys that honoured name and the tawdry decorations are intended to suggest a
parterre.
g2 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
Now, at the first of the couplets, I sprang up and made for the
quarter whence the sound came, nor had the voice ended repeating
them, ere I was with the speaker and saw a youth of the utmost
beauty, the hair of whose side face had not sprouted and in whose
cheeks tears had worn twin trenches. And Shahrazad perceived
the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Nofo fofien it toas tfje g>tx 3^un&re& anfc 1Et'$tpsfirst Ntfifct,
i
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Abdullah
ibn Ma'amar al-Kaysi thus continued :— So I sprang up and made
for the quarter whence the sound came, nor had the voice ended
repeating the verses, ere I was with the speaker and saw a youth
on whose side face the hair had not sprouted and in whose cheeks
tears had worn twin trenches. Quoth I to him, " Fair befal thee
for a youth ! " ; and quoth he, " And thee also ! Who art thou ? "
I replied, " Abdullah bin Ma'amar al-Kaysi ; " and he said, " Dost
thou want aught ? " I rejoined, " I was sitting in the garden and
naught hath troubled me this night but thy voice. With my life
would I ransom thee ! What aileth thee ? " He said, " Sit thee
down.'* So I sat down and he continued, " I am Otbah bin al-
Hubdb bin al-Mundhir bin al-Jamuh the Ansarf.1 I went out in
the morning to the Mosque Al-Ahzab2 and occupied myself there
awhile with prayer-bows and prostrations, after which I withdrew
apart, to worship privily. But lo ! up came women, as they were
moons, walking with a swaying gait, and surrounding a damsel of
passing loveliness, perfect in beauty and grace, who stopped before
me and said : — O Otbah, what sayst thou of union with one who
seeketh union with thee ? Then she left me and went away ; and
since that time I have had no tidings of her nor come upon any
trace of her ; and behold, I am distracted and do naught but
remove from place to place." Then he cried out and fell to the
1 Mohammed's companions (Ashab), numbering some five hundred, were divided into
two orders, the Muhajirin (fugitives) or Meccans who accompanied the Apostle to Al-
Medinah (Pilgrimage ii. 138) and the Ansar (Auxiliaries) or Medinites who invited him
to their city and lent him zealous aid (Ibid ii. 130). The terms constantly occur in
Arab history.
2 The " Mosque of the Troops," also called Al-Fath (victory), the largest of the
" Four Mosques : " it is still a place of pious visitation where prayer is granted. Koran,
chap, xxxiii., and Pilgrimage ii. 325.
Otbnh and Rayya. 93
ground fainting. When he came to himself, it was as if the
damask of his cheeks were dyed with safflower,1 and he recited
these couplets : —
1 see you with my heart from far countrie o Would Heaven you also me from
far could see
My heart and eyes for you are sorrowing ; o My soul with you abides and you
with me.
I take no joy in life when you're unseen « Or Heaven or Garden of Eternity.
Said I, " O Otbah, O son of my uncle, repent to thy Lord and
crave pardon for thy sin ; for before thee is the terror of standing
up to Judgment." He replied, " Far be it from me so to do. I
shall never leave to love till the two mimosa-gatherers return." 3
I abode with him till daybreak, when I said to him, " Come let us
go to the Mosque Al-Ahzab." So we went thither and sat there, till
we had prayed the midday prayers, when lo ! up came the women ;
but the damsel was not among them. Quoth they to him, " O
Otbah, what thinkest thou of her who seeketh union with thee ? *'
He said, "And what of her ? " ; and they replied, " Her father hath
taken her and departed to Al-Samawah." 3 I asked them the
name of the damsel and they said, " She is called Rayya, daughter
of Al-Ghitrif al-Sulami."* Whereupon Otbah raised his head and
recited these verses : —
My friends, Rayya" hath mounted soon as morning shone, • And to Samdwah's
wilds her caravan is gone.
My friends, I've wept till I can weep no more, Oh, say, o Hath any one a
tear that I can take on loan.
1 Arab. "Al-Wars," with two meanings. The Alfaz Adwiyah gives it = Kurkum,
curcuma, turmeric, safran d'Inde ; but popular usage assigns it to Usfur, Kurtum or
safflower (carthamus tinctorius). I saw the shrub growing all about Harar which
exports it, and it is plentiful in Al-Yaman (Niebuhr, p. 133), where women affect it to
stain the skin a light yellow and remove freckles : it is also an internal remedy in
leprosy. But the main use is that of a dye, and the Tob stained with Wars is almost
universal in some parts of Arabia. Sonnini (p. 510) describes it at length and says that
Europeans in Egypt call it " Parrot-seeds " because the bird loves it, and the Levant
trader " Saffrenum."
2 Two men of the great 'Anazah race went forth to gather Karaz, the fruit of the Sant
(Mimosa Nilotica) both used for tanning, and never returned. Hence the proverb which
is obsolete in conversation. See Burckhardt, Prov. 659 : where it takes the place of
*' ad Graecas Kalendas."
3 Name of a desert (Mafazah) and a settlement on the Euphrates' bank between Basrah
and the site of old Kufah near Kerbela ; the well known visitation place in Babylonian
Irak.
4 Of the Banu Sulaym tribe ; the adjective is Sulami not Sulaymi.
A If Laylah wa Laylah.
Then said I to him, " O Otbah, I have brought with me great
wealth, wherewith I desire to succour generous men ; and by
Allah, I will lavish it before thee,1 so thou mayst attain thy
desire and more than thy desire! Come with me to the as-
sembly of the Ansaris." So we rose and went, till we entered
their assembly, when I salam'd to them and they returned my
greeting civilly. Then quoth I, "O assembly, what say ye of
Otbah and his father?": and they replied, "They are of the
princes of the Arabs." I continued, " Know that he is smitten
with the calamity of love and I desire your furtherance to Al-
Samawah." And they said, "To hear is to obey." So they
mounted with us, the whole party, and we rode till we drew
near the place of the Banu Sulaym. Now when Ghitrif heard
of our being near, he hastened forth to meet us, saying, " Long
life to you, O nobles ! " ; whereto we replied, " And to thee also !
Behold we are thy guests." Quoth he, "Ye have lighted down
at a most hospitable abode and ample ; " and alighting he cried
out, " Ho, all ye slaves, come down ! " So they came down and
spread skin-rugs and cushions and slaughtered sheep and cattle ;
but we said, " We will not taste of thy food, till thou have accom-
plished our need." He asked, "And what is your need?"; and
we answered, "We demand thy noble daughter in marriage for
Otbah bin Hubab bin Mundhir the illustrious and well-born."
"O my brethren," said he, "she whom you demand is owner of
herself, and I will go in to her and tell her." So he rose in wrath2
and went in to Rayya, who said to him, " O my papa, why do I
see thee show anger ? " And he replied, saying, " Certain of the
Ansaris have come upon me to demand thy hand of me in marriage."
Quoth she, " They are noble chiefs ; the Prophet, on whom be the
choicest blessings and peace, intercedeth for them with Allah.
For whom among them do they ask me ? " Quoth he, " For a
youth known as Otbah bin al-Hubab;" and she said, "I have
heard of Otbah that he performeth what he promiseth and findeth
what he seeketh." Ghitrif cried, " I swear that I will never marry
thee to him ; no, never, for there hath been reported to me some-
what of thy converse with him." Said she, "What was that?
1 Arab. "Am'am-ak"=: before thee (in space) j from the same root as Imam — antistes,
leader of prayer ; and conducing to perpetual puns, e.g. " You are Imam-i (my leader) and
therefore should be Amam-i" (in advance of me).
2 He was angry, as presently appears, because he had heard of certain love passages
between the two and this in Arabia is a dishonour to the family.
Otbah and Rayya. 95
But in any case, I swear that the Ansaris shall not be uncivilly
rejected; wherefore do thou offer them a fair excuse." "How
so ? " " Make the dowry heavy to them and they will desist."
"Thou sayst well/' said he, and going out in haste, told the
Ansaris, "The damsel of the tribe1 consented! ; but she requireth
a dowry worthy herself. Who engageth for this ? " " I," answered
I. Then said he, " I require for her a thousand bracelets of red
gold and five thousand dirhams of the coinage of Hajar2 and a
hundred pieces of woollen cloth and striped stuffs3 of Al-Yaman
and five bladders of ambergris." Said I, " Thou shalt have that
much ; dost thou consent ? " ; and he said, " I do consent." So I
despatched to Al-Medinah the Illumined4 a party of the Ansaris,
who brought all for which I had become surety ; whereupon they
slaughtered sheep and cattle and the folk assembled to eat of the
food. We abode thus forty days when Ghitrif said to us, " Take
your bride." So we sat her in a dromedary-litter and her father
equipped her with thirty camel-loads of things of price ; after
which we farewelled him and journeyed till we came within a
day's journey of Al-Medinah the Illumined, when there fell upon
us horsemen, with intent to plunder, and methinks they were of
the Banu Sulaym, Otbah drove at them and slew of them much
people, but fell back, wounded by a lance-thrust, and presently
dropped to the earth. Then there came to us succour of the
country people, who drove away the highwaymen ; but Otbah's
days were ended. So we said, " Alas for Otbah, oh ! ; " and the
1 Euphemy for "my daughter."
8 The Badawin call a sound dollar " Kirsh hajar" or " Riyal hajar " (a stone dollar ;
but the word is spelt with the greater h).
3 Arab. Burdah and Habarah. The former often translated mantle is a thick woollen
stuff, brown or gray, woven oblong and used like a plaid by day and by night. Moham-
med's Burdah woven in his Harem and given to the poet, Ka'ab, was 7| ft. long by 4^ :
it is still in the upper Serraglio of Stambul. In early days the stuff was mostly striped ;
now it is either plain or with lines so narrow that it looks like one colour. The Habarah
is a Burd made in Al-Yaman and not to be confounded with the Egyptian mantilla of
like name (Lane, M. E. chapt. iii).
4 Every Eastern city has its special title. Al-Medinah in entitled " Al-Munawwarah "
(the Illumined) from the blinding light which surrounds the Prophet's tomb and which
does not show to eyes profane (Pilgrimage ii. 3). I presume that the idea arose from
the huge lamps of " The Garden." I have noted that Mohammed's coffin suspended by
magnets is an idea unknown to Moslems, but we find the fancy in Al-Harawi related of
St. Peter, " Simon Cephas (the rock) is in the City of Great Rome, in its largest
church within a silver ark hanging by chains from the ceiling." (Lee, Ibn Batutah,
p. 161).
A If Laylah wa Laylah.
damsel hearing it cast herself down from the camel and throwing
herself upon him, cried out grievously and repeated these
couplets :—
Patient I seemed, yet Patience shown by mer« Was but self-guiling till tty
sight I see :
Had my soul done as due my life had gone, o Had fled before mankind
forestalling thee :
Then, after me and thee none shall to friend 0 Be just, nor any soul with
soul agree.
Then she sobbed a single sob and gave up the ghost. We dug
one grave for them and laid them in the earth, and I returned
to the dwellings of my people, where I abode seven years. Then
I betook me again to Al-Hijaz and entering Al-Medinah the
Illumined for pious visitation said in my mind, " By Allah, I will
go again to Otbah's tomb ! " So I repaired thither, and, behold,
over the grave was a tall tree, on which hung fillets of red and
green and yellow stuffs.1 So I asked the people of the place,
" How be this tree called ? " ; and they answered, " The tree of
.the Bride and the Bridegroom." I abode by the tomb a day and
a night, then went my way ; and this is all I know of Otbah.
Almighty Allah have mercy upon him ! And they also tell this
tale of
HIND DAUGHTER OF AL-NU'MAN AND AL-HAJJAJ.*
IT is related that Hind daughter of Al-Nu'man was the fairest
woman of her day, and her beauty and loveliness were reported to
Al-Hajjaj, who sought her in marriage and lavished much treasure
on her. So he took her to wife, engaging to give her a dowry of
two hundred thousand dirhams in case of divorce, and when he
went into her, he abode with her a long time. One day after this,
1 Here the fillets are hung instead of the normal rag-strips to denote an honoured
tomb. Lane (iii. 242) and many others are puzzled about the use of these articles. In
many cases they are suspended to trees in order to transfer sickness from the body to
the tree and whoever shall touch it. The Sawahili people term such articles a Keti (seat
or vehicle) for the mysterious haunter of the tree who prefers occupying it to the patient's
person. Briefly the custom still popular throughout Arabia, is African and Fetish.
2 Al-Mas'udi (chap, xcv.), mentions a Hind bint Asmd and tells a facetious story
of her and the " enemy of Allah/' the poet Jarir.
Hind Daughter of Al-Nu'man and Al-Hajjaj. 97
he went in to her and found her looking at her face in the mirror
and saying: —
Hind is an Arab filly purest bred, o Which hath been covered by a
mongrel mule ;
An colt of horse she throw by Allah ! well; o If mule> it but results from
mulish rule.1
When Al-Hajjaj heard this, he turned back and went his way,
unseen of Hind ; and, being minded to put her away, he sent
Abdullah bin Tahir to her, to divorce her. So Abdullah went in to
her and said to her, " Al-Hajjaj Abu Mohammed saith to thee :
Here be the two hundred thousand dirhams of thy contingent
dowry he oweth thee ; and he hath deputed me to divorce thee."
Replied she, " O Ibn Tahir, I gladly agree to this ; for know that
I never for one day took pleasure in him , so, if we separate, by
Allah, I shall never regret him, and these two hundred thousand
dirhams I give to thee as a reward for the glad tidings thou
bringest me of my release from yonder dog of the Thakafites."2
After this, the Commander of the Faithful, Abd al-Malik bin
1 Here the old Shiah hatred of the energetic conqueror of Oman crops out again.
Hind's song is that of Maysum concerning her husband Mu'awiyah which Mrs. Godfrey
Clark ('Ildm-en-Nas, p. 108) thus translates :—
A hut that the winds make tremble
Is dearer to me than a noble palace ;
And a dish of crumbs on the floor of my home
Is dearer to me than a varied feast ;
And the soughing of the breeze through every crevice
Is dearer to me than the beating of drums.
Compare with Dr. Carlyle's No. X. : —
The russet suit of camel's hair
With spirits light and eye serene
Is dearer to my bosom far
Than all the trappings of a queen, etc. etc.
And with mine (Pilgrimage iii. 262) :—
O take these purple robes away,
Give back my cloak of camel's hair
And bear me from this towering pile
To where the black tents flap i' the air, etc. etc.
1 Al-Hajjaj's tribal name was Al-Thakifi or descendant of Thakif. According to
Al-Mas'udi, he was son of Farighah (the tall Beauty) by Yvisuf bin Ukayl the Thakafite
and vint au monde tout difforme avec 1'anus ob? true. As he refused the breast, Satan,
in human form, advised suckling him with the blood of two black kids, a black buck*
goat and a black snake ; which had the desired effect.
VOL. VII. G
98 / Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
Marvvan, heard of her beauty and loveliness, her stature and
symmetry, her sweet speech and the amorous grace of her glances
and sent to her, to ask her in marriage ; And Shahrazad per-
ceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
fofjen it foas tje S>ix ^untrrefc anfc 3Ef$tp-sccon&
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
Prince of True Believers, Abd al-Malik bin Marwan, hearing of
the lady's beauty and loveliness, sent to ask her in marriage ; and
she wrote him in reply a letter, in which, after the glorification of
Allah and benediction of His Prophet, she said, " But afterwards.
Know, O Commander of the Faithful, that the dog hath lapped in
the vase." When the Caliph read her answer, he laughed and
wrote to her, citing his saying (whom may Allah bless and keep!)
" If a dog lap in the vessel of one of you, let him wash seven times,
once thereof with earth," and adding, " Wash the affront from the
place of use."1 With this she could not gainsay him ; so she
replied to him, saying (after praise and blessing), " O Commander
of the Faithful I will not consent save on one condition, and if
thou ask me what it is, I reply that Al-Hajjaj lead my camel to
the town where thou tarriest barefoot and clad as he is/'2 When
the Caliph read her letter, he laughed long and loudly and sent to
Al-Hajjaj, bidding him do as she wished. He dared not disobey
the order, so he submitted to the Caliph's commandment and sent
to Hind, telling her to make ready for the journey. So she made
ready and mounted her litter, when Al-Hajjaj with his suite came
up to Hind's door and as she mounted and her damsels and
eunuchs rode around her, he dismounted and took the halter of
her camel and led it along, barefooted, whilst she and her damsels
and tirewomen laughed and jeered at him and made mock of him.
Then she said to her tirewoman, " Draw back the curtain of the
litter ; " and she drew back the curtain, till Hind was face to face
with Al-Hajjaj, whereupon she laughed at him and he improvised
this couplet : —
Though now thou jeer, O Hind, how many a night o I've left thee wakeful
sighing for the light
1 Trebutien, iii. 465, translates these sayings into Italian.
2 Making him a " Kawwad " — leader, i.e. pimp; a true piece of feminine spite.
But the Caliph prized Al-Hajjaj too highly to treat him as in the text.
Khuzaymah Bin Bishr and Ikrimah Al-Fayyaz. 99
And she answered him with these two : —
We reck not, an our life escape from bane, o For waste of wealth and gear
that went in vain :
Money may be regained and rank re-won o When one is cured of malady and
pain.
And she ceased not to laugh at him and make sport of him, till
they drew near the city of the Caliph, when she threw down a
dinar with her own hand and said to Al-Hajjaj, " O camel-driver,
I have dropped a dirham ; look for it and give it to me." So he
looked and seeing naught but the dinar, said, " This is a dinar."
She replied, " Nay, 'tis a dirham." But he said, " This is a dinar/*
Then quoth she, " Praised be Allah who hath given us in exchange
for a paltry dirham a dinar! Give it us." And Al-Hajjaj was
abashed at this. Then he carried her to the palace of the Com-
mander of the Faithful, and she went in to him and became his
favourite. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased saying her permitted say.
jtfofo tofjen ft foas t&e S>(x f^untrrcto anto 1Efgf)tg=if)nfo Nt$t,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that men also
tell a tale anent
KHUZAYMAH BIN BISHR AND IKRIMAH
AL-FAYYAZ.1
THERE lived once, in the days of the Caliph Sulayman bin Abd
al-Malik2 a man of the Banu Asad, by name Khuzaymah bin
Bishr, who was famed for bounty and abundant wealth and
excellence and righteous dealing with his brethren. He continued
thus till times grew strait with him and he became in need of
1 i.e. "The overflowing," with benefits; on account of his generosity.
2 The seventh Ommiade A. H. 96-99 (715-719). He died of his fine appetite after
eating at a sitting a lamb, six fowls, seventy pomegranates, and li£ Ibs. of currants.
He was also proud of his youth and beauty and was wont to say, " Mohammed was the
Apostle and Abu Bakr witness to the Truth ; Omar the Discriminator and Othman the
Bashful, Mu'awiyah the Mild and Yazid the Patient ; Abd al-Malik the Administrator
and Waiid the Tyrant ; but I am the Young King ! "
IOO A If Laylah wa Laylah.
the aid of those Moslem brethen on whom he had lavished favour
and kindness. So they succoured him a while and then grew weary
of him, which when he saw, he went in to his wife who was the
daughter of his father's brother, and said to her, " O my cousin, I
find a change in my brethren ; wherefore I am resolved to keep
my house till death come to me." So he shut his door and abode
in his home, living on that which he had by him, till it was spent
and he knew not what to do. Now Ikrimah al-Raba'f, surnamed
Al-Fayydz, governor of Mesopotamia,1 had known him, and one
day, as he sat in his audience-chamber, mention was made of
Khuzaymah, whereupon quoth Ikrimah, " How is it with him ? "
And quoth they, " He is in a plight past telling, and hath shut his
door and keepeth the house." Ikrimah rejoined, " This cometh but
of his excessive generosity : but how is it that Khuzaymah bin
Bishr findeth nor comforter nor requiter ?" And they replied, "He
hath found naught of this." So when it was night, Ikrimah took
four thousand dinars and laid them in one purse ; then, bidding
saddle his beast, he mounted and rode privily to Khuzaymah's
house, attended only by one of his pages, carrying the money.
When he came to the door, he alighted and taking the purse from
the page made him withdraw afar off; after which he went up to
the door and knocked. Khuzaymah came out to him, and he gave
him the purse, saying, " Better thy case herewith." He took it
and finding it heavy put it from his hand and laying hold of the
bridle of Ikrimah's horse, asked, " Who art thou ? My soul be thy
ransom ! " Answered Ikrimah, " O man I come not to thee at a
time like this desiring that thou shouldst know me." Khuzaymah
rejoined, " I will not let thee go till thou make thyself known to
me," whereupon Ikrimah said " I am hight Jabir Athardt al-
Kirdm."2 Quoth Khuzaymah, "Tell me more." But Ikrimah
cried, "No/* and fared forth, whilst Khuzaymah went in to his
cousin and said to her, " Rejoice for Allah hath sent us speedy
relief and wealth ; if these be but dirhams, yet are they many.
Arise and light the lamp." She said, " I have not wherewithal to
light it." So he spent the night handling the coins and felt by
their roughness that they were dinars, but could not credit it,
Meanwhile Ikrimah returned to his own house and found that his
1 Arab. Al-Jazirah, "the Island ; " name of the region and the capital.
* i.e. " Repairer of the Slips of the Generous," an evasive reply, which of course did
i not deceive the questioner.
Khuzaymah Bin Bishr and Ikrimah Al-Fayyaz. 101
wife had missed him and asked for him, and when they told her oi
his riding forth, she misdoubted of him, and said to him, " Verily
the Wali of Al-Jazirah rideth not abroad after such an hour of the
night, unattended and secretly, save to a wife or a mistress." He
answered, "Allah knoweth that I went not forth to either of these."
" Tell me then wherefore thou wentest forth ? " "I went not forth at
this hour save that none should know it." " I must needs be told."
" Wilt thou keep the matter secret, if I tell thee ? " " Yes ! " So
he told her the state of the case, adding, " Wilt thou have me swear
to thee ? " Answered she, " No, no, my heart is set at ease and
trusteth in that which thou hast told me." As for Khuzaymah,
soon as it was day he made his peace with his creditors and set his
affairs in order ; after which he got him ready and set out for the
Court of Sulayman bin Abd al-Malik, who was then sojourning in
Palestine.1 When he came to the royal gate, he sought admission
of the chamberlain, who went in and told the Caliph of his presence.
Now he was renowned for his beneficence and Sulayman knew of
him ; so he bade admit him. When he entered, he saluted the
Caliph after the usual fashion of saluting2 and the King asked, "O
Khuzaymah, what hath kept thee so long from us ? " Answered
he, " Evil case," and quoth the Caliph, " What hindered thee from
having recourse to us ? " Quoth he, " My infirmity, O Commander
of the Faithful ! " " And why," said Sulayman, " comest thou to
us now ? " Khuzaymah replied, " Know, O Commander of the
Faithful, that I was sitting one night late in my house, when a man
knocked at the door and did thus and thus ; " and he went on to*
tell him of all that had passed between Ikrimah and himself from
first to last. Sulayman asked, " Knowest thou the man ?" and Khu-
zaymah answered, " No, O Commander of the Faithful, he was
reserved3 and would say naught save : — I am hight Jabir Atharat al-
Kiram." When Sulayman heard this, his heart burned within him
for anxiety to discover the man, and he said, " If we knew him,
truly we would requite him for his generosity." Then he bound
for Khuzaymah a banner4 and made him Governor of Mesopotamia,
in the stead of Ikrimah al-Fayyaz ; and he set out for Al-Jazirah.
When he drew near the city, Ikrimah and the people of the place
1 Arab. " Falastin," now obselete. The word has echoed far west and the name o<
the noble race has been degraded to " PLilister," a bourgeois, a greasy burgher.
2 Saying, " The Peace be with thee, O Prince of True Believers ! "
3 Arab. " Mutanakkir," which may also mean proud or in disguise.
* On appointment as viceroy. See vol. Hi., 307.
IO2 A If Laylah wa Lay la h
came forth to meet him and they saluted each other and went on
into the town, where Khuzaymah took up his lodging in the
Government-house and bade take security for Ikrimah and that he
should be called to account.1 So an account was taken against
him and he was found to be in default for much money ; where-
upon Khuzaymah required of him payment, but he said, " I have
no means of paying aught." Quoth Khuzaymah, " It must be
paid ; " and quoth Ikrimah, " I have it not ; do what thou hast to
do." So Khuzaymah ordered him to gaol. And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Xofo tojen ft foas t&e &>fx f^untab atrtr lEfg&tg-fourtf)
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Khuzaymah,
having ordered the imprisonment of Ikrimah al-Fayyaz, sent to
him again to demand payment of the debt ; but he replied, " I am
not of those who preserve their wealth at the expense of their
honour ; do what thou wilt." Then Khuzaymah bade load him
with irons and kept him in prison a month or more, till confine-
ment began to tell upon him and he became wasted, After this,
tidings of his plight travelled to the daughter of his uncle who was
troubled with sore co'ncern thereat and, sending for a freedwoman
of hers, a woman of abundant judgment, and experience, said
to her, " Go forthwith to the Emir Khuzaymah's gate and say : — I
have a counsel for the Emir. If they ask what it is, add : — I will
not tell it save to himself; and when thou enterest to him, beg to
see him in private and when private ask him : — What be this deed
thou hast done ? Hath Jabir Atharat al-Kiram deserved of thee
no better reward than to be cast into strait prison and hard bond
of irons ? " The woman did as she was bid, and when Khuzaymah
heard her words, he cried out at the top of his voice, saying, "Alas,
the baseness of it! Was it indeed he?" And she answered,
"Yes." Then he bade saddle his beast forthwith and, summoning
the honourable men of the city, repaired with them to the prison
and opening the door, went in with them to Ikrimah, whom they
found sitting in evil case, worn out and wasted with blows and
1 The custom with outgoing Governors. It was adopted by the Spaniards and
Portuguese especially in America. The generosity of Ikrimah without the slightest
regard to justice or common honesty is characteristic of the Arab in story-books.
Khuzayntah Bin Bishr and Ikrimah Al-Fayyaz. 103
misery. When he looked at Khuzaymah, he was abashed and
hung his head ; but the other bent down to him and kissed his
face ; whereupon he raised his head and asked, " What maketh
thee do this ? " Answered Khuzaymah, " The generosity of thy
dealing and the vileness of my requital." And Ikrimah said,
" Allah pardon us and thee ! " Then Khuzaymah commanded the
jailor to strike off Ikrimah's fetters and clap them on his own feet ;
but Ikrimah said, " What is this thou wilt do ? " Quoth the other,
"I have a mind to suffer what thou hast suffered." Quoth Ikrimah,
"I conjure thee by Allah, do not so!" Then they went out
together and returned to Khuzaymah's house, where Ikrimah
would have farewelled him and wended his way ; but he forbade
him and Ikrimah said, " What is thy will of me ? " Replied
Khuzaymah, " I wish to change thy case, for my shame before the
daughter of thine uncle is yet greater than my shame before thee."
So he bade clear the bath and entering with Ikrimah, served him
there in person and when they went forth he bestowed on him a
splendid robe of honour and mounted him and gave him much
money. Then he carried him to his house and asked his leave to
make his excuses to his wife and obtained her pardon. After this
he besought him to accompany him to the Caliph, who was then
abiding at Ramlah1 and he agreed. So they journeyed thither,
and when they reached the royal quarters the chamberlain went in
and acquainted the Caliph Sulayman bin Abd al-Malik with
Khuzaymah's arrival, whereat he was troubled and said, " What !
is the Governor of Mesopotamia come without our command ?
This can be only on some grave occasion." Then he bade admit
him and said, before saluting him, " What is behind thee, O
Khuzaymah ? " Replied he, " Good, O Commander of the
Faithful." Asked Sulayman, " What bringeth thee ? "; and he
answered, saying, " I have discovered Jabir Atharat al-Kiram and
thought to gladden thee with him, knowing thine excessive desire
to know him and thy longing to see him." "Who is he ?"" quoth
the Caliph and quoth Khuzaymah, " He.is^Ikrimah al-Fayyaz."
So Sulayman called for Ikrimah, who approached and saluted him
as Caliph ; and the King welcomed him and making him draw
near his sitting-place, said to him, " O Ikrimah, thy good deed to
him hath brought thee naught but evil," adding, " Now write down
in a note thy needs each and every, and that which thou desirest."
1 The celebrated half-way house between Jaffa and Jerusalem,
IO4 A If Laylah wa Laylak.
He did so and the Caliph commanded to do all that he required
and that forthwith. Moreover he gave him ten thousand dinars
more than he asked for and twenty chests of clothes over and
above that he sought, and calling for a spear, bound him a banner
and made him Governor over Armenia and Azarbijan1 and
Mesopotamia, saying, Khuzaymah's case is in thy hands, an
thou wilt, continue him in his office, and if thou wilt, degrade
him." And Ikrimah said, " Nay, but I restore him to his office,
O Commander of the Faithful." Then they went out from him
and ceased not to be Governors under Sulayman bin Abd al-Malik
all the days of his Caliphate. And they also tell a tale of
YUNUS THE SCRIBE AND THE CALIPH WALID BIN
SAHL.
THERE lived in the reign of the Caliph Hishdm,2 son of Abd al-
Malik, a man called Yunus the Scribe well-known to the general, and
he set out one day on a journey to Damascus, having with him a
slave-girl of surpassing beauty and loveliness, whom he had taught
all that was needful to her and whose price was an hundred thousand
dirhams. When they drew near to Damascus, the caravan halted
by the side of a lake and Yunus went down to a quiet place with
his damsel and took out some victual he had with him and a
leather bottle of wine. As he sat at meat, behold, came up a
young man of goodly favour and dignified presence, mounted on
a sorrel horse and followed by two eunuchs, and said to him,
" Wilt thou accept me to guest ? " " Yes/' replied Yunus. So the
stranger alighted and said, " Give me to drink of thy wine."
Yunus gave him to drink and he said, " If it please thee, sing us a
song." So Yunus sang this couplet extempore : —
She joineth charms were never seen conjoined in mortal dress : o And for her
love she makes me love my tears and wakefulness.
1 Alias the Kohistan or mountain region, Susiana (Khuzistan) whose capital was Susa ;
and the head quarters of fire-worship. Azar (fire) was the name of Abraham's father
whom Eusebius calls " Athar " (Pilgrimage iii. 336).
2 Tenth Ommiade A.H. 105-125 (=^724-743), a wise and discreet ruler with an
inclination to avarice and asceticism. According to some, the Ommiades produced only
three statesmen, Mu'awayah, Abd al-Malik and Hisham ; and the reign of the latter wa»
the end of sage government and wise administration.
Yunus the Scribe and the Caliph Walid Bin Sahl. 105
At which the stranger rejoiced with exceeding joy and Yunus
gave him to drink again and again, till the wine got the better of
him and he said, " Bid thy slave-girl sing." So she improvised
this couplet :—
A houri, by whose charms my heart is moved to sore distress ; o Nor wand of
tree nor sun nor moon her rivals I confess !
The stranger was overjoyed with this and they sat drinking till
nightfall, when they prayed the evening-prayer and the youth said
to Yunus, " What bringeth thee to our city ? " He replied, " Quest
of wherewithal to pay my debts and better my case." Quoth the
other, "Wilt thou sell me this slave-girl for thirty thousand
dirhams ? " Whereto quoth Yunus, " I must have more than
that." He asked, " Will forty thousand content thee ? "; but
Yunus answered, " That would only settle my debts, and I should
remain empty-handed." Rejoined the stranger, " We will take her
of thee at fifty thousand dirhams x and give thee a suit of clothes
to boot and the expenses of thy journey and make thee a sharer
in my condition as long as thou livest." Cried Yunus, " I sell her
to thee on these terms." Then said the young man, " Wilt thou
trust me to bring thee the money to-morrow and let me take her
with me, or shall she abide with thee till I pay thee down her
price ? " Whereto wine and shame and awe of the stranger led
Yunus to reply, " I will trust thee ; take her and Allah bless thee
in her ! " Whereupon the visitor bade one of his pages sit her
before him on his beast, and mounting his own horse, farewelled
of Yunus and rode away out of sight. Hardly had he left him,
when the seller bethought himself and knew that he had erred in
selling her and said to himself, " What have I done ? I have
delivered my slave-girl to a man with whom I am unacquainted,
neither know I who he is ; and grant that I were acquainted with
him, how am I to get at him ? " So he abode in thought till the
morning, when he prayed the dawn-prayers and his companions
entered Damascus, whilst he sat, preplexed and wotting not what
to do, till the sun scorched him and it irked him to abide there.
He thought to enter the city, but said in his mind, " If I enter
Damascus, I cannot be sure but that the messenger will come and
find me not, in which case I shall have sinned against myself a
1 About £1,250, which seems a long price; but in those days Damascus had been
enriched with the spoils of the world adjacent.
io6 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
second sin." Accordingly he sat down in the shade of a wall that
was there, and towards the wane of day, up came one of the
eunuchs whom he had seen with the young man, whereat great joy
possessed Yunus and he said in himself, " I know not that aught
hath ever given me more delight than the sight of this castrato."
When the eunuch reached him, he said to him, " O my lord, we
have kept thee long waiting "; but Yunus disclosed nothing to him
of the torments of anxiety he had suffered. Then quoth the
castrato, " Knowest thou the man who bought the girl of thee ? ";
and quoth Yunus, " No," to which the other rejoined, "Twas Walid
bin Sahl,1 the Heir Apparent." And Yunus was silent. Then
said the eunuch, " Ride," and made him mount a horse he had with
him and they rode till they came to a mansion, where they dis-
mounted and entered. Here Yunus found the damsel, who sprang
up at his sight and saluted him. He asked her how she had fared
with him who had bought her and she answered, " He lodged me
in this apartment and ordered me all I needed." Then he sat
with her awhile, till suddenly one of the servants of the house-
owner came in and bade him rise and follow him. So he followed
the man into the presence of his master and found him yester-
night's guest, whom he saw seated on his couch and who said to
him, " Who art thou ? " " I am Yunus the Scribe." " Welcome to
thee, O Yunus ! by Allah, I have long wished to look on thee ; for
I have heard of thy report. How didst thou pass the night ? "
" Well, may Almighty Allah advance thee ? " " Peradventure thou
repentedest thee of that thou didst yesterday and saidst to thyself:
I have delivered my slave-girl to a man with whom I am not
acquainted, neither know I his name nor whence he cometh ? "
" Allah forbid, O Emir, that I should repent over her ! Had I made
gift of her to the Prince, she were the least of the gifts that are
given unto him, And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased saying her permitted say.
1 Eleventh Ommiade dynasty, A.H. 125 — 126 ( =743 — 744). Ibn Sahl (son of ease,
i.e. free and easy) was a nickname ; he was the son of Yazid II. and brother of Hisham.
He scandalised the lieges by his profligacy, wishing to make the pilgrimage in order to
drink upon the Ka'abah-roof ; so they attacked the palace and lynched him. His
death is supposed to have been brought about (27th of Jamada al-Akhirah rr April 16, 744)
by his cousin and successor Yazid (No. iii.) surnamed the Retrencher. The tale in the
text speaks well for him ; but generosity amongst the Arabs covers a multitude of sins,
and people say, " Better a liberal sinner than a stingy saint."
Yunus ike Scribe and the Caliph Walid Bin Sahl 107
Jiofo fo&cn ft foaa t&e Six ?^un&re& anfc Ii8&tB-fift& ^Bifi&t,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
'/anus the Scribe said to Walid, " Allah forbid I should repent
over her ! Had I made gift of her to the Prince, she were the least
of gifts that are given to him, nor indeed is she worthy of his
rank," Walid rejoined, " By Allah, but I repented me of having
carried her away from thee and said to myself : — This man is a
stranger and knoweth me not, and I have taken him by surprise
and acted inconsiderately by him, in my haste to take the damsel !
Dost thou recall what passed between us ? " Quoth Yunus, " Yes !"
and quoth Walid, " Dost thou sell this damsel to me for fifty
thousand dirhams ? " And Yunus said, *' I do." Then the Prince
called to one of his servants to bring him fifty thousand dirhams
and a thousand and five hundred dinars to boot, and gave
them all to Yunus, saying, " Take the slave's price : the thousand
dinars are for thy fair opinion of us and the five hundred are for thy
viaticum and for what present thou shalt buy for thy people. Art
thou content ? " " I am content," answered Yunus and kissed his
hands, saying, " By Allah, thou hast filled my eyes and my hands
and my heart ! " Quoth Walid, " By Allah, I have as yet had
no privacy of her nor have I taken my fill of her singing. Bring
her to me ! " So she came and he bade her sit, then said to her,
" Sing " And she sang these verses : —
0 thou who dost comprise all Beauty's boons ! «> O sweet of nature, fain of
coquetry !
In Turks and Arabs many beauties dwell ; o But, O my fawn, in none thy
charms I see.
Turn to thy lover, O my fair, and keep o Thy word, though but in
visioned phantasy :
Shame and disgrace are lawful for thy sake o And wakeful nights full fill with
joy and glee :
I'm not the first for thee who fared distraught; • Slain by thy love how
many a many be !
1 am content with thee for wordly share « Dearer than life and good art thou
tome !
When he heard this, he was delighted exceedingly and praised
Yunus for his excellent teaching of her and her fair education.
Then he bade his servants bring him a roadster with saddle and
housings for his riding, and a mule to carry his gear, and said to him,
Io8 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
" O Yunus, when it shall reach thee that command hath come to
me, do thou join me ; and, by Allah, I will fill thy hands with
good and advance thee to honour and make thee rich as long as
thou livest ! " So Yunus said, " I took his goods and went my
ways ; and when Walid succeeded to the Caliphate, I repaired to
him ; and by Allah, he kept his promise and entreated me with
high honour and munificence. Then I abode with him in all con-
tent of case and rise of rank and mine affairs prospered and my
wealth increased and goods and farms became mine, such as
sufficed me and will suffice my heirs after me ; nor did I cease to
abide with Walid, till he was slain, the mercy of Almighty Allah
be on him ! " And men tell a tale concerning
HARUN AL-RASHID AND THE ARAB GIRL.
THE Caliph Harun al-Rashid was walking one day with Ja'afar
the Barmecide, when he espied a company of girls drawing water
and went up to them, having a miiid to drink. As he drew near,
one of them turned to her fellows and improvised these lines : —
Thy phantom bid thou fleet, and fly o Far from the couch whereon I lie ;
So I may rest and quench the fire, o Bonfire in bones aye flaming high ;
My love-sick form Love's restless palm o Rolls o'er the rug whereon I sigh :
How 'tis with me thou wottest well 0 How long, then, union wilt deny ?
The Caliph marvelled at her elegance and eloquence. And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
Nofo tofcen ft foas tfte £t'x f^untatr an& ?Eig!)tp*sfot!) Nf$r,
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
Caliph, hearing the girl's verses, marvelled at her elegance and
eloquence, and said to her, " O daughter of nobles, are these thine
own or a quotation ? " Replied she, " They are my very own," and
he rejoined, " An thou say sooth keep the sense and change the
rhyme." So she said : —
Bid thou thy phantom distance keep o And quit this couch the while I sleep ;
So I may rest and quench the flames o Through all my body rageful creep,
In love-sick one, whom passion's palms o Roll o'er the bed where grief I weep.
How 'tis with me thou wottest well ; • All but thy union hold I cheap !
Harun Al-Rashid and the Arab Girl. 109
Quoth the Caliph, " This also is stolen " ; and quoth she, " Nay, 'tis
my very own." He said, " If it be indeed thine own, change the
rhyme again and keep the sense." So she recited the following:—
Unto thy phantom deal behest o To shun my couch the while I rest,
So I repose and quench the fire o That burns what lieth in my breast,
My weary form Love's restless palm o Rolls o'er with boon of sleep unblest.
How 'tis with me thou wottest well o When union's bought 'tis haply best !
Quoth Al-Rashid, "This too is stolen "; and quoth she, " Not, so,
'tis mine." He said, " If thy words be true change the rhyme
once more." And she recited : —
Drive off the ghost that ever shows o Beside my couch when I'd repose,
So I may rest and quench the fire o Beneath my ribs e'er flames and
glows,
In love-sick one, whom passion's palms o Roll o'er the couch where weeping
flows,
How 'tis with me thou wottest well o Will union come as unioti goes ?
Then said the Caliph, " Of what part of this camp art thou ? "; and
she replid, " Of its middle in dwelling and of its highest in tent-
poles." l Wherefore he knew that she was the daughter of the
tribal chief. ".And thou," quoth she, "of what art thou among the
guardians of the horses ? " ; and quoth he, " Of the highest in tree
and of the ripest in fruit." " Allah protect thee, O Commander
of the Faithful ! " said she, and kissing ground called down
blessings on him. Then she went away with the maidens of
the Arabs, and the Caliph said to Ja'afar, " There is no help for
it but I take her to wife/' So Ja'afar repaired to her father and
said to him, u The Commander of the Faithful hath a mind to
thy daughter." "He replied, " With love and goodwill, she is a
gift as a handmaid to His Highness our Lord the Commander of
the Faithful." So he equipped her and carried her to the Caliph,
who took her to wife and went in to her, and she became of the
dearest of his women to him. Furthermore, he bestowed on her
1 The tents of black wool woven by the Badawi women are generally supported by
three parallel rows of poles lengthways and crossways (the highest line being the central)
and the covering is pegged down. Thus the outline of the roofs forms two or more
hanging curves, and these characterise the architecture of the Tartars and Chinese ; they
are still preserved in the Turkish (and sometimes in the European) "Kiosque," and they
have extended to the Brazil where the upturned eaves, often painted vermilion below, at
once attract the traveller's notice.
A If Laylah wa Laylah.
father largesse such as succoured him among Arabs, till he was
transported to the mercy of Almighty Allah. The Caliph, hearing
of his death, went in to her greatly troubled ; and, when she saw
him looking afflicted, she entered her chamber and doffing all that
was upon her of rich raiment, donned mourning apparel and raised
lament for her father. It was said to her, " What is the reason of
this ? "; and she replied, " My father is dead." So they repaired
to the Caliph and told him and he rose and going in to her, asked
her who had informed her of her father's death ; and she answered
" It was thy face, O Commander of the Faithful ! " Said he,
" How so ? "; and she said, " Since I have been with thee, I never
saw thee on such wise till this time, and there was none for whom
I feared save my father, by reason of his great age ; but may thy
head live, O Commander of the Faithful ! " The Caliph's eyes
filled with tears and he condoled with her ; but she ceased not to
mourn for her father, till she followed him — Allah have mercy on
the twain ! " And a tale is also told of
AL-ASMA'I AND THE THREE GIRLS OF BASSORAH.
THE Commander of the Faithful Harun Al-Rashid was exceeding
restless one night and rising from his bed, paced from chamber
to chamber, but could not compose himself to sleep. As soon as
it was day, he said, " Fetch me Al-Asma'i ! " * So the eunuch went
out and told the doorkeepers ; these sent for the poet and when
he came, informed the Caliph who bade admit him and said to
him, " O Asma'i, I wish thee to tell me the best thou hast heard
of stories of women and their verses." Answered Al-Asma'i,
" Hearkening and obedience ! I have heard great store of women's
verses ; but none pleased me save three sets of couplets I once
heard from three girls." And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
1 See vol. iv., 159. The author of " Antar," known to Englishmen by the old trans-
lation of Mr. Terrick Hamilton, secretary of Legation at Constantinople. There is an
abridgement of the forty-five volumes of Al- Asma'i' s " Antar" which mostly supplies or
rather supplied the "Antariyyah" or professional tale-tellers; whose theme was the
heroic Mulatto lover.
Al-Asmcfi and the Three Girls of Bassorah. in
fo&en ft foas t&e ftix ^untorefc an* IBtg^tg-sebentJ J5ffi!)t,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Al-
Asma'i said to the Prince of True Believers, " Verily I have heard
much, but nothing pleased me save three sets of couplets impro-
vised by as many girls." Quoth the Caliph, " Tell me of them," and
quoth he, " Know then, O Commander of the Faithful, that I once
abode in Bassorah, and one day, as I was walking, the heat was
sore upon me and I sought for a siesta-place but found none.
However by looking right and left I came upon a porch swept
and sprinkled, at the upper end whereof was a wooden bench under
an open lattice-window, whence exhaled a scent of musk. I entered
the porch and sitting down on the bench, would have stretcht me
at full length when I heard from within a girl's sweet voice talking
and saying : — O my sisters, we are here seated to spend our day
in friendly converse ; so come, let us each put down an hundred
dinars and recite a line of verse ; and whoso extemporiseth the
goodliest and sweetest line, the three hundred dinars shall be hers.
" With love and gladness," said the others ; and the eldest recited
the first couplet which is this : —
Would he come to my bed during sleep 'twere delight * But a visit on wake
were delightsomer sight !
Quoth the second : —
'Naught came to salute me in sleep save his shade « But " welcome, fair
welcome," I cried to the spright !
.Then said the youngest : —
My soul and my folk I engage for the youth » Musk-scented I see in
my bed every night !
Quoth I, " An she be fair as her verse hath grace, the thing is
complete in every case." Then I came down from my bench1 and
was about to go away, when behold, the door opened and out
came a slave-girl, who said to me, " Sit, O Shaykh ! " So I climbed
1 The " Dakkah " or long wooden sofa, as opposed to the " mastabah " or stone bench,
is often a tall platform and in mosques is a kind of ambo railed round and supported by
columns. Here readers recite the Koran : Lane (M.E. chapt. iii.) sketches it in the
" Interior of a Mosque."
A If Laylah wa Laylak.
up and sat down again when she gave me a scroll, wherein was
written, in characters of the utmost beauty, with straight Alifs,1
big-bellied Has and rounded Waws, the following : — We would
have the Shaykh (Allah lengthen his days !) to know that we are
three maidens, sisters, sitting in friendly converse, who have laid
down each an hundred dinars, conditioning that whoso recite the
goodliest and sweetest couplet shall have the whole three hundred
dinars ; and we appoint thee umpire between us : so decide as
thou seest best, and the Peace be on thee ! Quoth I to the girl,
Here to me inkcase and paper. So she went in and, returning
after a little, brought me a silvered inkcase and gilded pens2 with
which I wrote these couplets : —
They talked of three beauties whose converse was quite
man with experience dight :
Three maidens who borrowed the bloom of the dawn
their lovers in sorriest plight.
They were hidden from eyes of the piier and spy
their modesty mote not affright ;
So they opened whatever lay hid in their hearts
fun began verse to indite.
Quoth one fair coquette with her amorous grace
the sweet of her speech flashed bright : —
Would he come to my bed during sleep 'twere delight
were delightsomer sight !
When she ended, her verse by her smiling was gilt :
'gan singing as nightingale might : —
Naught came to salute me in sleep save his shade
welcome, I cried to the spright !
But the third I preferred for she said in reply,
most apposite, exquisite : —
My soul and my folk I engage for the youth
in my bed every night !
So when I considered their words to decide,
the mock of the cynical wight ;
I pronounced for the youngest, declaring her verse
that which is nearest the right.
a Like the talk of a
o Making hearts of
o Who slept and
o And in frolicsome
« Whose teeth for
o But a visit on wake
o Then the second
o But welcome, fair
o With expression
o Musk-scented I see
o And not make me
o Of all verses be
Then I gave the scroll to the slave-girl, who went upstairs with it,
and behold, I heard a noise of dancing and clapping of hands
and Doomsday astir. Quoth I to myself, " 'Tis no time for me
1 Alif (1) Ha (») and Waw (j), the first, twenty-seventh and twenty-sixth letters of the
Arabic alphabet : No. I is the most simple and difficult to write caligraphically.
8 Reeds washed with gold and used for love-letters, &c.
Ibrahim of Mosul and the Devil. 1 1 3
to stay here." So I came down from the platform and was
about to go away, when the damsel cried out to me, " Sit down,
O Asma'i ! " Asked I, " Who gave thee to know that I was
Al-Asma'i ? " and she answered, " O Shaykh, an thy name be un-
known to us, thy poetry is not ! " So I sat down again and sud-
denly the door opened and out came the first damsel, with a dish
of fruits and another of sweetmeats. I ate of both and praised
their fashion and would have ganged my gait ; but she cried out,
" Sit down, O Asma'i ! " Wherewith I raised my eyes to her and
saw a rosy palm in a saffron sleeve, meseemed it was the full moon
rising splendid in the cloudy East. Then she threw me a purse
containing three hundred dinars and said to me, " This is mine
and I give it to thee by way of douceur in requital of thy judg-
ment." Quoth the Caliph, "Why didst thou decide for the young-
est ? " and quoth Al-Asma'i, " O Commander of the Faithful,
whose life Allah prolong ! the eldest said : — I should delight in
him, if he visited my couch in sleep. Now this is restricted and
dependent upon a condition which may befal or may not befal ;
whilst, for the second, an image of dreams came to her in sleep,
and she saluted it ; but the youngest's couplet said that she actually
lay with her lover and smelt his breath sweeter than musk and she
engaged her soul and her folk for him, which she had not done,
were he not dearer to her than her sprite." Said the Caliph,
" Thou didst well, O Asma'i," and gave him other three hundred
ducats in payment of his story. And I have heard a tale con-
cerning
IBRAHIM OF MOSUL AND THE DEVIL.1
QUOTH Abu Ishak Ibrahim al-Mausili :— -Tasked Al-Rashid once to
give me a day's leave that I might be private with the people of my
household and my brethren, and he gave me leave for Saturday the
Sabbath. So I went home and betook myself to making ready meat
1 Lane introduced this tale into vol. i., p. 223, notes on chapt. iii., apparently not
knowing that it was in The Nights. He gives a mere abstract, omitting all the verse, and
he borrowed it either from the Halbat al-Kumayt (chapl. xiv.) or from Al-Mas'iidf
(chapt. cxi.). See the French translation, vol. vi. p. 340. I am at pains to understand
why M. C. Barbier de Maynard writes " Rechid" with an accented vowel ; although
French delicacy made him render, by " fils de courtisane," the expression in the text,
44 O biter of thy mother's enlarged (or uncircumcised) clitoris " (Bazar).
VOL. VII. H
M4 A If Laylak wa Laylah.
and drink and other necessaries and bade the doorkeepers
doors and let none come in to me. However, presently, as I sat
in my sitting-chamber, with my women who were looking after
my wants, behold, there appeared an old man of comely and
reverend aspect,1 clad in white clothes and a shirt of fine stuff
with a doctor's turband on his head and a silver-handled staff in
his hand, and the house and porch were full of the perfumes where-
with he was scented. I was greatly vexed at his coming in to me
and thought to turn away the doorkeepers ; but he saluted me
after the goodliest fashion and I returned his greeting and bade
him be seated. So he sat down and began entertaining me with
stories of the Arabs and their verses, till my anger left me and
methought my servants had sought to pleasure me by admitting a
man of such good breeding and fine culture. Then I asked him,
"Art thou for meat ? "; and he answered, " I have no need of it"
" And for drink ? " quoth I, and quoth he, " That is as thou wilt."
So I drank off a pint of wine and poured him out the like. Then
said he, " O Abu Ishak, wilt thou sing us somewhat, so we may
hear of thine art that wherein thou excellest high and low ? " His
words angered me ; but I swallowed my anger and taking the lute
played and sang. " Well done, O Abu Ishak ! " 2 said he ; whereat
my wrath redoubled and I said to myself, " Is it not enough that
he should intrude upon me, without my leave, and importune me
thus, but he must call me by name, as though he knew not the
right way to address me ?" Quoth he, "An thou wilt sing some-
thing more we will requite thee." I dissembled my annoyance
and took the lute and sang again, taking pains with what I sang
and rising thereto altogether, in consideration of his saying, " We
will requite thee." And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased to say her permitted say.
Nofo fo&en tt toas t&e Six ?§un&rrtr an&
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
the Shaykh said to Abu Ishak, " If thou wilt sing something more
we will requite thee," I dissembled my annoyance (continued
1 In Al-Mas'udf the Devil is "a young man fair of favour and formous of figure,'*
which is more appropriate to a " Tempter." He also wears light stuffs of dyed silks.
* It would have been more courteous in an utter stranger to say, O my lord.
Ibrahim of Mosul and the Devil. 1 1 5
Ibrahim) and, taking the lute, sang again with great attention to
my singing and rising altogether thereto, in consideration of his
saying, "We will requite thee." He was delighted, and cried,
" Well done, O my lord ! "; presently adding, " Dost thou give me
leave to sing ? " " As thou wilt," answered I, deeming him weak
of wit, in that he should think to sing in my presence, after that
which he had heard from me. So he took the lute and swept the
strings, and by Allah, I fancied they spoke in Arabic tongue, with
a sweet and liquid and murmurous voice ; then he began and sang
these couplets : —
I bear a hurt heart, who will sell me for this o A heart whole and free from
all canker and smart ?
Nay, none will consent or to barter or buy o Such loss, ne'er torn sorrow
and sickness to part :
I groan wi' the groaning of wine-wounded men o And pine for the pining
ne'er freeth my heart.
And by Allah, meseemed the doors and the walls and all that was
in the house answered and sang with him, for the beauty of his
voice, so that I fancied my very limbs and clothes replied to him,
and I abode amazed and unable to speak or move, for the trouble
of my heart. Then he sang these couplets : —
Culvers of Liwa ! l to your nests return ; o Your mournful voices thrill
this heart of mine.
Then back a-copse they flew, and well-nigh took o My life and made me tell my
secret pine.
With cooing call they one who's gone, as though o Their breasts were maddened
with the rage of wine :
Ne'er did mine eyes their like for culvers see o Who weep yet tear-drops
never dye their eyne.
And also these couplets :—
O Zephyr of Najd, when from Najd thou blow, o Thy breathings heap only
new woe on woe !
The turtle bespake me in bloom of morn o From the cassia-twig and
the willow-bough
She moaned with the moaning of love-sick youth o And exposed love-secret I
ne'er would show :
They say lover wearies of love when near And is cured of love an
afar he go :
1 The Arab Tempe (of fiction, not of grisly fact).
1 1 6 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
I tried either cure which ne'er cured my love ; o But that nearness is better
than farness I know i1
Yet,— the nearness of love shall no Vantage prove o An whoso thou lovest
deny thee of love.
Then said he, " O Ibrahim, sing this song after me, and preserving
the mode thereof in thy singing, teach it to thy slave-girls."
Quoth I, " Repeat it to me." But he answered, " There needs no
repetition; thou hast it by heart nor is there more to learn."
Then he suddenly vanished from my sight. At this I was amazed
and running to my sword drew it and made for the door of the
Harim, but found it closed and said to the women, " What have
ye heard ? " Quoth they, " We have heard the sweetest of singing
and the goodliest." Then I went forth amazed, to the house-door
and, finding it locked, questioned the doorkeepers of the old man.
They replied, " What old man ? By Allah, no one hath gone in
to thee this day ! " So I returned pondering the matter, when,
behold, there arose from one of the corners of the house, a Vox et
praeterea nihil, saying, " O Abu Ishak, no harm shall befal thee.
'Tis I, Abu Murrah,2 who have been thy cup-companion this day,
so fear nothing ! " Then I mounted and rode to the palace, where
I told Al-Rashid what had passed, and he said, " Repeat to me
the airs thou heardest from him." So I took the lute and played
and sang them to him ; for, behold, they were rooted in my heart.
The Caliph was charmed with them and drank thereto, albeit he
was no confirmed wine-bibber, saying, "Would he would some
day pleasure us with his company, as he hath pleasured thee ! " 3
Then he ordered me a present and I took it and went away. And
men relate this story anent
1 These four lines are in Al-Mas'udi, chapt. cxviii. Fr. trans, vii. 313, but that author
does not tell us who wrote them.
2 » e. Father of Bitterness = the Devil. This legend of the Foul Fiend appearing to
Ibrahim of Mosul (and also to Isam, N. dcxcv.) seems to have been accepted by con-
temporaries and reminds us of similar visitations in Europe — notably to Dr. Faust.
One can only exclaim, " Lor, papa, what nonsense you are talking ! " the words of a small
girl whose father thought proper to indoctrinate her into certain Biblical stories. I once
began to write a biography of the Devil ; but I found that European folk-lore had made
such an unmitigated fool of the grand old Typhon-Ahriman as to take away from him all
human interest.
3 In Al-Mas'udi the Caliph exclaims, "Verily tbou bast received a visit from
Satan!"
The Lovers of the Banu Uzrah. 117
THE LOVERS OF THE BANU UZRAH.1
QUOTH Masrur the Eunuch :— The Caliph Harun Al-Rashid was
very wakeful one night and said to me, " See which of the poets is
at the door to-night." So I went out and finding Jamil bin
Ma'amar al-Uzri2 in the antechamber, said to him, " Answer the
Commander of the Faithful." Quoth he, " I hear and I obey,"
and going in with me, saluted the Caliph, who returned his greet-
ing and bade him sit down. Then he said to him, "O Jamil,
hast thou any of thy wonderful new stories to tell us ? " He
replied, " Yes, O Commander of the Faithful : wouldst thou fainer
hear that which I have seen with mine eyes or that which I have
only heard ? " Quoth the Caliph, 4< Tell me something thou hast
actually beheld." Quoth Jamil, " 'Tis well, O Prince of True
Believers ; incline thy heart to me and lend me thine ears." The
Caliph took a bolster of red brocade, purfled with gold and stuffed
with ostrich-feathers and, laying it under his thighs, propped up
both elbows thereon ; then he said to Jamil, "Now3 for thy tale,
O Jamil ! " Thereupon he begun : — Know, O Commander of the
Faithful, that I was once desperately enamoured of a certain girl
and used to pay her frequent visits. And Shahrazad perceived
the dawn of day and ceased saving her permitted say.
Nofo folKtt it foms t&e §bu f^untatr antr 1£ffif)tg=mnt!) Nigftt,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
the Caliph had propped his elbows upon the brocaded cushion, he
said, " Out with thy tale, O Jamil ! " and the poet begun : — Know?
O Commander of the Faithful, I was desperately in love with a girl
and used often to visit her, because she was my desire and delight
1 Al-Mas'udi, chapt. cxix. (Fr. transl. vii., 351) mentions the Banu Odhrah as famed
for lovers and tells the pathetic tale of 'Orwah and 'Afra,
2 Jamil bin Ma'amar the poet has been noticed in Vol. ii. 102 ; and he has no business
here as he died years before Al-Rashid was born. The tale begins like that of Ibn
Mansur and the Lady Budiir (Night cccxxvii.), except that Mansur does not offer hi»
advice.
8 Arab " Halutmna," an interjection = bring ! a congener of the Heb. " Halum *
the grammarians of Kufah and Bassorah are divided concerning its origin. r
n8
A If Lay I ah wa Laylah.
of all the things of this world. After a while, her people removed
with her, by reason of scarcity of pasture, and I abode some time
without seeing her, till I grew restless for desire and longed for her
sight and the flesh1 urged me to journey to her. One night, I
could hold out no longer ; so I rose and saddling my she-camel,
bound on my turban and donned my oldest dress.2 Then I
baldricked myself with my sword and slinging my spear behind
me, mounted and rode forth in quest of her. I fared on fast till,
one night, it was pitch dark and exceeding black, yet I persisted
in the hard task of climbing down Wadys and up hills, hearing on
all sides the roaring of lions and howling of wolves and the cries
of the wild beasts. My reason was troubled thereat and my heart
sank within me ; but for all that my tongue ceased not to call on
the name of Almighty Allah. As I went along thus, sleep over-
took me and the camel carried me aside out of my road, till,
presently, something3 smote me on the head, and I woke,
startled and alarmed, and found myself in a pasturage full of trees
and streams and birds on the branches, warbling their various
speech and notes. As the trees were tangled I alighted and,
taking my camel's halter in hand, fared on softly with her, till I
got clear of the thick growth and came out into the open country,
where I adjusted her saddle and mounted again, knowing not
where to go nor whither the Fates should lead me ; but, presently,
peering afar into the desert, I espied a fire in its middle depth.
So I smote my camel and made for the fire. When I drew near,
I saw a tent pitched, and fronted by a spear stuck in the ground,
with a pennon flying * and horses tethered and camels feeding, and
said in myself, " Doubtless there hangeth some grave matter by
this tent, for I see none other than it in the desert." So I went
up thereto and said, " Peace be with you, O people of the tent,
and the mercy of Allah and His blessing ! " Whereupon there
came forth to me a young man as youths are when nineteen years
old, who was like the full moon shining in the East, with valour
written between his eyes, and answered, saying, " And with thee
1 Arab. "Nafs-f" which here corresponds with our canting "the flesh," the "Old
Adam," &c.
2 Arab. «' Atmarf " used for travel. The Anglo-Americans are the only people who
have the common sense to travel (where they are not known) in their " store clothes"
and reserve the worst for where they are known.
3 e.g., a branch or bough.
4 Arab. " Rayah kaimah," which Lane translates a " beast standing" !
The Lovers of the Banu Uzrah. 119
be the Peace, and Allah's mercy and His blessing ! O brother of
the Arabs, methinks thou hast lost thy way ? " Replied I, " Even
so, direct me right, Allah have mercy on thee ! " He rejoined,
" O brother of the Arabs, of a truth this our land is infested with
lions and the night is exceeding dark and dreary, beyond measure
cold and gloomy, and I fear lest the wild beasts rend thee in
pieces ; wherefore do thou alight and abide with me this night in
ease and comfort, and to-morrow I will put thee in the right way."
Accordingly, I dismounted and hobbled my she-camel with the
end of her halter ; l then I put off my heavy upper clothes and sat
down. Presently the young man took a sheep and slaughtered it
and kindled a brisk fire ; after which he went into the tent and
bringing out finely powdered salt and spices, fell to cutting off
pieces of mutton and roasting them over the fire and feeding me
therewith, weeping at one while and sighing at another. Then he
groaned heavily and wept sore and improvised these couplets •• —
There remains to him naught save a flitting breath o And an eye whose babe
ever wandereth.
There remains not a joint in his limbs, but what o Disease firm fixt ever
tortureth. ,
His tears are flowing, his vitals burning ; * Yet for all his tongue still he
silenceth.
All foemen in pity beweep his woes ; « Ah for freke whom the foeman
pitieth !
By this I knew, O Commander of the Faithful, that the youth was
a distracted lover (for none knoweth passion save he who hath
tasted the passion-savour), and quoth I to myself, "Shall I ask
him ? " But I consulted my judgment and said, " How shall I
assail him with questioning, and I in his abode ? " So I restrained
myself and ate my sufficiency of the meat. When we had made
an end of eating, the young man arose and entering the tent,
brought out a handsome basin and ewer and a silken napkin,
whose ends were purfled with red gold and a sprinkling-bottle
full of rose-water mingled with musk. I marvelled at his dainty
delicate ways and said in my mind, " Never wot I of delicacy in
the desert." Then we washed our hands and talked a while, after
1 Tying up the near foreleg just above the knee ; and even with this a camel can hop
over sundry miles of ground in the course of a night. The hobbling is shown in Lane
(Nights vol.ii., p. 46).
I2O A If Laylah wa Laylak.
which he went into the tent and making a partition between
himself and me with a piece of red brocade, said to me, " Enter,
O Chief of the Arabs, and take thy rest ; for thou hast suffered
more of toil and travel than sufficeth this night and in this thy
journey." So I entered and finding a bed of green brocade, doffed
my dress and passed a night such as I had never passed in my
life. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to
say her permitted say.
Nofo fo&en (t foa* t&e g>fx ^untrrefc anlr jStoetfet!) ttffg&t,
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Jamil
spoke, saying :— Never in my life passed I a night like that. I
pondered the young man's case, till the world was dark and all
eyes slept, when I was aroused by the sound of a low voice, never
heard I a softer or sweeter. I raised the curtain which hung be-
tween us and saw a damsel (never beheld I a fairer of face), by the
young man's side and they were both weeping and complaining,
one to other of the pangs of passion and desire and of the excess
of their longing for union.1 Quoth I, " By Allah, I wonder who
may be this second one ! When I entered this tent, there was
none therein save this young man." And after reflection I added,
" Doubtless this damsel is of the daughters of the Jinn and is
enamoured of this youth ; so they have secluded themselves with
each other in this solitary place.*' Then I considered her closely
and behold, she was a mortal and an Arab girl, whose face, when
she unveiled, shamed the shining sun, and the tent was lit up by
the light of her countenance. When I was assured that she was
his beloved, I bethought me of lover-jealousy ; so I let drop the
curtain and covering my face, fell asleep. As soon as it was dawn
I arose and donning my clothes, made the Wuzu-ablution and
prayed such prayers as are obligatory and which I had deferred.
Then I said, " O brother of the Arabs, wilt thou direct me into
the right road and thus add to thy favours ? " He replied, " At
thy leisure, O chief of the Arabs, the term of the guest-rite is
1 As opposed to "Severance" in the old knightly language of love, which is now
apparently lost to the world. I tried it in the Lyrics of Camoens and found that I
was speaking a forgotten tongue, which mightily amused the common sort of critic and
reviewer.
The Lovers of the Banu Uzrah. 121
three days,1 and I am not one to let thee go before that time." So
I abode with him three days, and on the fourth day as we sat
talking, I asked him of his name and lineage. Quoth he " As for
my lineage, I am of the Banu Odhrah ; my name is such an one,
son of such an one and my father's brother is called such an one/'
And behold, O Commander of the Faithful, he was the son of my
paternal uncle and of the noblest house of the Banu Uzrah.
Said I, " O my cousin, what moved thee to act on this wise,
secluding thyself in the waste and leaving thy fair estate and that
of thy father and thy slaves and handmaids ? " When he heard
my words, his eyes filled with tears and he replied, " Know, O my
cousin, that I fell madly in love of the daughter of my father's
brother, fascinated by her, distracted for her, passion-possessed as
by a Jinn, wholly unable to let her out of my sight. So I sought
her in marriage of her sire, but he refused and married her to a
man of the Banu Odhrah, who went in to her and carried her to
his abiding-place this last year. When she was thus far removed
from me and I was prevented from looking on her, the fiery pangs
of passion and excess of love-longing and desire drove me to for-
sake my clan2 and friends and fortune and take up my abode in
this desert, where I have grown used to my solitude." I asked,
" Where are their dwellings ? " and he answered, " They are hard
by, on the crest of yonder hill ; and every night, at the dead time,
when all eyes sleep, she stealeth secretly out of the camp, unseen
of any one, and I satisfy my desire of her converse and she of
mine.8 So I abide thus, solacing myself with her a part of the
night, till Allah work out that which is to be wrought ; either I
shall compass my desire, in spite4 of the envious, or Allah will
1 More exactly three days and eight hours, after which the guest becomes a friend,
and as in the Argentine prairies is expected to do friend's duty. The popular saying is,
" The entertainment of a guest is three days ; the viaticum (jaizah) is a day and a
night, and whatso exceedeth this is alms.*'
2 Arab. "'Ashirah." Books tell us there are seven degrees of connection among the
Badawin : Sha'ab, tribe or rather race, nation (as the Anazah) descended from a common
ancestor: Kabilah the tribe proper (whence lesKabyles] ; Fasilah (sept), Imarah, Ashirah
(all a man's connections) ; Fakhiz (lit. the thigh, i.e., his blood relations) and Batn
(belly) his kith and kin. Practically Kabilah is the tribe, Ashirah the clan, and Bayt
the household ; while Hayy may be anything between tribe and kith and kin.
3 This is the true platonic love of noble Arabs, the Ishk 'uzrf, noted in vol. H., 104.
4 Arab. "'Ala raghro," a favourite term. It occurs in theology ; for instance, when the
Shi'ahs are asked the cause of such and such a ritual distinction they will reply, " Ala
raghmi '1-Tasannun " : lit. = to spite the Sunnis.
122 A If Laylah wa Lay la k.
determine for me and He is the best of determinators." Now
when the youth told me his case, O Commander of the Faithful,
I was concerned for him and perplexed by reason of my jealousy
for his honour; so I said to him, "O son of my uncle, wilt thou
that I point out to thee a plan and suggest to thee a project,
whereby (please Allah) thou shalt find perfect welfare and the way
of right and successful issue whereby the Almighty shall do away
from thee that thou dreadest ? " He replied, " Say on, O my
cousin " ; and quoth I, " When it is night and the girl cometh, set
her on my she-camel which is swift of pace, and mount thou thy
steed, whilst I bestride one of these dromedaries. So will we fare
on all night and when the morrow morns, we shall have traversed
wolds and wastes, and thou wilt have attained thy desire and won
the beloved of thy heart. The Almighty's earth is wide, and by
Allah, I will back thee with heart and wealth and sword." -- And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her per-
mitted say.
Jiofo to&En it toas tfje S>(x ^untJtefc anfc Jitnctg-first
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Jamil
advised the elopment and night journey, promising his aid as long
as he lived, the youth accepted and said, "O cousin, wait till I
take counsel with her, for she is quick-witted and prudent and hath
insight into affairs." So (continued Jamil) when the night darkened
and the hour of her coming arrived, and he awaiting her at the
appointed tide, she delayed beyond her usual time, and I saw him
go forth the door of the tent and opening his mouth, inhale the
wafts of breeze that blew from her quarter, as if to snuff her per-
fume, and he repeated these two couplets : —
Breeze of East who bringest me gentle air o From the place of sojourn where
dwells my fair :
O Breeze, of the lover thou bearest sign, o Canst not of her coming some
signal bear ?
Then he entered the tent and sat weeping awhile ; after which he
said to me, " O my cousin, some mischance must have betided the
daughter of mine uncle, or some accident must have hindered her
from coming to me this night," presently adding, " But abide
where thou art, till I bring thee the news." And he took sword
The Lovers of the Banu Uzrah. 123
and shield and was absent a while of the night, after which he
returned, carrying something in hand and called aloud to me. So
I hastened to him and he said, " O my cousin, knowest thou what
hath happened ? " I replied, " No, by Allah ! " Quoth he, " Verily,
I am distraught concerning my cousin this night ; for, as she was
coming to me, a lion met her in the way and devoured her, and
there remaineth of her but what thou seest." So saying, he threw
down what he had in his hand, and behold, it was the damsel's
turband and what was left of her bones. Then he wept sore and
casting down his bow,1 took a bag and went forth again saying,
" Stir not hence till I return to thee, if it please Almighty Allah "
He was absent a while and presently returned, bearing in his hand
a lion's head, which he threw on the ground and called for water.
So I brought him water, with which he washed the lion's mouth
and fell to kissing it and weeping ; and he mourned for her ex-
ceedingly and recited these couplets : —
Ho thou lion who broughtest thyself to woe, e Thou art slain and worse
sorrows my bosom rend !
Thou hast reft me of fairest companionship, o Made her home Earth's
womb till the world shall end.
To Time, who hath wrought me such grief, I say, o " Allah grant in her stead
never show a friend ! "
Then said he to me, " O cousin, I conjure thee by Allah and the
claims of kindred and consanguinity 2 between us, keep thou my
charge. Thou wilt presently see me dead before thee; where-
upon do thou wash me and shroud me and these that remain of
my cousin's bones in this robe and bury us both in one grave and
write thereon these two couplets : —
On Earth surface we lived in rare ease and joy o By fellowship joined in one
house and home.
But Fate with her changes departed us, o And the shroud conjoins us in
Earth's cold womb.
1 In the text " Al-Kaus " for which Lane and Payne substitute a shield. The bow had
not been mentioned but— n'importe, the Arab reader would say. In the text it is left
at home because it is a cowardly, far-killing weapon compared with sword and lance.
Hence the Spaniard calls and justly calls the knife the " bravest of arms " as it wants a
man behind it.
2 Arab. " Rahim" or "Rihm"= womb, uterine relations, pity or sympathy, which
may here be meant.
124 Alf Laylah tva Laylah.
Then he wept with sore weeping and, entering the tent, was absent
awhile, after which he came forth, groaning and crying out. Then
he gave one sob and departed this world. When I saw that he
was indeed dead, it was grievous to me and so sore was my
sorrow for him that I had well-nigh followed him for excess of
mourning over him. Then I laid him out and did as he had
enjoined me, shrouding his cousin's remains with him in one robe
and laying the twain in one grave. I abode by their tomb three
days, after which I departed and continued to pay frequent pious
visits1 to the place for two years. This then is their story, O
Commander of the Faithful ! Al-Rashid was pleased with Jamil's
story and rewarded him with a robe of honour and a handsome
present. And men also tell a tale concerning
THE BADAWI AND HIS WIFE.8
CALIPH Mu'AwiYAH was sitting one day in his palace8 at
Damascus, in a room whose windows were open on all four
sides, that the breeze might enter from every quarter. Now it
was a day of excessive heat, with no breeze from the hills
stirring, and the middle of the day, when the heat was at its
height, and the Caliph saw a man coming along, scorched by
the heat of the ground and limping, as he fared on barefoot.
Mu'awiyah considered him awhile and said to his courtiers,
" Hath Allah (may He be extolled and exalted !) created any
miserabler than he who need must hie abroad at such an hour
and in such sultry tide as this ? " Quoth one of them, " Haply
he seeketh the Commander of the Faithful ; " and quoth the
1 Reciting Fatihahs and so forth, as I have described in the Cemetery of Al-Medinah
(ii. 300). Moslems do not pay for prayers to benefit the dead like the majority of
Christendom and, according to Calvinistic Wahh£bi-ism, their prayers and blessings are
of no avail. But the mourner's heart loathes reason and he prays for his dead instinctively
like the so-termed " Protestant." Amongst the latter, by the bye, I find four great
Sommith) (i) Paul of Tarsus who protested against the Hebraism of Peter; (2) Mo-
hammed who protested against the perversions of Christianity ; (3) Luther who protested
against Italian rule in Germany, and lastly (4) one (who shall be nameless) that protests
against the whole business.
2 Lane transfers this to vol. i. 520 (notes to chapt. vii.) ; and gives a mere abstract
as of that preceding.
3 We learn from Ibn Batutah that it stood South of the Great Mosque and afterwards
became the Coppersmiths' Bazar. The site was known as Al-Khazra (the Green) and
the building was destroyed by the Abbasides. See Defremery and Sanguinetti, i. 206.
The Badawi and his Wife. 12$
Caliph, " By Allah, if he seek me, I will assuredly give to him,
and if he be wronged, I will certainly succour him. Ho, boy !
Stand at the door, and if yonder wild Arab seek to come in to
me, forbid him not therefrom." So the page went out and pre-
sently the Arab came up to him and he said, " What dost thou
want ? " Answered the other, " I want the Commander of the
Faithful," and the page said, " Enter." So he entered and saluted
the Caliph, And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say.
Nofo fofjcn it foas t&e §btx f^untofc antr Nfnet|us£C<m&
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
page allowed him to enter, the Badawi saluted the Caliph, who
said to him, " Who art thou ? " Replied the Arab, " I am a man
of the Banu Tami'm." " And what bringeth thee here at this
season ? " asked Mu'awiyah ; and the Arab answered, " I come to
thee, complaining and thy protection imploring." " Against
whom ? " " Against Marwan bin al-Hakam,2 thy deputy," replied
he, and began reciting : —
Mu'dwiyah,3 thou gen'rous lord, and best of men that be; o And oh, thou
lord of learning, grace and fair humanity,
Thee-wards I come because my way of life is strait to me : o O help ! and let
me not despair thine equity to see.
Deign thou redress the wrong that dealt the tyrant whim of him o Who better
had my life destroyed than made such wrong to dree.
1 This great tribe or rather nation has been noticed before (vol. ii. 170). The name
means " Strong," and derives from one Tamim bin Murr of the race of Adnan, nat.
circ. A.D. 121. They hold the North-Eastern uplands of Najd, comprising the great
desert Al-Dahna and extend to Al-Bahrayn. They are split up into a multitude of
clans and septs.; and they can boast of producing two famous sectarians. One was
Abdullah bin Suffer, head of the Suffriyah ; and the other Abdullah bin Ibaz (Ibadh)
whence the Ibaziyah heretics of Oman who long included her princes. Mr. Palgrave
wrongly writes Abadeeyah and Biadeeyah and my "Baydzi" was an Arab vulgarism
used by the Zanzibarians. Dr. Badger rightly prefers Ibaziyah which he writes
Ibadhiyah (Hist, of the Imams, etc.)
2 Governor of Al-Medinah under Mu'awiyah and afterwards (A.H. 64-65 r= 683-4)
fourth Ommiade. Al-Siyuti (p. 216) will not account him amongst the princes of the
Faithful, holding him a rebel against Al-Zubayr. Ockley makes Ibn al-Zubayr omU
and Mar win tenth Caliph.
3 The address, without the vocative particle, is more emphatic) and the P.N.
Mu'awiyah seems to court the omission*
126 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
He robbed me of my wife Su'dd and proved him worst of foes, « Stealing
mine honour 'mid my folk with foul iniquity ;
And went about to take my life before th' appointed day » Hath dawned which
Allah made my lot by destiny's decree.
Now when Mu'awiyah heard him recite these verses, with the
fire flashing from his mouth, he said to him, " Welcome and fair
welcome, O brother of the Arabs ! Tell me thy tale and acquaint
me with thy case." Replied the Arab, " O Commander of the
Faithful, I had a wife whom I loved passing dear with love none
came near ; and she was the coolth of mine eyes and the joy of
my heart ; and I had a herd of camels, whose produce enabled
me to maintain my condition ; but there came upon us a bad
year which killed off hoof and horn and left me naught. When
what was in my hand failed me and wealth fell from me and I
lapsed into evil case, I at once became abject and a burden to
those who erewhile wished to visit me; and when her father
knew it, he took her from me and abjured me and drove me
forth without ruth. So I repaired to thy deputy, Marwan bin
al-Hakam, and asked his aid. He summoned her sire and ques-
tioned him of my case, when he denied any knowledge of me.
Quoth I, " Allah assain the Emir ! An it please him to send
for the woman and question her of her father's saying, the truth
will appear." So he sent for her and brought her; but no
sooner had he set eyes on her than he fell in love with her ; so,
becoming my rival, he denied me succour and was wroth with
me, and sent me to prison, where I became as I had fallen from
heaven and the wind had cast me down in a far land. Then
said Marwan to her father, "Wilt thou give her to me to wife,
on a present settlement of a thousand dinars and a contingent
dowry of ten thousand dirhams,1 and I will engage to free her
from yonder wild Arab ! " Her father was seduced by the bribe
and agreed to the bargain ; whereupon Marwan sent for me and
looking at me like an angry lion, said to me, " O Arab, divorce
Su'ad." I replied, " I will not put her away ; " but he set on me
a company of his servants, who tortured me with all manner of
tortures, till I found no help for it but to divorce her. I did so
and he sent me back to prison, where I abode till the days of her
1 This may also mean that the £500 were the woman's "mahr" or marriage dowry
and the £250 a present to buy the father's consent.
The Badawi and his Wife. 127
purification were accomplished, when he married her and let me
go. So now I come hither in thee hoping and thy succour
imploring and myself on thy protection throwing." And he
spoke these couplets : —
Within my heart is fire o Whichever flameth higher ;
Within my frame are pains o For skill of leach too dire.
Live coals in vitals burn o And sparks from coal up spire :
Tears flood mine eyes and down o Coursing my cheek ne'er tire :
Only God's aid and thine o I crave for my desire !
Then he was convulsed,1 and his teeth chattered and he fell
down in a fit, squirming like a scotched snake. When Mu'awiyah
heard his story and his verse, he said, " Marwan bin al-Hakam
hath transgressed against the laws of the Faith and hath vio-
lated the Harim of True Believers ! " And Shahrazad per-
ceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
BTofo fo&en it foas tfje §?t'x ^utrtrrefc anU Ntttctg=tfn't&
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that
when the Caliph Mu'awiyah heard the wild Arab's words, he said,
" The son of Al-Hakam hath indeed transgressed against the laws
of the Faith and hath violated the Harim of True Believers,"
presently adding, " O Arab, thou comest to me with a story, the
like whereof I never heard ! " Then he called for inkcase and
paper and wrote to Marwan as follows : — Verily it hath reached
me that thou transgresseth the laws of the Faith with regard to
thy lieges. Now it behoveth the Wali who governeth the folk to
keep his eyes from their lusts and stay his flesh from its delights.
And after he wrote many words, which (quoth he who told me
the tale) I omit, for brevity's sake, and amongst them these
couplets : —
Thou wast invested (woe to thee !)3 with rule for thee unfit ; 6 Crave thou of
Allah pardon for thy foul adultery.
Th* unhappy youth to us is come complaining 'mid his groans o And asks re-
dress for parting-grief and saddened me through thee.
1 Quite true to nature. See an account of the quasi-epileptic fits to which Syrians
are subject and by them called Al-Wahtah in " The Inner Life of Syria," i. 233.
2 Arab "Wayha-k" here equivalent to Wayla-k. M. C. Barbier de Meynard renders
the first " mon ami " and the second " miserable."
128 Alf Laylah iva Laylah.
An oath have I to Allah sworn shall never be forsworn ; » Nay, for
do what Faith and Creed command me to decree.
An thou dare cross me in whate'er to thee I now indite o I of thy flesJi
assuredly will make the vulture free.
Divorce Su'ad, equip her well, and in the hottest haste » With Al-Kumayt
and Zibdn's son, hight Nasr, send to me.
Then he folded the letter and, sealing it with his seal, delivered it
to Al-Kumayt l and Nasr bin Zibdn (whom he was wont to employ
on weighty matters, because of their trustiness) who took the
missive and carried it to Al-Medinah, where they went in to
Marwan and saluting him delivered to him the writ and told him
how the case stood. He read the letter and fell a-weeping ; but
he went in to Su'ad (as 'twas not in his power to refuse obedience
to the Caliph) and, acquainting her with the case, divorced her in
the presence of Al-Kumayt and Nasr ; after which he equipped
her and delivered her to them, together with a letter to the Caliph
wherein he versified as follows : -
Hurry not, Prince of Faithful Men ! with best of grace thy vow o I will accom-
plish as 'twas vowed and with the gladdest gree.
I sinned not adulterous sin when loved her I, then how o Canst charge
me with advowtrous deed or any villainy ?
Soon comes to thee that splendid sun which hath no living peer o On earth,
nor aught in mortal men or Jinns her like shah see.
This he sealed with his own signet and gave to the messengers
who returned with Su'ad to Damascus and delivered to Mu'awiyah
the letter, and when he had read it he cried, " Verily, he hath
obeyed handsomely, but he exceedeth in his praise of the woman."
Then he called for her and saw beauty such as he had never seen,
for comeliness and loveliness, stature and symmetrical grace ;
moreover, he talked with her and found her fluent of speech and
choice in words. Quoth he, " Bring me the Arab." So they
fetched the man, who came, sore disordered for shifts and changes
of fortune, and Mu'awiyah said to him, " O Arab, an thou wilt
freely give her up to me, I will bestow upon thee in her stead
three slave girls, high-bosomed maids like moons, with each a
thousand dinars ; and I will assign thee on the Treasury such an
annual sum as shall content thee and enrich thee." When the
1 This is an instance when the article (Al) is correctly used with one proper name and
not with another. Al-Kumayt (P. N. of poet) lit. means a bay horse with black points :
Nasr is victory.
The Badawi and his Wife. 129
Arab heard this, he groaned one groan and swooned away, so that
Mu'awiyah thought he was dead ; and, as soon as he revived, the
Caliph said to him, " What aileth thee ? " The Arab answered,
" With heavy heart and in sore need have I appealed to thee from
the injustice of Marwan bin al-Hakam ; but to whom shall I
appeal from thine injustice ? " And he versified in these
couplets : —
Make me not (Allah save the Caliph !) one of the betrayed o Who from the
fiery sands to fire must sue for help and aid :
Deign thou restore Su'a"d to this afflicted heart distraught, o Which every
morn and eve by sorest sorrow is waylaid :
Loose thou my bonds and grudge me not and give her back to me ; o And if
thou do so ne'er thou shall for lack of thanks upbraid !
Then said he, " By Allah, O Commander of the Faithful, wert
thou to give me all the riches contained in the Caliphate, yet
would I not take them without Su'ad." And he recited this
couplet : —
I love Su'a"d and unto all but hers my love is dead, * Each morn I feel her
love to me is drink and daily bread.
Quoth the Caliph, " Thou confesses! to having divorced her and
Marwan owned the like ; so now we will give her free choice. An
she choose other than thee, we will marry her to him, and if she
choose thee, we will restore her to thee." Replied the Arab,
" Do so." So Mu'awiyah said to her, " What sayest thou, O
Su'ad ? Which dost thou. choose ; the Commander of the
Faithful, with his honour and glory and dominion and palaces and
treasures and all else thou seest at his command, or Marwan bin
al-Hakam with his violence and tyranny, or this Arab, with his
hunger and poverty ? " So she improvised these couplets : —
This one, whom hunger plagues, and rags enfold, o Dearer than tribe and kith
and kin I hold ;
Than crowned head, or deputy Marwdn, o Or all who boast of silver
coins and gold.
Then said she, " By Allah, O Commander of the Faithful, I will
not forsake him for the shifts of Fortune or the perfidies of Fate,
there being between us old companionship we may not forget, and
love beyond stay and let ; and indeed 'tis but just that I bear with
him in his adversity, even as I shared with him in prosperity."
VOL. VII. i
130 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
The Caliph marvelled at her wit and love and constancy and,
ordering her ten thousand dirhams, delivered her to the Arab, who
took his wife and went away.1 And they likewise tell a tale of
THE LOVERS OF BASSORAH.
THE Caliph Harun al-Rashid was sleepless one night ; so he sent
for Al-Asma'i and Husayn al-Khalf a 2 and said to them, " Tell me
a story you twain and do thou begin, O Husayn." He said, u 'Tis
well, O Commander of the Faithful ; " and thus began : — Some
years ago, I dropped down stream to Bassorah, to present to
Mohammed bin Sulayman al-Rabfi 3 a Kasidah or elegy I had
composed in his praise ; and he accepted it and bade me abide
with him. One day, I went out to Al-Mirbad,4 by way of Al-
Muhaliyah ;5 and, being oppressed by the excessive heat, went up
to a great door, to ask for drink, when I was suddenly aware of a
damsel, as she were a branch swaying, with eyes languishing, eye-
brows arched and finely pencilled and smooth cheeks rounded,
clad in a shift the colour of a pomegranate-flower, and a mantilla
of Sana'd 6 work ; but the perfect whiteness of her body overcame
the redness of her shift, through which glittered two breasts like
twin granadoes and a waist, as it were a roll of fine Coptic linen,
with creases like scrolls of pure white paper stuffed with musk.7
Moreover, O Prince of True Believers, round her neck was slung
an amulet of red gold that fell down between her breasts, and on
1 This anecdote, which reads like truth, is ample set off for a cart-load of abuse of
women. But even the Hindus, determined misogynists in books, sometimes relent.
Says the Katha Sarit Sagara : " So you see, King, honourable matrons are devoted to
their husbands, and it is not the case that all women are always bad " (ii. 624). Let
me hope that after all this Mistress Su'ad did not lead her husband a hardish life.
2 Al-Khali'a has been explained in vol. i. 311 : the translation of Al-Mas'udi (vi. 10)
renders it " sce'lerat." Abu All al- Husayn the Wag was a Bassorite and a worthy com-
panion of Abu Nowas the Debauchee ; but he adorned the Court of Al-Amin the son,
not of Al-Rashid the father.
8 Governor of Bassorah, but not in Al-Husayn's day.
4 The famous market-place where poems were recited ; mentioned by Al-Hariri
6 A quarter of Bassorah.
' Capital of Al-Yaman, and then famed for its leather and other work (vol. v. 16).
* The creases in the stomach like the large navel are always insisted upon. Says the
Katha (ii. 525) " And he looked on that torrent river of the elixir of beauty, adorned
with a waist made charming by those wave-like wrinkles," etc.
The Lovers of Bassorah. \ 3 1
the plain of her forehead were browlocks like jet.1 Her eyebrows
joined and her eyes were like lakes ; she had an aquiline nose and
thereunder shell-like lips showing teeth like pearls. Pleasantness
prevailed in every part of her ; but she seemed dejected, disturbed,
distracted and in the vestibule came and went, walking upon the
hearts of her lovers, whilst her legs2 made mute the voices of their
ankle-rings ; and indeed she was as saith the poet : —
Each portion of her charms we see o Seems of the whole a simile.
I was overawed by her, O Commander of the Faithful, and drew
near her to greet her, and behold, the house and vestibule and
highways breathed fragrant with musk. So I saluted her and she
returned my salam with a voice dejected and heart depressed and
with the ardour of passion consumed. Then said I to her, " O my
lady, I am an old man and a stranger and sore troubled by thirst.
Wilt thou order me a draught of water, and win reward in
heaven ? " She cried, " Away, O Shaykh, from me ! I am dis-
tracted from all thought of meat and drink." And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Nofo tofen ft foaa t&e &(x f^untafc antr Nmetg-fourtJ) Nig&t,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
damsel said, " O Shaykh, I am distracted from all thought of meat
and drink." Quoth I (continued Husayn), " By what ailment, O
my lady ? " and quoth she, " I love one who dealeth not justly
by me and I desire one who of me will none. Wherefore I am
afflicted with the wakefulness of those who wake star-gazing."
I asked, " O my lady, is there on the wide expanse of earth one
to whom thou hast a mind and who to thee hath no mind ? "
Answered she, " Yes ; and this for the perfection of beauty and
loveliness and goodliness wherewith he is endowed." " And why
standeth thou in this porch ? " enquired 1. " This is his road,"
replied she, " and the hour of his passing by." I said, "O my lady,
have ye ever foregathered and had such commerce and converse as
1 Arab. Sabaj (not Sabah, as the Mac. Edit, misprints it) : I am not sure of its
meaning.
2 A truly Arab conceit, suggesting —
The mind, the music breathing from her face ;
heir calves moved rhythmically, suggesting the movement and consequent sound of a
musical instrument.
132 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
might cause this passion ?" At this she heaved a deep sigh ; the
tears rained down her cheeks, as they were dew falling upon roses,
and she versified with these couplets : —
We were like willow-boughs in garden shining o And scented joys in
happiest life combining ;
Whenas one bough from other self would rend o And oh ! thou seest
this for that repining !
Quoth I, " O maid, and what betideth thee of thy love for this
man ?"; and quot. she, " I see the sun upon the walls of his folk and
I think the sun is he ; or haply I catch sight of him unexpectedly
and am confounded and the blood and the life fly my body and I
abide in unreasoning plight a week or e'en a se'nnight." Said I,
" Excuse me, for I also have suffered that which is upon thee of
love-longing and distraction of soul and wasting of frame and loss
of strength ; and I see in thee pallor of complexion and emaciation,
such as testify of the fever-fits of desire. But how shouldst thou
be unsmitten of passion and thou a sojourner in the land of
Bassorah ? " Said she, " By Allah, before I fell in love of this
youth, I was perfect in beauty and loveliness and amorous grace
which ravished all the Princes of Bassorah, till he fell in love with
me" I asked, " O maid, and who parted you ? "; and she
answered, " The vicissitudes of fortune," but the manner of our
separation was strange ; and 'twas on this wise. One New Year's
day I had invited the damsels of Bassorah and amongst them a
girl belonging to Sfrdn, who had bought her out of Oman for four-
score thousand dirhams. She loved me and loved me to madness
and when she entered she threw herself upon me and well-nigh
tore me in pieces with bites and pinches.1 Then we withdrew
apart, to drink wine at our ease, till our meat was ready2 and our
1 The morosa voluptas of the Catholic divines. The Sapphist described in the text
would procure an orgasm (in gloria, as the Italians call it) by biting and rolling over the
girl she loved ; but by loosening the trouser-string she evidently aims at a closer tri-
badism— the Arab " Musahikah."
2 We drink (or drank) after dinner; Easterns before the meal and half- Easterns (like the
Russians) before and after. We talk of liquor being unwholesome on an empty stomach ;
but the truth is that all is purely habit. And as the Russian accompanies his Vodki with
caviare, etc., so the Oriental drinks his Raki or Mahaya (Ma al-hayat— aqua vitse) alter-
nately with a Salatah, for whose composition see Pilgrimage i. 198. The Eastern practice
has its advantages : it awakens the appetite, stimulates digestion and, what Easterns
greatly regard, it is economical ; half a bottle doing the work of a whole. Bhang and
Kusumba (opium dissolved and strained through a pledget of cotton) are always drunk
before dinner and thus the " jolly " time is the preprandial, not the postprandial.
The Lovers of Bassorah. 133
delight was complete, and she toyed with me and I with her, and
now I was upon her and now she was upon me. Presently, the
fumes of the wine moved her to strike her hand on the inkle of
my petticoat-trousers, whereby it became loosed, unknown of
either of us, and my trousers fell down in our play, At this
moment he came in unobserved and, seeing me thus, was wroth at
the sight and made off, as the Arab filly hearing the tinkle of her
bridle. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
saying her permitted say.
Nofo fofjen it foas tjie §bix l^untrreb anfc Nmetg=fiftf)
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
maiden said to Husayn al-Khali'a, " When my lover saw me playing,
as I described to thee, with Siran's girl, he went forth in anger.
And 'tis now, O Shaykh, three years ago, and since then I have
never ceased to excuse myself to him and coax him and crave his
indulgence, but he will neither cast a look at me from the corner
of his eye, nor write me a word nor speak to me by messenger nor
hear from me aught." Quoth I, " Harkye maid, is he an Arab or
an Ajam ? "; and quoth she, " Out on thee ! He is of the Princes
of Bassorah." " Is he old or young ? " asked I ; and she looked at
me laughingly and answered, " Thou art certainly a simpleton !
He is like the moon on the night of its full, smooth-cheeked and
beardless, nor is there any defect in him except his aversion to me.'*
Then I put the question, " What is his name ? " and she replied,
" What wilt thou do with him ? " I rejoined, " I will do my best
to come at him, that I may bring about reunion between you.'*
Said she, " I will tell thee on condition that thou carry him a
note ; " and I said " I have no objection to that." Then quoth
she, " His name is Zamrah bin al-Mughayrah, hight Abu al-Sakha,1
and his palace is in the Mirbad." Therewith she called to those
within for inkcase and paper and tucking up2 her sleeves, showed
two wrists like broad rings of silver. She then wrote after the
Basmalah as follows, " My lord, the omission of blessings3 at the
head of this my letter shows mine insufficiency, and know that had
1 "Abu al-Sakhd" (pronounced Abussakha) = Father of munificence.
2 Arab. " Shammara," also used for gathering up the gown, so as to run the faster.
* «.*., blessing the Prophet and all True Believers (herself included).
134 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
my prayer been answered, thou hadst never left me ; for how often
have I prayed that thou shouldest not leave me, and yet thou
didst leave me ! Were it not that distress with me exceedeth the
bounds of restraint, that which thy servant hath forced herself to
do in writing this writ were an aidance to her, despite her despair of
thee, because of her knowledge of thee that thou wilt fail to answer.
Do thou fulfil her desire, my lord, of a sight of thee from the porch,
as thou passest in the street, wherewith thou wilt quicken the dead
soul in her. Or, far better for her still than this, do thou write her
a letter with thine own hand (Allah endow it with all excellence !),
and appoint it in requital of the intimacy that was between us in
the nights of time past, whereof thou must preserve the memory.
My lord, was I not to thee a lover sick with passion ? An thou
answer my prayer, I will give to thee thanks and to Allah praise ;
and so — The Peace ! " ! Then she gave me the letter and I went
away. Next morning I repaired to the door of the Viceroy-
Mohammed bin Sulayman, where I found an assembly of the
notables of Bassorah, and amongst them a youth who adorned the
gathering and surpassed in beauty and brightness all who were
there; and indeed the Emir Mohammed set him above himself.
I asked who he was and behold, it was Zamrah himself : so I
said in my mind, " Verily, there hath befallen yonder unhappy
one that which hath befallen her 2 ! " Then I betook myself to
the Mirbad and stood waiting at the door of his house, till he
came riding up in state, when I accosted him and invoking more
than usual blessings on him, handed him the missive. When he
read it and understood it he said to me, "O Shaykh, we have
taken other in her stead. Say me, wilt thou see the substitute ? "
I answered, " Yes." Whereupon he called out a woman's name,
and there came forth a damsel who shamed the two greater lights ;
swelling-breasted, walking the gait of one who hasteneth without
fear, to whom he gave the note, saying, " Do thou answer it."
When she read it, she turned pale at the contents and said to
me, " O old man, crave pardon of Allah for this that thou hast
brought." So I went out, O Commander of the Faithful, dragging
my feet and returning to her asked leave to enter. When she saw
me, she asked, " What is behind thee ? "; and I answered, " Evil
1 The style of this letter is that of a public scribe in a Cairo market-place thirty years
ago.
2 i.e. she could not help falling in love with this beauty man.
The Lovers of Basso rah. 135
and despair." Quoth she, " Have thou no concern of him. Where
are Allah and His power ? " l Then she ordered me five hundred
dinars and I took them and went away. Some days after I passed
by the place and saw there horsemen and footmen. So I went in
and lo ! these were the companions of Zamrah, who were begging
her to return to him ; but she said, " No, by Allah, I will not look
him in the face!" And she prostrated herself in gratitude. to
Allah and exultation over Zamrah's defeat. Then I drew near
her, and she pulled out to me a letter, wherein was written, after
the Bismillah, " My lady, but for my forbearance towards thee
(whose life Allah lengthen !) I would relate somewhat of what
betided from thee and set out my excuse, in that thou trans-
gressedst against me, whenas thou wast manifestly a sinner against
thyself and myself in breach of vows and lack of constancy and
preference of another over us ; for, by Allah, on whom we call for
help against that which was of thy free-will, thou didst trans-
gress against the love of me ; and so — The Peace ! " Then she
showed me the presents and rarities he had sent her, which were
of the value of thirty thousand dinars. I saw her again after this,
and Zamrah had married her. Quoth Al-Rashid, "Had not
Zamrah been beforehand with us, I should certainly have had
to do with her myself.02 And men tell the tale of
1 " Kudrat," used somewhat in the sense of our vague "Providence." The sentence
means, leave Omnipotence to manage him. Mr. Redhouse, who forces a likeness
between Moslem and Christian theology, tells us that " Qader is unjustly translated by
Fate and Destiny, an old pagan idea abhorrent to Al-Islam which reposes on God's
providence." He makes Kaza and Kismet quasi synonymes of "Qaza" and " Qader,"
the former signifying God's decree, the latter our allotted portion ; and he would render
both by dispensation. Of course it is convenient to forget the Guarded Tablet of the
learned and the Night of Power and skull-lectures of the vulgar. The eminent
Turkish scholar would also translate Salat by worship (du'a being prayer) because it
signifies a simple act of adoration without entreaty. If he will read the Opener of the
Koran, recited in every set of prayers, he will find an especial request to be " led to the
path which is straight." These vagaries are seriously adopted by Mr. E. J. W. Gibb in
his Ottoman Poems (p. 245, etc.) London : Trubner and Co., 1882 ; and they deserve,
I think, reprehension, because they serve only to mislead ; and the high authority of
the source whence they come necessarily recommends them to many.
2 The reader will have noticed the likeness of this tale to that of Ibn Mansur and the
Lady Budur (vol. iv., 228 et seq.} For this reason Lane leaves it untranslated (iii. 252).
136 A If Laylah wa Lay la ft.
ISHAK OF MOSUL AND HIS MISTRESS AND
THE DEVIL.'
QUOTH Ishak bin Ibrahim al-Mausili : — I was in my house one
night in the winter-time, when the clouds had dispread them-
selves and the rains poured down in torrents, as from the mouths
of water-skins, and the folk forbore to come and go about the
ways for that which was therein of rain and slough. Now I was
straitened in breast because none of my brethren came to me nor
could I go to them, by reason of the mud and mire ; so I said
to my servant, " Bring me wherewithal I may divert myself."
Accordingly he brought me meat and drink, but I had no heart
to eat, without some one to keep me company, and I ceased not
to look out of window and watch the ways till nightfall, when I
bethought myself of a damsel belonging to one of the sons of
Al-Mahdi,2 whom I loved and who was skilled in singing and
playing upon instruments of music, and said to myself, "Were
she here with us to-night, my joy would be complete and my
night would be abridged of the melancholy and restlessness
which are upon me." At this moment one knocked at the door,
saying, " Shall a beloved enter in who standeth at the door ? "
Quoth I to myself, " Meseems the plant of my desire hath
fruited." So I went to the door and found my mistress, with a
long green skirt3 wrapped about her and a kerchief of brocade
on her head, to fend her from the rain. She was covered with
mud to her knees and all that was upon her was drenched with
water from gargoyles4 and house-sprouts ; in short, she was in
1 Lane also omits this tale (iii. 252). See Night dclxxxviii., vol. vii. p. \\$et seq.t
for a variant of the story.
2 Third Abbaside, A. H. 158-169 (=775-785), and father of Harun Al-Rashid. He
is known chiefly for his eccentricities, such as cutting the throats of all his carrier-
pigeons, making a man dine off marrow and sugar and having snow sent to him at
Meccah, a distance of 700 miles.
3 Arab. Mirt ; the dictionaries give a short shift, cloak or breeches of wool or
coarse silk.
4 Arab. " Mayazib" plur. of the Pers. Mizab (orig. Miz-i-ab = channel of water) a
spout for roof-rain. That which drains the Ka'abah on the N. W. side is called Mizab
al-Rahmah (Gargoyle of Mercy) and pilgrims stand under it for a douche of holy water.
It is supposed to be of gold, but really of silver gold-plated and is described of
Burckhardt and myself (Pilgrimage iii. 164). The length is 4 feet IO in. ; width 9 in. ;
height of sides 8 in. ; and slope at mouth I foot 6 in. long.
Ishak of Mosul and his Mistress and the Devil. 137
sorry plight. So I said to her, " O my mistress, what bringeth
thee hither through all this mud ? " Replied she, " Thy messenger
came and set forth to me that which was with thee of love and
longing, so that I could not choose but yield and hasten to thee."
I marvelled at this -- And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Nofo fofjen it teas tfje &ft J^untofc anb Wfnttg-sixtf)
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
damsel came and knocked at Ishak's door, he went forth to her
and cried, " O my lady, what bringeth thee hither through all this
mud ? "; and she replied, " Thy messenger came and set forth to
me that which was with thee of love and longing, so that I could
not choose but yield and hasten to thee." I marvelled at this,
but did not like to tell her that I had sent no messenger; where-
fore I said, " Praised be Allah for that He hath brought us
together, after all I have suffered by the mortification of patience !
Verily, hadst thou delayed an hour longer, I must have run to
thee, because of my much love for thee and longing for thy
presence." Then I called to my boy for water, that I might
better her plight, and he brought a kettle full of hot water such
as she wanted. I bade pour it over her feet, whilst I set to work
to wash them myself; after which I called for one of my richest
dresses and clad her therein after she had doffed the muddy
clothes. Then, as soon as we were comfortably seated, I would
have called for food, but she refused and I said to her, " Art thou
for wine ? "; and she replied, " Yes." So I fetched cups and she
asked me, " Who shall sing ? " " I, O my princess ! " "I care not
for that ; " " One of my damsels ? " " I have no mind to that
either ! " " Then sing thyself." " Not I ! " " Who then shall sing
for thee ? " I enquired, and she rejoined, " Go out and seek some
one to sing for me." So I went out, in obedience to her, though
I despaired of finding any one in such weather and fared on till
I came to the main street, where I suddenly saw a blind man
striking the earth with his staff and saying, " May Allah not
requite with weal those with whom I was ! When I sang, they
listened not, and when I was silent, they made light of me." So
I said to him, "Art thou a singer?' and he replied, "Yes."
Quoth I, " Wilt thou finish thy night with us and cheer us with
thy company?"; and quoth he, " If it be thy will, take my hand."
T38 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
So I took his hand and, leading him to my house, said to the
damsel, "O my mistress, I have brought a blind singer, with
whom we may take our pleasure and he will not see us." She
said, " Bring him to me." So I brought him in and invited him
to eat. He ate but a very little and washed his hands, after
which I brought him wine and he drank three cupsful. Then he
said to me, "Who art thou?"; and I replied, " I am Ishak bin
Ibrahim al-Mausili." Quoth he, " I have heard of thee and now
I rejoice in thy company;" and I, " O my lord, I am glad in thy
gladness." He said, " O Ishak, sing to me." So I took the lute,
by way of jest, and cried, " I hear and I obey." When I had
made an end of my song, he said to me, " O Ishak, thou
comest nigh to be a singer ! " His words belittled me in
mine own eyes and I threw the lute from my hand ; whereupon
he said, " Hast thou not with thee some one who is skilled in
singing ? " Quoth I, " I have a damsel with me ;" and quoth he,
" Bid her sing." I asked him, " Wilt thou sing, when thou hast
had enough of her singing ? "; and he answered " Yes." So she
sang and he said, " Nay, thou hast shown no art." Whereupon she
flung the lute from her hand in wrath and cried, "We have done
our best : if thou have aught, favour us with it by way of an
alms." Quoth he, " Bring me a lute hand hath not touched." So
I bade the servant bring him a new lute and he tuned it and pre-
luding in a mode I knew not began to sing, improvising these
couplets : —
Clove through the shades and came to me in night so dark and sore * The lover
weeting of herself 'twas trysting-tide once more :
Naught startled us but her saldm and first of words she said * " May a
beloved enter in who standeth at the door ! "
When the girl heard this, she looked at me askance and said,
" What secret was between us could not thy breast hold for one
hour, but thou must discover it to this man ? " However, I swore
to her that I had not told him and excused myself to her and fell
to kissing her hands and tickling her breasts and biting her
cheeks, till she laughed and, turning to the blind man, said to him,
" Sing, O my lord ! " So he took the lute and sang these two
couplets : —
Ah, often have I sought the fair ; how often lief and fain * My palming felt the
finger ends that bear the varied stain !
And tickled pouting breasts that stand firm as pomegranates twain * And bit
the apple of her cheek kissed o'er and o'er again.
The Lovers of Al-Medinah. 139
So I said to her, " O my princess, who can have told him what we
were about ? " Replied she, " True," and we moved away from
him. Presently quoth he, " I must make water ;" and quoth I,
" O boy, take the candle and go before him." Then he went out
and tarried a long while. So we went in search of him, but could
not find him ; and behold, the doors were locked and the keys in
the closet, and we knew not whether to heaven he had flown or
into earth had sunk. Wherefore I knew that he was Ibli's and that
he had done me pimp's duty, and I returned, recalling to myself
the words of Abu Nowas in these couplets : —
I marvel in Iblis such pride to see » Beside his low intent and villeiny :
He sinned to Adam who to bow refused, » Yet pimps for all of Adam's progeny.
And they tell a tale concerning
THE LOVERS OF AL-MEDINAH.
QUOTH Ibrahim the father of Ishak,1 1 was ever a devoted friend
to the Barmecide family. And it so happened to me one day, as
I sat at home quite alone, a knock was heard at the door ; so my
servant went out and returned, saying, " A comely youth is at the
door, asking admission/' J bade admit him and there came in to
me a young man, on whom were signs of sickness, and he said, " I
have long wished to meet thee, for I have need of thine aid."
" What is it thou requirest ? " asked I. Whereupon he pulled out
three hundred dinars and laying them before me, said, " I beseech
thee to accept these and compose me an air to two couplets I have
made." Said I, " Repeat them to me ;" And Shahrazad per-
ceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say,
Nofo foben it foas tfce §bix f^un&telr anfc Ntn£tg=sebentj)
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
the youth came in to Ibrahim and placed the gold in his hands,
1 The Mac. and Bui. Edits, have by mistake " Son of Ishak." Lane has "Is-hak
the son of Ibrahim * following Trebutien (iii. 483) but suggests in a note the right read-
ing as above.
140 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
saying, " Prithee accept it and compose me an air to two couplets/*
He replied, " Recite them to me," whereupon he recited : —
By Allah, glance of mine ! thou hast opprest * My heart, so quench the fire that
burns my breast.
Blames me the world because in him1 I live * Yet cannot see him till in shroud
I rest.
Accordingly, quoth Ibrahim, I set the verses to an air plaintive as
a dirge and sang it to him ; whereupon he swooned away and I
thought that he was dead. However, after a while, he came to
himself, and said to me, " Repeat the air." But I conjured him
by Allah to excuse me, saying, " I fear lest thou die/' " Would
Heaven it were so ! " replied he and ceased not humbly to impor-
tune me, till I had pity on him and repeated it ; whereupon he
cried out with a grievous cry and fell into a fit worse than before
and I doubted not but that he was dead ; but I sprinkled rose-
water on him till he revived and sat up. I praised Allah for his
recovery and laying the ducats before him, said, " Take thy money
and depart from me." Quoth he, " I have no need of the money
and thou shalt have the like of it, if thou wilt repeat the air."
My breast broadened at the mention of the money and I said, <( I
will repeat it, but on three conditions : the first, that thou tarry
with me and eat of my victual, till thou regain strength; the
second, that thou drink wine enough to hearten thy heart ; and
the third, that thou tell me thy tale." He agreed to this and ate
and drank ; after which he said : — " I am of the citizens of Al-Medi-
nah and I went forth one day a-pleasuring with my friends ; and,
following the road to Al-Akik,2 saw a company of girls and
amongst them a damsel as she were a branch pearled with dew,
with eyes whose sidelong glances were never withdrawn till they
had stolen away his soul who looked on them. The maidens
rested in the shade till the end of the day, when they went away,
1 Again masculine for feminine.
2 There are two of this name. The Upper Al-Akik contains the whole site of Al-Me-
dinah ; the Lower is on the Meccan road about four miles S.W. of the city. The
Prophet called it " blessed " because ordered by an angel to pray therein. The poets
have said pretty things about it, e.g.
O friend, this is the vale Akik ; here stand and strive in thought :
If not a very lover, strive to be by love distraught !
for whose esoteric meaning see Pilgrimage ii. 24. I passed through Al-Akik in July
when it was dry as summer dust and its " beautiful trees " were mere vegetable mummies.
The Lovers of Al-Medinah. 141
leaving in my heart wounds slow to heal. I returned next morn-
ing to scent out news of her, but found none who could tell me of
her ; so I sought her in the streets and markets, but could come
on no trace of her ; wherefore I fell ill of grief and told my case
to one of my kinsmen, who said to me, No harm shall befal thee :
the days of spring are not yet past and the skies show sign of
rain,1 whereupon she will go forth, and I will go out with thee, and
do thou thy will. His words comforted my heart and I waited
till Al-Akik ran with water, when I went forth with my friends and
kinsmen and sat in the very same place where I first saw her. We
had not been seated long before up came the women, like horses
running for a wager ; and I whispered to a girl of my kindred,
" Say to yonder damsel— Quoth this man to thee, He did well who
spoke this couplet: —
She shot my heart with shaft, then turned on heel * And flying dealt fresh
wound and scarring wheal."
So she went to her and repeated my words, to which she replied
saying, " Tell him that he said well who answered in this couplet :—
The like of whatso feelest thou we feel ; * Patience ! perchance swift cure our
hearts shall heal."
I refrained from further speech for fear of scandal and rose to go
away. She rose at my rising, and I followed and she looked back
at me, till she saw I had noted her abode. Then she began to come
to me and I to go to her, so that we foregathered and met often, till
the case was noised abroad and grew notorious and her sire came to
know of it. However, I ceased not to meet her most assiduously
and complained of my condition to my father, who assembled our
kindred and repaired to ask her in marriage for me, of her sire,
who cried, " Had this been proposed to me before he gave her a
bad name by his assignations, I would have consented ; but now
the thing is notorious and I am loath to verify the saying of the
1 Those who live in the wet climates of the Northern lemperates can hardly under-
stand the delight of a shower in rainless lands, like Arabia and Nubia. In Sind we
used to strip and stand in the downfall and raise faces sky-wards to get the full benefit
of the douche. In Southern Persia food is hastily cooked at such times, wine strained,
Kaliuns made ready and horses saddled for a ride to the nearest gardens and a happy
drinking-bout under the cypresses. If a man refused, his friends would say of him, " See
how he turns his back upon the blessing of Allah ! " (like an ass which presents its tail
to the weather).
A If Laylah wa Lay I ah.
folk." Then (continued Ibrahim) I repeated the air to him and he
went away, after having acquainted me with his abode, and we
became friends. Now I was devoted to the Barmecides ; so next
time Ja'afar bin Yahya sat to give audience, I attended, as was my
wont, and sang to him the young man's verses. They pleased him
and he drank some cups of wine and said, " Fie upon thee !
whose song is this ? " So I told him the young man's tale and he
bade me ride over to him and give him assurances of the winning
of his wish. Accordingly I fetched him to Ja'afar who asked him
to repeat his story. He did so and Ja'afar said, " Thou art now
under my protection : trust me to marry thee to her." So his
heart was comforted and he abode with us. When the morning
morrowed Ja'afar mounted and went in to Al-Rashid, to whom he
related the story. The Caliph was pleased with it and sending for
the young man and myself, commanded me to repeat the air and
drank thereto. Then he wrote to the Governor of Al-Hijaz,
bidding him despatch the girl's father and his household in honour-
able fashion to his presence and spare no expense for their outfit.
So, in a little while, they came and the Caliph, sending for the
man, commanded him to marry his daughter to her lover ; after
which he gave him an hundred thousand dinars, and the father
went back to his folk. As for the young man, he abode one of
Ja'afar's cup-companions till there happened what happened;1
whereupon he returned with his household to Al-Medinah ; may
Almighty Allah have mercy upon their souls one and all ! And
they also tell, O auspicious King, a tale of
AL-MALIK AL-NASIR AND HIS WAZIR.
THERE was given to Abu Amir bin Mar wan,2 a boy of the
Christians, than whom never fell eyes on a handsomer. Al-Nasir
the conquering Soldan saw him and said to Abu Amir, who was
his Wazir, " Whence cometh this boy ? " Replied he, " From
Allah ; " whereupon the other, *' Wilt thou terrify us with stars
1 i.e. the destruction of the Barmecides.
2 He was Wazir to the Great "Saladin" (Salah al-Din = one conforming with the
Faith) : see vol. iv. 271, where Saladin is also entitled Al-Malik al-Nasir = the Con-
quering King. He was a Kurd and therefore fond of boys (like Virgil, Horace, etc.),
but that perversion did not prevent his being one of the noblest of men. He lies in the
Great Amawi Mosque of Damascus and I never visited a tomb with more reverence.
A I- Malik Al-Nasir and his Wassir. 143
and make us prisoner with moons ?" Abu Amir excused himself
to him and preparing a present, sent it to him with the boy, to
whom he said, " Be thou part of the gift: were it not of necessity,
my soul had not consented to give thee away." And he wrote
with him these two couplets : —
My lord, this full moon takes in Heaven of thee new birth ; o Nor can deny
we Heaven excelleth humble earth :
Thee with my soul I please and — oh ! the pleasant case ! o No man e'er
saw I who to give his soul prefer'th.
The thing pleased Al-Nasir and he requited him with much
treasure and the Minister became high in favour with him. After
this, there was presented to the Wazir a slave-girl, one of the
loveliest women in the world, and he feared lest this should come
to the King's ears and he desire her, and the like should happen
as with the boy. So he made up a present still costlier than the
first and sent it with her to the King, And Shahrazad per-
ceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Noto to&en ft foa* tfie Sbfx f^untircfc atrtr Wtwg--0i$rt)
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
Wazir Abu Amir, when presented with the beautiful slave-girl,
feared lest it come to the Conquering King's ears and that the like
should happen as with the boy, so he made up a present still
costlier than the first and sent it with her to his master, accompany-
ing it with these couplets :• —
My lord, this be the Sun, the Moon thou hadst before ; o So the two greater
lights now in thy Heaven unite :
Conjunction promising to me prosperity, » And Kausar-draught to thee and
Eden's long delight.
Earth shows no charms, by Allah, ranking as their third, o Nor King who
secondeth our Conquering King in might.
Wherefore his credit redoubled with Al-Nasir; but, after a while,
one of his enemies maligned him to the King, alleging that there
still lurked in him a hot lust for the boy and that he ceased not to
desire him, whenever the cool northern breezes moved him, and to
gnash his teeth for having given him away. Cried the King,
" Wag not thou thy tongue at him, or I will shear off thy head.'*
However, he wrote Abu Amir a letter, as from the boy, to the
A If Laylah wa Laylah.
following effect: "O my lord, thou knowest that thou wast all
and one to me and that I never ceased from delight with thee.
Albeit I am with the Sultan, yet would I choose rather solitude
with thee, but that I fear the King's majesty : wherefore devise
thou to demand me of him." This letter he sent to Abu Amir
by a little foot-page, whom he enjoined to say, " This is from
such an one : the King never speaketh to him." When the Wazir
read the letter and heard the cheating message, he noted the
poison-draught1 and wrote on the back of the note these
couplets : —
Shall man experience-lectured ever care o Fool-like to thrust his head in lion's
lair ?
I'm none of those whose wits to love succumb o Nor witless of the snares
my foes prepare :
Wert thou my sprite, I'd give thee loyally ; o Shall sprite, from body
sundered, backwards fare ?
When Al-Nasir knew of this answer, he marvelled at the Wazir's
quickness of wit and would never again lend ear to aught of
insinuations against him. Then said he to him, " How didst
thou escape falling into the net ? " And he replied, " Because my
reason is unentangled in the toils of passion." And they also
tell a tale of
THE ROGUERIES OF DALILAH THE CRAFTY AND
HER DAUGHTER ZAYNAB THE CONEY-CATCHER.2
THERE lived in the time of Harun al-Rashid a man named Ahmad
al-Danaf and another Hasan Shuma'n3 hight, the twain past
masters in fraud and feints, who had done rare things. in their day ;
wherefore the Caliph invested them with caftans of honour and
made them Captains of the watch for Baghdad (Ahmad of the
1 Arab. " Ahassa bi'1-Shurbah ; " in our idiom " he smelt a rat."
2 This and the next tale are omitted by Lane (iii. 254) on " account of its vulgarity,
rendered more objectionable by indecent incidents." It has been honoured with a litho-
graphed reprint at Cairo A.H. 1278 and the Bresl. Edit. ix. 193 calls it the "Tale of
Ahmad al-Danaf with Dalilah."
3 "Ahmad, the Distressing Sickness," or "Calamity;" Hasan the Pestilent and
Dalilah the bawd. See vol. ii. 329, and vol. iv. 75.
The Rogueries of Dalilah and her Daughter Z ay nab. 145
right hand and Hasan of the left hand) ; and appointed to each of
them a stipend of a thousand dinars a month and forty stalwart
men to be at their bidding. Moreover to Calamity Ahmad was
committed the watch of the district outside the walls. So Ahmad
and Hasan went forth in company of the Emir Khalid, the Wali
or Chief of Police, attended each by his forty followers on horse-
back, and preceded by the Crier, crying aloud and saying, " By
command of the Caliph ! None is captain of the watch of
the right hand but Ahmad al-Danaf and none is captain of the
watch of the left hand but Hasan Shuman, and both are to
be obeyed when they bid and are to be held in all honour and
worship." Now there was in the city an old woman called Dalflah
the Wily, who had a daughter by name Zaynab the Coney-catcher.
They heard the proclamation made and Zaynab said to Dalilah,
"See, O my mother, this fellow, Ahmad al-Danaf! He came
hither from Cairo, a fugitive, and played the double-dealer in
Baghdad, till he got into the Caliph's company and is now become
captain of the right hand, whilst that mangy chap Hasan Shuman
is captain of the left hand, and each hath a table spread morning
and evening and a monthly wage of a thousand dinars; whereas
we abide unemployed and neglected in this house, without estate
and without honour, and have none to ask of us." Now Dalilah's
husband had been town-captain of Baghdad with a monthly wage
of one thousand dinars ; but he died leaving two daughters, one
married and with a son by name Ahmad al-Lakft1 or Ahmad the
Abortion ; and the other called Zaynab, a spinster. And this
Dalilah was a past mistress in all manner. of craft and trickery and
double dealing; she could wile the very dragon out of his den
and Iblis himself might have learnt deceit of her. Her father2
had also been governor of the carrier-pigeons to the Caliph with a
solde of one thousand dinars a month. He used to rear the birds
to carry letters and messages, wherefore in time of need each was
dearer to the Caliph than one of his own sons. So Zaynab said
to her mother, " Up and play off some feint and fraud that may
haply make i ; notorious " And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
1 A foetus, a foundling, a contemptible felTow.
2 In the Mac. Edit. " her husband ": the end of the tale shows the error, infra, p. 171.
The Bresl. Edit., x. 195, informs us that Dalilah was a " Faylasufiyah " = philoso-
pheress.
VOL. VII. K
146 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
Nofo fojm it foas tfje &ix f^utrtrrrti anH TSrmetg-mntf) tftgfjt,
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Zaynab
thus addressed her dam, " Up and play off some feint and fraud
which may haply make us notorious in Baghdad, so perchance we
shall win our father's stipend for ourselves." Replied the old
trot, " As thy head liveth, O my daughter, I will play off higher-
class rogueries in Baghdad than ever played Calamity Ahmad or
Hasan the Pestilent." So saying, she rose and threw over her
face the Lisam-veil and donned clothes such as the poorer Sufis
wear, petticoat-trousers falling over her heels, and a gown of
white wool with a broad girdle. She also took a pitcher ] and
filled it with water to the neck ; after which she set three dinars in
the mouth and stopped it up with a plug of palm-fibre. Then she
threw round her shoulder, baldrick-wise, a rosary as big as a load
of firewood, and taking in her hand a flag, made of parti-coloured
rags, red and yellow and green, went out, crying, " Allah ! Allah ! "
with tongue celebrating the praises of the Lord, whilst her heart
galloped in the Devil's race-course, seeking how she might play
some sharping trick upon town. She walked from street to street,
till she came to an alley swept and watered and marble-paved,
where she saw a vaulted gateway, with a threshold of alabaster,
and a Moorish porter standing at the door, which was of sandal-
wood plated with brass and furnished with a ring of silver for
knocker. Now this house belonged to the Chief of the Caliph's
Serjeant-ushers, a man of great wealth in fields, houses and allow-
ances, called the Emir Hasan Sharr al-Tarik, or Evil of the Way,
and therefor called because his blow forewent his word. He was
married to a fair damsel, Khatun 2 hight, whom he loved and who
had made him swear, on the night of his going in unto her, that
he would take none other to wife over her nor lie abroad for a
single night. And so things went on till one day, he went to the
Divan and saw that each Emir had with him a son or two. Then
he entered the Hammam-bath and looking at his face in the
1 Arab, " Ibrik " usually a ewer, a spout-pot, from the Pers. Ab-rfz = water-pourer ;
the old woman thus vaunted her ceremonial purity. The basin and ewer are called in
poetry "the two rumourers," because they rattle when borne about.
2 Khatun in Turk, is = a lady, a dame of high degree ; at times, as here and else-
where, it becomes a P. N.
The Rogueries of Dalilah and her Daughter Z ay nab. 147
mirror, noted that the white hairs in his beard overlay its black,
and he said in himself, " Will not He who took thy sire bless thee
with a son ? " So he went in to his wife, in angry mood, and she
said to him, " Good evening to thee " ; but he replied, " Get thee
out of my sight ": from the day I saw thee I have seen naught of
good." " How so ? " quoth she. Quoth he, " On the night of my
going in unto thee, thou madest me swear to take no other wife
over thee, and this very day I have seen each Emir with a son
and some with two. So I minded me of death1; and also that to
me hath been vouchsafed neither son nor daughter and that
whoso leaveth no male hath no memory. This, then, is the
reason of my anger, for thou art barren ; and knowing thee is like
planing a rock." Cried she, " Allah's name upon thee. Indeed,
I have worn out the mortars with beating wool and pounding
drugs,2 and I am not to blame ; the barrenness is with thee, for
that thou art a snub-nosed mule and thy sperm is weak and
watery and impregnateth not neither getteth children." Said he,
" When I return from my journey, I will take another wife ; " and
she, " My luck is with Allah ! " Then he went out from her and
both repented of the sharp words spoken each to other. Now as
the Emir's wife looked forth of her lattice, as she were a Bride of
the Hoards3 for the jewellery upon her, behold, there stood
Dalilah espying her and seeing her clad in costly clothes and
ornaments, said to herself, " 'Twould be a rare trick, O Dalilah, to
entice yonder young lady from her husband's house and strip her
of all her jewels and clothes and make off with the whole lot."
So she took up her stand under the windows of the Emir's house,
and fell to calling aloud upon Allah's name and saying, " Be
present, 0 ye Walls, ye friends of the Lord ! " Whereupon every
woman in the street looked from her lattice and, seeing a matron
clad, after Sufi fashion, in clothes of white wool, as she were a
pavilion of light, said, " Allah bring us a blessing by the aidance
of this pious old person, from whose face issueth light ! " And
Khatun, the wife of the Emir Hasan, burst into tears and said to
1 Arab, " Maut," a word mostly avoided in the Koran and by the Founder of
Christianity.
2 Arab. " Akdkfr," drugs, spices, simples which cannot be distinguished without study
and practice. Hence the proverb (Burckhardt, 703), Is this an art of drugs ?— difficult
as the druggist's craft ?
3 i.e. Beautiful as the fairy damsels who guard enchanted treasures, such as that of
Al-Shamardal (vol. vi. 221).
148 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
her handmaid, " Get thee down, O Makbulah, and kiss the hand of
Shaykh Abu Alf, the porter, and say to him : — Let yonder
Religious enter to my lady, so haply she may get a blessing of
her." So she went down to the porter and kissing his hand, said
to him, " My mistress telleth thee : — Let yonder pious old woman
come in to me, so may I get a blessing of her ; and belike her
benediction may extend to us likewise." - And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted
say.
Nofo fojjm it foas tje gbcfon f^unfcwfctf)
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
handmaid went down and said to the porter, "Suffer yonder
Religious enter to my lady so haply she may get a blessing of
her, and we too may be blessed, one and all," the gate-keeper
went up to Dalilah and kissed her hand, but she forbade him,
saying, " Away from me, lest my ablution be made null and
void.1 Thou, also, art of the attracted God-wards and kindly
looked upon by Allah's Saints and under His especial guardian-
ship. May He deliver thee from this servitude, O Abu AH ! "
Now the Emir owed three months' wage to the porter who was
straitened thereby, but knew not how to recover his due from his
lord ; so he said to the old woman, " O my mother, give me to
drink from thy pitcher, so I may win a blessing through thee."
She took the ewer from her shoulder and whirled it about in air,
so that the plug flew out of its mouth and the three dinars fell to
the ground. The porter saw them and picked them up, saying in
his mind, "Glory to God ! This old woman is one of the Saints that
have hoards at their command ! It hath been revealed to her of
me that I am in want of money for daily expenses ; so she hath
conjured me these three dinars out of the air." Then said he to
her, " Take, O my aunt, these three dinars which fell from thy
pitcher ; " and she replied, " Away with them from me ! I am of
the folk who occupy not themselves with the things of the world,
no never ! Take them and use them for thine own benefit, in
lieu of those the Emir oweth thee." Quoth he, " Thanks to Allah
1 i.e. by contact with a person in a state of ceremonial impurity ; servants are not
particular upon this point and " Salat mamlukfyah" (Mameluke's prayers) means
praying without ablution.
The Rogueries of Dalilah and her Datighter Zaynab. 149
for succour ! This is of the chapter of revelation ! " Thereupon
the maid accosted her and kissing her hand, carried her up to her
mistress. She found the lady as she were a treasure, whose
guardian talisman had been loosed ; and Khatun bade her
welcome and kissed her hand. Quoth she, " O my daughter, I
come not to thee save for thy weal and by Allah's will." Then
Khatun set food before her ; but she said, " O my daughter, I eat
naught except of the food of Paradise and I keep continual fast
breaking it but five days in the year. But, O my child, I see thee
chagrined and desire that thou tell me the cause of thy concern/'
*' O my mother," replied Khatun, " I made my husband swear,
on my wedding-night, that he would wive none but me, and he saw
others with children and longed for them and said to me : — Thou art
a barren thing ! . I answered :— Thou art a mule which begetteth
not ; so he left me in anger, saying, When I come back from my
journey, I will take another wife, for he hath villages and lands
and large allowances, and if he begat children by another, they
will possess the money and take the estates from me." Said
Dalilah, O my daughter, knowest thou not of my master, the
Shaykh Abu al-Hamlat,1 whom if any debtor visit, Allah
quitteth him his debt, and if a barren woman, she conceiveth ? "
Khatun replied, " O my mother, since the day of my wedding I
have not gone forth the house, no, not even to pay visits of
condolence or congratulation." The old woman rejoined, " O my
child, I will carry thee to him and do thou cast thy burden on
him and make a vow to him : haply when thy husband shall
return from his journey and lie with thee thou shalt conceive by
him and bear a girl or a boy : but, be it female or male, it shall
be a dervish of the Shaykh Abu al-Hamlat." Thereupon Khatun
rose and arrayed herself in her richest raiment, and donning all
her jewellery said, " Keep thou an eye on the house," to her
maid, who replied, " I hear and obey, O my lady." Then she
went down and the porter Abu Ali met her and asked her,
" Whither away, O my lady ?" " I go to visit the Shaykh Abu
al-Hamlat ; " answered she ; and he, *' Be a year's fast incumbent
on me ! Verily yon Religious is of Allah's saints and full of
holiness, O my lady, and she hath hidden treasure at her
command, for she gave me three dinars of red gold and divined
my case, without my asking her, and knew that I was in want."
1 i.e. Father of assaults, burdens or pregnancies ; the last being here the meaning.
150 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
Then the old woman went out with the young lady Khatun,
saying to her, " Inshallah, O my daughter, when thou hast visited
the Shaykh Abu al-Hamlat, there shall betide thee solace of soul
and by leave of Almighty Allah thou shalt conceive, and thy
husband the Emir shall love thee by the blessing of the Shaykh
and shall never again let thee hear a despiteful -word." Quoth
Khatun, " I will go with thee to visit him, O my mother ! " But
Dalilah said to herself, " Where shall I strip her and take her
clothes and jewellery, with the folk coming and going ? " Then
she said to her, " O my daughter, walk thou behind me, within
sight of me, for this thy mother is a woman sorely burdened ;
everyone who hath a burden casteth it on me and all who have
pious offerings1 to make give them to me and kiss my hand."
So the young lady followed her at a distance, whilst her anklets
tinkled and her hair-coins2 clinked as she went, till they reached the
bazar of the merchants. Presently, they came to the shop of a
young merchant, by name Sfdf Hasan who was very handsome1
and had no hair on his face. He saw the lady approaching and
fell to casting stolen glances at her, which when the old woman
saw, she beckoned to her and said, " Sit down in this shop,
till I return to thee." Khatun obeyed her and sat down in the
shop-front of the young merchant, who cast at her one glance of
eyes that cost him a thousand sighs. Then the old woman
accosted him and saluted him, saying, "Tell me, is not thy
name Sidi Hasan, son of the merchant Mohsin ? " He replied,
" Yes, who told thee my name ? " Quoth she, " Folk of good
repute direct me to thee. Know that this young lady is my
daughter and her father was a merchant, who died and left her
much money. She is come of marriageable age and the wise
say : — Offer thy daughter in marriage and not thy son ; and all
her life she hath not come forth the house till this day. Now a
divine warning and a command given in secret bid me wed her
to thee ; so, if thou art poor, I will give thee capital and will
open for thee instead of one shop two shops." Thereupon quoth
the young merchant to himself, " I asked Allah for a bride, and
1 Ex votos and so forth.
* Arab. " Iksah," plaits, braids, also the little gold coins and other ornaments worn
In the hair, now mostly by the middle and lower classes. Low Europeans sometimes
take advantage of the native prostitutes by detaching these valuables, a form of " bilkinp "
peculiar to the Nile- Valley.
* In Bresl. Edit. Mah'h Kawi (pron. f Awi), a Cairene vulgarism.
The Rogueries of Dalilah and her Daughter Zaynab. 1 5 1
He hath given me three things, to wit, coin, clothing, and coynte."
Then he continued to the old trot, " O my mother, that where-
to thou directest me is well ; but this long while my mother
saith to me : — I wish to marry thee, but I object replying, I will
not marry except on the sight of my own eyes." Said Dalilah,
" Rise and follow my steps, and I will show her to thee, naked.1'1
So he rose and took a thousand dinars, saying in himself,
*' Haply we may need to buy somewhat And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
jlofo fof)£n ft foais rtj* &ebm f^untolr anfc Jffrst
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
old woman said to Hasan, son of Mohsin the merchant, 4< Rise
up and follow me, and I will show her naked to thee." So he
rose and took with him a thousand dinars, saying in himself,
" Haply we may need to buy somewhat or pay the fees for
drawing up the marriage contract." The old woman bade him
walk behind the young lady at a distance but within shot of sight
and said to herself, " Where wilt thou carry the young lady and
the merchant that thou mayest strip them both whilst his shop
is still shut ? " Then she walked on and Khatun after her,
followed by the young merchant, till she came to a dyery, kept
by a master dyer, by name Hajj Mohammed, a man of ill-repute ;
like the colocasia2 seller's knife cutting male and female, and
loving to eat both figs and pomegranates.3 He heard the tinkle of
the ankle rings and, raising his head, saw the lady and the young
man. Presently the old woman came up to him and, after
salaming to him and sitting down opposite him, asked him, " Art
thou not Hajj Mohammed the dyer ? " He answered, "Yes, I am
he : what dost thou want ? " Quoth she, " Verily, folks of fair
repute have directed me to thee. Look at yonder handsome girl,
my daughter, and that comely beardless youth, my son ; I brought
them both up and spent much money on both- of them. Now,
thou must know that I have a big old ruinous house which I have
1 Meaning without veil or upper clothing.
2 Arab. " Kallakas " the edible African arum before explained. This Colocasia
is supposed to bear, unlike the palm, male and female flowers in one spathe.
3 See vol. iii. 302. The figs refer to the anus and the pomgranates, like the sycomore,
10 the female parts. Me nee faemina nee puer, &c., says Horace in pensive mood
152 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
shored up with wood, and the builder saith to me : — Go and
live in some other place, lest belike it fall upon thee ; and when
this is repaired return hither. So I went forth to seek me a
lodging, and people of worth directed me to thee, and I wish to
lodge my son and daughter with thee." Quoth the dyer in his
mind, " Verily, here is fresh butter upon cake come to thee." But
he said to the old woman, " 'Tis true I have a house and saloon
and upper floor ; but I cannot spare any part thereof, for I want it
all for guests and for the indigo-growers my clients." She replied,
" O my son, 'twill be only for a month or two at the most, till our
house be repaired, and we are strange folk. Let the guest-chamber
be shared between us and thee, and by thy life, O my son, an thou
desire that thy guests be ours, we will welcome them and eat with
them and sleep with them." Then he gave her the keys, one big
and one small and one crooked, saying to her, " The big key is
that of the house, the crooked one that of the saloon and the little
one that of the upper floor." So Dalilah took the keys and fared
on, followed by the lady who forwent the young merchant, till
she came to the lane wherein was the house. She opened the
door and entered, introducing the damsel to whom said she, " O
my daughter, this (pointing to the saloon) is the lodging of the
Shaykh Abu al-Hamlat ; but go thou into the upper floor and
loose thy outer veil and wait till I come to thee." So she went
up and sat down. Presently appeared the young merchant, whom
Dalilah carried into the saloon, saying, " Sit down, whilst I fetch
my daughter and show her to thee." So he sat down and the old
trot went up to Khatun who said to her, "I wish to visit the
Shaykh, before the folk come." Replied the beldame, "O my
daughter, we fear for thee." Asked Khatun, " Why so ? " and
Dalilah answered, " Because here is a son of mine, a natural who
knoweth not summer from winter, but goeth ever naked. He is
the Shaykh's deputy and, if he saw a girl like thee come to visit
his chief, he would snatch her earrings and tear her ears and rend
her silken robes.1 So do thou doff thy jewellery and clothes and
I will keep them for thee, till thou hast made thy pious visitation."
Accordingly the damsel did off her outer dress and jewels and
gave them to the old woman, who said, " I will lay them for thee
1 It is in accordance to custom that the Shaykh be attended by a half-witted fanatic
who would be made furious by seeing gold and silks in the reverend presence so coylj
curtained.
Tke Rogueries of Dalilah and her Daughter Z ay nab. 153
'on the Shaykh's curtain, that a blessing may betide thee." Then
she went out, leaving the lady in her shift and petticoat-trousers,
and hid the clothes and jewels in a place on the staircase ; after
which she betook herself to the young merchant, whom she found
impatiently awaiting the girl, and he cried, " Where is thy
daughter, that I may see her ? " But she smote palm on breast
and he said, " What aileth thee ? " Quoth she, " Would there
were no such thing as the ill neighbour and the envious ! They
saw thee enter the house with me and asked me of thee ; and I
said : — This is a bridegroom I have found for my daughter. So
they envied me on thine account and said to my girl, Is thy mother
tired of keeping thee, that she marrieth thee to a leper ? There-
upon I swore to her that she should not see thee save naked."
Quoth he, " I take refuge with Allah from the envious," and baring
his fore-arm, showed her that it was like silver. Said she, " Have
no fear ; thou shalt see her naked, even as she shall see thee
naked ; " and he said, " Let her come and look at me." Then he
put off his pelisse and sables and his girdle and dagger and the
rest of his raiment, except his shirt and bag-trousers, and would
have laid the purse of a thousand dinars with them, but Dalilah
cried, " Give them to me, that I may take care of them." So she
took them and fetching the girl's clothes and jewellery shouldered
the whole and locking the door upon them went her ways. - And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
tof)£tt it toas tfje &eben l^untolr anto g>econ& Wgjt,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
the old woman had taken the property of the young merchant and
the damsel and wended her ways, having locked the door upon
them, she deposited her spoils with a druggist of her acquaintance
and returned to the dyer, whom she found sitting, awaiting her.
Quoth he, " Inshallah, the house pleaseth thee ? "; and quoth she,
" There is a blessing in it ; and I go now to fetch porters to carry
hither our goods and furniture. But my children would have me
bring them a panade with meat ; so do thou take this dinar and
buy the dish and go and eat the morning meal with them." Asked
the dyer, " Who shall guard the dyery meanwhile and the people's
goods that be therein ? "; and the old woman answered, " Thy
lad ! " " So be it," rejoined he, and taking a dish and cover, went
154 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
out to do her bidding. So far concerning the dyer who will again
be mentioned in the tale; but as regards the old woman, she
fetched the clothes and jewels she had left with the druggist and
going back to the dyery, said to the lad, " Run after thy master,
and I will not stir hence till you both return." " To hear is to
obey," answered he and went away, while she began to collect all
the customers' goods. Presently, there came up an ass-driver, a
scavenger, who had been out of work for a week and who was an
Hashish-eater to boot ; and she called him, saying, " Hither, O
donkey-boy ! " So he came to her and she asked, " Knowest thou
my son the dyer ? "; whereto he answered, " Yes, I know him."
Then she said, " The poor fellow is insolvent and loaded with
debts, and as often as he is put in prison, I set him free, Now
we wish to see him declared bankrupt and I am going to return
the goods to their owners ; so do thou lend me thine ass to carry
the load and receive this dinar to its hire. When I am gone, take
the handsaw and empty out the vats and jars and break them, so
that if there come an officer from the Kafcfs court, he may find
nothing in the dyery." Quoth he, " I owe the Hajj a kindness
and will do something for Allah's love." So she laid the things
on the ass and, the Protector protecting her, made for her own
house ; so that she arrived there in safety and went in to her
daughter Zaynab, who said to her, " O my mother, my heart hath
been with thee ! What hast thou done by way of roguery ? "
Dalilah replied, tf I have played off four tricks on four wights ; the
wife of the Serjeant-usher, a young merchant, a dyer and an ass-
driver, and have brought thee all their spoil on the donkey-boy's
beast." Cried Zaynab, " O my mother, thou wilt never more be
able to go about the town, for fear of the Serjeant-usher, whose
wife's raiment and jewellery thou hast taken, and the merchant
whom thou hast stripped naked, and the dyer whose customers'
goods thou hast stolen and the owner of the ass." Rejoined the
old woman, " Pooh, my girl ! I reck not of them, save the donkey-
boy, who knoweth me." Meanwhile the dyer bought the meat-
panade and set out for the house, followed by his servant with the
food on head. On his way thither, he passed his shop, where he
found the donkey-boy breaking the vats and jars and saw that
there was neither stuff nor liquor left in them and that the dyery
was in ruins. So he said to him, " Hold thy hand, O ass-driver ; "
and the donkey-boy desisted and cried, " Praised be Allah for thy
safety, O master ! Verily my heart was with thee." " Why so ? "
The Rogueries of Dalilah and her Daughter Z ay nab. 155
41 Thou art become bankrupt and they have filed a docket of thine
insolvency." "Who told thee this?" " Thy mother told me, and
bade me break the jars and empty the vats, that the Kazi's officers
might find nothing in the shop, if they should come." " Allah
confound the far One ! " * cried the dyer ; " My mother died long
ago." And he beat his breast, exclaiming, " Alas, for the loss of
my goods and those of the folk ! " The donkey-boy also wept
and ejaculated, " Alas, for the loss of my ass ! "; and he said to
the dyer, " Give me back my beast which thy mother stole from
me." The dyer laid hold of him by the throat and fell to buffeting
him, saying, " Bring me the old woman ;" whilst the other buffeted
him in return saying, " Give me back my beast." So they beat
and cursed each other, till the folk collected around them And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
tfoto fojeit ft foas tlje £eben l^untofc anft ®&Mr Nfgjt,
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
dyer caught hold of the donkey-boy and the donkey-boy caught
hold of the dyer and they beat and cursed each other till the folk
collected round them and one of them asked, " What is the matter,
O Master Mohammed ? " The ass-driver answered, " I will tell
thee the tale," and related to them his story, saying, I deemed I
was doing the dyer a good turn ; but, when he saw me he beat his
breast and said, My mother is dead. And now, I for one require
my ass of him, it being he who hath put this trick on me, that he
might make me lose my beast." Then said the folk to the dyer,
" O Master Mohammed, dost thou know this matron, that thou
didst entrust her with the dyery and all therein ? '* And he
replied, " I know her not ; but she took lodgings with me to-day?
she and her son and daughter." Quoth one, w In my judgment,
the dyer is bound to indemnify the ass-driver." Quoth another,
" Why so ? " " Because," replied the first, " he trusted not the old
woman nor gave her his ass save only because he saw that the
dyer had entrusted her with the dyery and its contents." And a
third said, " O master, since thou hast lodged her with thee, it
behoveth thee to get the man back his ass." Then they made for
1 In English, "God damn everything an inch high ! "
1 56 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
the house, and the tale will come round to them again. Mean-
while, the young merchant remained awaiting the old woman's
coming with her daughter, but she came not nor did her daughter ;
whilst the young lady in like manner sat expecting her return
with leave from her son, the God-attended one, the Shaykh's
deputy, to go in to the holy presence. So weary of waiting, she
rose to visit the Shaykh by herself and went down into the saloon,
where she found the young merchant, who« said to her, " Come
hither! where is thy mother, who brought me to marry thee?"
She replied, " My mother is dead, art thou the old woman's son,
the ecstatic, the deputy of the Shaykh Abu al-Hamlat ? " Quoth
he, " The swindling old trot is no mother of mine ; she hath
cheated me and taken my clothes and a thousand dinars." Quoth
Khatun, " And me also hath she swindled for she brought me to
see the Shaykh Abu al-Hamlat and in lieu of so doing she hath
stripped me." Thereupon he, " I look to thee to make good my
clothes and my thousand dinars ;" and she, " I look to thee to
make good my clothes and jewellery." And, behold, at this
moment in came the dyer and seeing them both stripped of their
raiment, said to them, " Tell me where your mother is." So the
young lady related all that had befallen her and the young
merchant related all that had betided him, and the Master-dyer
exclaimed, " Alas, for the loss of my goods and those of the folk ! ";
and the ass-driver ejaculated, " Alas, for my ass ! Give me, O
dyer, my ass ! " Then said the dyer, " This old woman is a
sharper. Come forth, that I may lock the door." Quoth the
young merchant, " 'Twere a disgrace to thee that we should enter
thy house dressed and go forth from it undressed." So the dyer
clad him and the damsel and sent her back to her house where we
shall find her after the return of her husband. Then he shut the
dyery and said to the young merchant, " Come, let us go and
search for the old woman and hand her over to the Wali,1 the
Chief of Police." So they and the ass-man repaired to the house
of the master of police and made their complaint to him. Quoth
1 Burckhardt notes that the Wali, or chief police officer at Cairo, was exclusively
termed Al-Agha and quotes the proverb (No. 156) " One night the whore repented and
cried:— What! no Wali (Al-Agha) to lay whores by the heels?" Some of these
Egyptian by-words are most amusing and characteristic ; but they require literal trans-
lation, not the timid touch of the last generation. I am preparing, for the use of my
friend, Bernard Quaritch, a bona fide version which awaits only the promised volume of
Herr Landberg.
'the Rogueries of Dalilak and her Daughter Zaynab. 157
he, " O folk, what want ye ? " and when they told him he rejoined,
" How many old women are there not in the town ! Go ye and
seek for her and lay hands on her and bring her to me, and I will
torture her for you and make her confess.1' So they sought for
her all round the town ; and an account of them will presently be
given.1 As for old Dalilah the Wily, she said, " I have a mind to
play off another trick," to her daughter who answered, " O my
mother, I fear for thee ;" but the beldam cried, " I am like the bean
husks which fall, proof against fire and water." So she rose, and
donning a slave-girl's dress of such as serve people of condition,
went out to look for some one to defraud. Presently she came to
a by-street, spread with carpets and lighted with hanging lamps,
and heard a noise of singing-women and drumming of tambourines.
Here she saw a handmaid bearing on her shoulder a boy, clad in
trousers laced with silver and a little Aba-cloak of velvet, with a
pearl embroidered Tarbush-cap on his head, and about his neck a
collar of gold set with jewels. Now the house belonged to the
Provost of the Merchants of Baghdad, and the boy was his son.
He had a virgin daughter, to boot, who was promised in marriage,
and it was her betrothal they were celebrating that day. There
was with her mother a company of noble dames and singing-
women, and whenever she went upstairs or down, the boy clung
to her. So she called the slave-girl and said to her, " Take thy
young master and play with him, till the company break up."
Seeing this, Dalilah asked the handmaid, " What festivities are
these in your mistress's house ;" and was answered " She celebrates
her daughter's betrothal this day, and she hath singing-women
with her." Quoth the old woman to herself, "O Dalilah, the
thing to do is to spirit away this boy from the maid," — And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
fofjnx it foa* rtjc &ebm ^wtittrtr an* Jfourtj)
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
old trot said to herself, " O Dalilah, the thing to do is to spirit
away this boy from the maid 1 " she began crying out, " O
1 Lit. for "we leave them for the present": the formula is much used in this tale,
showing another hand, author or copyist.
1 58 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
disgrace! O ill luck!" Then pulling out a brass token, resem-
bling a dinar, she said to the maid, who was a simpleton, " Take
this ducat and go in to thy mistress and say to her :— Umm
al-Khayr rejoiceth with thee and is beholden to thee for thy
favours, and on the day of assembly she and her daughters will
visit thee and handsel the tiring-women with the usual gifts."
Said the girl, " O my mother, my young master here catcheth hold
of his mamma, whenever he seeth her ;" and she replied " Give
him to me, whilst thou goest in and comest back." So she gave
her the child and taking the token, went in ; whereupon Dalilah
made off with the boy to a by-lane, where she stripped him of his
clothes and jewels, saying to herself, " O Dalilah, 'twould indeed
be the finest of tricks, even as thou hast cheated the maid and
taken the boy from her, so now to carry on the game and pawn
him for a thousand dinars. So she repaired to the jewel-bazar,
where she saw a Jew goldsmith seated with a cage full of jewellery
before him, and said to herself, " 'Twould be a rare trick to
chouse this Jew fellow and get a thousand gold pieces worth of
jewellery from him and leave the boy in pledge for it." Presently
the Jew looked at them and seeing the boy with the old woman,
knew him for the son of the Provost of the Merchants. Now the
Israelite was a man of great wealth, but would envy his neighbour
if he sold and himself did not sell ; so espying Dalilah, he said to
her, " What seekest thou, O my mistress ? " She asked, " Art
thou Master Azariah * the Jew ? " having first enquired his name
of others; and he answered, "Yes." Quoth she, "This boy's
sister, daughter of the Shahbandar of the Merchants, is a promised
bride, and to-day they celebrate her betrothal ; and she hath need
of jewellery. So give me two pair of gold ankle-rings, a brace of
gold bracelets, and pearl ear-drops, with a girdle, a poignard and
a seal-ring." He brought them out and she took of him a thousand
dinars' worth of jewellery, saying, " I will take these ornaments on
approval ; and whatso pleaseth them, they will keep and I will
bring thee the price and leave this boy with thee till then." He
said, " Be it as thou wilt ! " So she took the jewellery and made
off to her own house, where her daughter asked her how the trick
had sped. She told her how she had taken and stripped the
Shahbandar's boy, and Zaynab said, " Thou wilt never be able to
walk abroad again in the town." Meanwhile, the maid went in
1 Arab. " Uzrah."
The Rogueries of Dalilah and her Daughter Zaynab. 1 59
to her mistress and said to her, "O my lady, Umm al-Khayr
saluteth thee and rejoiceth with thee and on assembly-day she
will come, she and her daughters, and give the customary pre-
sents." Quoth her mistress, "Where is thy young master ?"
Quoth the slave-girl, "I left him with her lest he cling to thee,
and she gave me this, as largesse for the singing-women." So
the lady said to the chief of the singers, " Take thy money ; " and
she took it and found it a brass counter ; whereupon the lady cried
to the maid, " Get thee down, O whore, and look to thy young
master." Accordingly, she went down and finding neither boy
nor old woman, shrieked aloud and fell on her face. Their joy
was changed into annoy, and behold, the Provost came in, when his
wife told him all that had befallen and he went out in quest of the
child, whilst the other merchants also fared forth and each sought
his own road. Presently, the Shahbandar, who had looked every-
where, espied his son seated, naked, in the Jew's shop and said to
the owner, " This is my son." " 'Tis well," answered the Jew. So
he took him up, without asking for his clothes, of the excess of his
joy at finding him ; but the Jew laid hold of him, saying, " Allah
succour the Caliph against thee!"1 The Provost asked, "What
aileth thee, O Jew ? " ; and he answered, " Verily the old woman
took of me a thousand dinars' worth of jewellery for thy daughter,
and left this lad in pledge for the price ; and I had not trusted
her, but that she offered to leave the child whom I knew for thy
son." Said the Provost, " My daughter needeth no jewellery, give
me the boy's clothes." Thereupon the Jew shrieked out, " Come
to my aid, O Moslems ! " but at that moment up came the dyer
and the ass-man and the young merchant, who were going about,
seeking the old woman, and enquired the cause of their jangle.
So they told them the case and they said, " This old woman is a
cheat, who hath cheated us before you." Then they recounted to
them how she had dealt with them, and the Provost said, " Since
I have found my son, be his clothes his ransom ! If I come upon
the old woman, I will require them of her." And he carried the
child home to his mother, who rejoiced in his safety. Then the
Jew said to the three others, "Whither go ye?"; and they
answered, " We go to look for her." Quoth the Jew, " Take me
with you," presently adding, " Is there any one of you knoweth
her ?" The donkey-boy cried, " I know her ; " and the Jew said,
1 i.e. " Thou art unjust -and violent enough to wrong even the Caliph ! "
160 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
" If we all go forth together, we shall never catch her ; for she will
flee from us. Let each take a different road, and be our rendez-
vous at the shop of Hajj Mas'iid, the Moorish barber." They
agreed to this and set off, each in a different direction. Presently,
Dalilah sallied forth again to play her tricks and the ass-driver
met her and knew her. So he caught hold of her and said to
her, " Woe to thee ! Hast thou been long at this trade ? " She
asked, "What aileth thee?"; and he answered, "Give me back
my ass." Quoth she, " Cover what Allah covereth, O my son !
Dost thou seek thine ass and the people's things ? " Quoth he,
"I want my ass; that's all;" and quoth she,0! saw that thou
wast poor: so I deposited thine ass for thee with the Moorish
barber. Stand off, whilst I speak him fair, that he may give thee
the beast." So she went up to the Maghrabi and kissed his hand
and shed tears. He asked her what ailed her and she said, " O
my son, look at my boy who standeth yonder. He was ill and
exposed himself to the air, which injured his intellect. He used
to buy asses and now, if he stand he saith nothing but, My ass !
if he sit he crieth, My ass ! and if he walk he crieth, My ass !
Now I have been told by a certain physician that his mind is
disordered and that nothing will cure him but drawing two of his
grinders and cauterising him twice on either temple. So do thou
take this dinar and call him to thee, saying : — Thine ass is with
me." Said the barber, " May I fast for a year, if I do not give him
his ass in his fist ! " Now he had with him two journeymen, so he
said to one of them, " Go, heat the irons." Then the old woman
went her way and the barber called to the donkey-boy,1 saying,
" Thine ass is with me, good fellow ! come and take him, and as
thou livest, I will give him into thy palm." So he came to him
and the barber carried him into a dark room, where he knocked
him down and the journeymen bound him hand and foot. Then
the Maghrabi arose and pulled out two of his grinders and fired
him on either temple ; after which he let him go, and he rose and
said, " O Moor, why hast thou used me with this usage ? " Quoth
the barber, " Thy mother told me that thou hadst taken cold whilst
ill, and hadst lost thy reason, so that, whether sitting or standing
or walking, thou wouldst say nothing but My ass ! So here is
thine ass in thy fist." Said the other, " Allah requite thee for
pulling out my teeth." Then the barber told him all that the old
* 1 may note that a " donkey-boy" like our "post-boy " can be of any age in Egypt.
The Rogueries of Dalilah and her Daughter Z ay nab. 1 61
woman had related and he exclaimed, " Allah torment her ! " ; and
the twain left the shop and went out, disputing. When the barber
returned, he found his booth empty, for, whilst he was absent, the
old woman had taken all that was therein and made off with it to
her daughter, whom she acquainted with all that had befallen and
all she had done. The barber, seeing his place plundered, caught
hold of the donkey-boy and said to him, " Bring me thy mother."
But he answered, saying, " She is not my mother ; she is a sharper
who hath cozened much people and stolen my ass." And lo ! at
this moment up came the dyer and the Jew and the young
merchant, and seeing the Moorish barber holding on to the ass-
driver who was fired on both temples, they said to him, " What
hath befallen thee, O donkey-boy?" So he told them all that
had betided him and the barber did the like ; and the others in
turn related to the Moor the tricks the old woman had played
them. Then he shut up his shop and went with them to the
office of the Police-master to whom they said, "We look to
thee for our case and our coin." ! Quoth the Wali, " And how
many old women are there not in Baghdad ! Say me, doth any
of you know her?" Quoth the ass-man, "I do; so give me ten
of thine officers." He gave them half a score archers and they
all five went out, followed by the sergeants, and patrolled the
city, till they met the old woman, when they laid hands on her
and carrying her to the house of the Chief of Police, stood waiting
under his office windows till he should come forth. Presently,
the warders fell asleep, for excess of watching with their chief,
and old Dalilah feigned to follow their example, till the ass-man
and his fellows slept likewise, when she stole away from them
and, going in to the Wall's Harim, kissed the hand of the mistress
of the house and asked her "Where is the Chief of Police?"
The lady answered, " He is asleep ; what wouldst thou with
him ? " Quoth Dalilah, " My husband is a merchant of chattels
and gave me five Mamelukes to sell, whilst he went on a journey.
The Master of Police met me and bought them of me for a
thousand dinars and two hundred for myself, saying : — Bring
them to my house. So I have brought them." And Shah-
razad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
1 They could legally demand to be recouped but the chief would have found some
pretext to put off payment. Such at least is the legal process of these days.
VOL. VTT. L
A If Laylah wa Laylah.
Noto toj)£n ft foas t&e &eben fl^utrtireb an* Jpiftf)
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
old woman, entering the Harim of the Police-Master, said to his
wife, " Verily the Wali bought of me five slaves for one thousand
ducats and two hundred for myself, saying :— Bring them to my
quarters. So I have brought them." Hearing the old woman's
story she believed it and asked her, " Where are the slaves ? "
Dalilah replied, " O my lady, they are asleep under the palace
window "; whereupon the dame looked out and seeing the Moorish
barber clad in a Mameluke habit and the young merchant as he
were a drunken Mameluke 1 and the Jew and the dyer and the ass-
driver as they were shaven Mamelukes, said in herself, " Each of
these white slaves is worth more than a thousand dinars." So she
opened her chest and gave the old woman the thousand ducats,
saying, " Fare thee forth now and come back anon ; when my
husband waketh, I will get thee the other two hundred dinars from
him." Answered the old woman, " O my lady, an hundred of them
are thine, under the sherbet-gugglet whereof thou drinkest,2 and
the other hundred do thou keep for me against I come back,"
presently adding, " Now let me out by the private door." So she
let her out, and the Protector protected her and she made her way
home to her daughter, to whom she related how she had gotten a
thousand gold pieces and sold her five pursuers into slavery,
ending with, " O my daughter, the one who troubleth me most is
the ass-driver, for he knoweth me." Said Zaynab, " O my mother,
abide quiet awhile and let what thou hast done suffice thee, for the
crock shall not always escape the shock." When the Chief of
Police awoke, his wife said to him, " I give thee joy of the five
slaves thou hast bought of the old woman." Asked he, "What
slaves ? " And she answered, " Why dost thou deny it to me ?
Allah willing, they shall become like thee people of condition."
Quoth he, " As my head liveth, I have bought no slaves ! Who
saith this ? " Quoth she, " The old woman, the brokeress, from
1 i.e. drunk with the excess of his beauty.
2 A delicate way of offering a fee. When officers commanding regiments in India
contracted for clothing the men, they found these douceurs under their dinner- napkins.
All that is now changed ; but I doubt the change being an improvement : the public
is plundered by a "Board" instead of an individual.
The Rogueries of Dalilak and her Daughter Z ay nab. 163
whom thou boughtest them ; and thou didst promise her a
thousand dinars for them and two hundred for herself." Cried
he, " Didst thou give her the money ? " And she replied, " Yes ;
for I saw the slaves with my own eyes, and on each is a suit of
clothes worth a thousand dinars ; so I sent out to bid the sergeants
have an eye to them." The Wali went out and, seeing the five
plaintiffs, said to the officers, " Where are the five slaves we bought
for a thousand dinars of the old woman ? " Said they, " There
are no slaves here ; only these five men, who found the old woman,
and seized her and brought her hither. We fell asleep, whilst
waiting for thee, and she stole away and entered the Harim.
Presently out came a maid and asked us : — Are the five with you
with whom the old woman came ? "; and we answered, " Yes."
Cried the Master of Police, " By Allah, this is the biggest of
swindles ! "; and the five men said, *' We look to thee for our
goods." Quoth the Wali, " The old woman, your mistress, sold
you to me for a thousand gold pieces." Quoth they, " That were
not allowed of Allah ; we are free-born men and may not be
sold, and we appeal from thee to the Caliph." Rejoined the Master
of Police," None showed her the way to the house save you, and I
will sell you to the galleys for two hundred dinars apiece." Just
then, behold, up came the Emir Hasan Sharr al-Tarik who, on his
return from his journey,' had found his wife stripped of her clothes
and jewellery and heard from her all that had passed ; whereupon
quoth he, " The Master of Police shall answer me this " and
repairing to him, said, " Dost thou suffer old women to go round
about the town and cozen folk of their goods ? This is thy duty
and I look to thee for my wife's property." Then said he to the
five men, " What is the case with you ? " So they told him their
stories and he said, "Ye are wronged men," and turning to the
Master of Police, asked him, " Why dost thou arrest them ? "
Answered he, " None brought the old wretch to my house save
these five, so that she took a thousand dinars of my money and
sold them to my women." Whereupon the five cried, " O Emir
Hasan, be thou our advocate in this cause." Then said the Master
of Police to the Emir, " Thy wife's goods are at my charge and I
will be surety for the old woman. But which of you knoweth
her ? " They cried, " We all know her : send ten apparitors with
us, and we will take her." So he gave them ten men, and the ass-
driver said to them, " Follow me, for I should know her with blue
1 64 A If Laylak wa Laylah.
eyes."1 Then they fared forth and lo! they meet old Dalilah
coming out of a by-street : so they at once laid hands on her and
brought her to the office of the Wali who asked her, " Where are
the people's goods ? " But she answered, saying, " I have neither
gotten them nor seen them." Then he cried to the gaoler, " Take
her with thee and clap her in gaol till the morning ; but he replied,
" I v/iil not take her nor will I imprison her lest she play a trick
on me and I be answerable for her." So the Master of Police
mounted and rode out with Dalilah and the rest to the bank of the
Tigris, where he bade the lamp-lighter crucify her by her hair.
He drew her up by the pulley and bound her on the cross ; after
which the Master of Police set ten men to guard her and went
home. Presently, the night fell down and sleep overcame the
watchmen. Now a certain Badawi had heard one man say to a
friend, " Praise be to Allah for thy safe return ! Where hast thou
been all this time ? " Replied the other, " In Baghdad where I
broke my fast on honey- fritters."2 Quoth the Badawi to himself,
" Needs must I go to Baghdad and eat honey-fritters therein "; for
in all his life he had never entered Baghdad nor seen fritters of the
sort. So he mounted his stallion and rode on towards Baghdad,
saying in his mind, " 'Tis a fine thing to eat honey-fritters ! On the
honour of an Arab, I will break my fast with honey-fritters and
naught else ! " And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say.
fo&en ft .foas tfje Sbcben ^unHrcfc antr Sbfot& ttf t$t,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the wild
Arab mounted horse and made for Baghdad saying in his mind,
" 'Tis a fine thing to eat honey-fritters ! On the honour of an
Arab I will break my fast with honey-fritters and naught else ;"
and he rode on till he came to the place where Dalilah was
1 This may mean, I should know her even were my eyes blue (or blind) with cataract
and the Bresl. Edit ix., 231, reads "Ayni" = my eye ; or it may be, I should know
her by her staring, glittering, hungry eyes, as opposed to the " Hawar " soft-black and
languishing (Arab. Prov. i. 115, and ii. 848). The Prophet said " blue-eyed (women)
are of good omen." And when one man reproached another saying "Thou art Azrak '*
(blue-eyed!) he retorted," So is the falcon ! " " Zurk-an " in Kor. xx. 102, is translated
by Mr. Rod well " leaden eyes." It ought to be blue-eyed, dim-sighted, purblind.
2 Arab. " Zalabiyah bi-'Asal.M
The Rogueries of Dalilak and her Daughter Z ay nab. 16$
crucified and she heard him mutter these words. So he went up
to her and said to her, " What art thou ? " Quoth she, " I throw
myself on thy protection, O Shaykh of the Arabs ! " and quoth
he, " Allah indeed protect thee ! But what is the cause of thy
crucifixion ? " Said she, " I have an enemy, an oilman, who frieth
fritters, and I stopped to buy some of him, when I chanced to spit
and my spittle fell on the fritters. So he complained of me to the
Governor, who commanded to crucify me, saying : — I adjudge
that ye take ten pounds of honey-fritters and feed her therewith
upon the cross. If she eat them, let her go, but if not, leave her
hanging. And my stomach will not brook sweet things." Cried
the Badawi, " By the honour of the Arabs, I departed not the
camp but that I might taste of honey-fritters ! I will eat them
for thee." Quoth she, " None may eat them, except he be hung
up in my place." So he fell into the trap and unbound her ;
whereupon she bound him in her stead, after she had stripped him
of his clothes and turband and put them on ; then covering herself
with his burnouse and mounting his horse, she rode to her house,
where Zaynab asked her, "What meaneth this plight ? "; and she
answered, " They crucified me ; " and told her all that had befallen
her with the Badawi. This is how it fared with her ; but as regards
the watchmen, the first who woke roused his companions and they
saw that the day had broken. So one of them raised his eyes and
cried, " Dalilah." Replied the Badawi, " By Allah ! I have not
eaten all night. Haye ye brought the honey-fritters ? " All
exclaimed, " This is a man and a Badawi," and one of them
asked him, " O Badawi, where is Dalilah and who loosed her ? "
He answered, " 'Twas I ; she shall not eat the honey-fritters against
her will ; for her soul abhorreth them." So they knew that the
Arab was ignorant of her case, whom she had cozened, and said
to one another, " Shall we flee or abide the accomplishment of that
which Allah hath written for us ? " As they were talking, up came
the Chief of Police, with all the folk whom the old woman had
cheated, and said to the guards, " Arise, loose Dalilah." Quoth
the Badawi, " We have not eaten to-night. Hast thou brought the
honey-fritters ? " Whereupon the Wali raised his eyes to the cross
and seeing the Badawi hung up in the stead of the old woman,
said to the watchmen, "What is this ? " " Pardon, O our lord ! "
"Tell me what hath happened." " We were weary with watching
with thee on guard and said : — Dalilah is crucified. So we fell
asleep, and when we awoke, we found the Badawi hung up in her
1 66 A If Laylah wa Laylak.
room ; and we are at thy mercy." " O folk, Allah's pardon be
upon you ! She is indeed a clever cheat ! " Then they unbound
the Badawi, who laid hold of the Master of Police, saying, "Allah
succour the Caliph against thee ! I look to none but thee for my
horse and clothes ! " So the Wali questioned him and he told
him what had passed between Dalilah and himself. The magis-
trate marvelled and asked him, " Why didst thou release her?";
and the Badawi answered, " I knew not that she was a felon."
Then said the others, " O Chief of Police, we look to thee in the
matter of our goods ; for we delivered the old woman into thy
hands and she was in thy guard ; and we cite thee before the
Divan of the Caliph." Now the Emir Hasan had gone up to the
Divan, when in came the Wali with the Badawi and the five others,
saying, " Verily, we are wronged men ! " " Who hath wronged
you ? " asked the Caliph ; so each came forward in turn and told
his story, after which said the Master of Police, " O Commander
of the Faithful, the old woman cheated me also and sold me these
five men as slaves for a thousand dinars, albeit they are free-born."
Quoth the Prince of True Believers, " I take upon myself all that
you have lost "; adding to the Master of Police, " I charge thee
with the old woman." But he shook his collar, saying, " O Com-
mander of the Faithful, I will not answer for her ; for, after I had
hung her on the cross, she tricked this Badawi and, when he loosed
her, she tied him up in her room and made off with his clothes and
horse." Quoth the Caliph, " Whom but thee shall I charge with
her?"; and quoth the Wali, " Charge Ahmad al-Danaf, for he
hath a thousand dinars a month and one-and-forty followers, at a
monthly wage of an hundred dinars each," So the Caliph said,
" Harkye, Captain Ahmad ! " " At thy service, O Commander of
the Faithful," said he ; and the Caliph cried, " I charge thee to
bring the old woman before us." Replied Ahmad, " I will answer
for her/* Then the Caliph kept the Badawi and the five with him,
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
her permitted say.
SCoto fofien ft te tlje gebcn J^uirtre* anb
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
the Caliph said to Calamity Ahmad, n I charge thee to bring the
old woman before us," he said, " I will answer for her, O Com-
The Rogueries of Dalilah and her Daughter Z ay nab. 167
mander of the Faithful! " Then the Caliph kept the Badawi and
the five with him, whilst Ahmad and his men went down to their
hall,1 saying to one another, " How shall we lay hands on her,
seeing that there are many old women in the town ? " And quoth
Ahmad to Hasan Shuman, " What counsellest thou ? " Whereupon
quoth one of them, by name Ali Kitf al-Jamal,2 to Al-Danaf, " Of
what dost thou take counsel with Hasan Shuman ? Is the Pestilent
one any great shakes ? " Said Hasan, " O Ali, why dost thou
disparage me ? By the Most Great Name, I will not company
with thee at this time!"; and he rose and went out in wrath.
Then said Ahmad, " O my braves, let every sergeant take ten men,
each to his own quarter and search for Dalilah." All did his
bidding, Ali included, and they said, " Ere we disperse let us agree
to rendezvous in the quarter Al-Kalkh." It was noised abroad
in the city that Calamity Ahmad had undertaken to lay hands on
Dalilah the Wily, and Zaynab said to her, " O my mother, an thou
be indeed a trickstress, do thou befool Ahmad al-Danaf and his
company." Answered Dalilah, " I fear none save Hasan Shuman ; "
and Zaynab said, " By the life of my browlock, I will assuredly
get thee the clothes of all the one-and-forty." Then she dressed
and veiled herself and going to a certain druggist, who had a
saloon with two doors, salamed to him and gave him an ashraf/
and said to him, " Take this gold piece as a douceur for thy saloon
and let it to me till the end of the day." So he gave her the
keys and she fetched carpets and so forth on the stolen ass and
furnishing the place, set on each raised pavement a tray of meat
and wine. Then she went out and stood at the door, with her
face unveiled and behold, up came Ali Kitf al-Jamal and his
men. She kissed his hand ; and he fell in love with her, seeing
her to be a handsome girl, and said to her, " What dost thou
want?" Quoth she, "Art thou Captain Ahmad al-Danaf?";
and quoth he, " No, but I am of his company and my name is
Ali Camel-shoulder." Asked she, " Whither fare you ? "; and he
answered, " We go about in quest of a sharkish old woman, who
hath stolen folk's good, and we mean to lay hands on her. But
who art thou and what is thy business ? " She replied, " My
father was a taverner at Mosul and he died and left me much
money. So I came hither, for fear of the Dignities, and asked
1 Arab. «c Ka'ah," their mess-room, barracks.
3 i.e. Camel shoulder-blade.
1 68 Alf Laylah wa Laylak.
the people who would protect me, to which they replied : — None
but Ahmad al-Danaf." Said the men, " From this day forth,
thou art under his protection " ; and she replied, " Hearten me
by eating a bit and drinking a sup of water." * They consented
and entering, ate and drank till they were drunken, when she
drugged them with Bhang and stripped them of their clothes and
arms ; and on like wise she did with the three other companions.
Presently, Calamity Ahmad went out to look for Dalilah, but
found her not, neither set eyes on any of his followers, and went
on till he came to the door where Zaynab was standing. She
kissed his hand and he looked on her and fell in love with her.
Quoth she, " Art thou Captain Ahmad al-Danaf?"; and quoth he,
" Yes : who art thou ? " She replied, " I am a stranger from
Mosul. My father was a vintner at that place and he died and
left me much money wherewith I came to this city, for fear of the
powers that be, and opened this tavern. The Master of Police
hath imposed a tax on me, but it is my desire to put myself under
thy protection and pay thee what the police would take of me, for
thou hast the better right to it." Quoth he, " Do not pay him
aught : thou shalt have my protection and welcome." Then quoth
she, *' Please to heal my heart and eat of my victual." So he
entered and ate and drank wine, till he could not sit upright, when
she drugged him and took his clothes and arms. Then she loaded
her purchase on the Badawi's horse and the donkey-boy's ass and
made off with it, after she had aroused AH Kitf al-Jamal. Camel-
shoulder awoke and found himself naked and saw Ahmad and his
men drugged and stripped : so he revived them with the counter-
drug and they awoke and found themselves naked. Quoth Calamity
Ahmad, " O lads, what is this ? We were going to catch her, and
lo ! this strumpet hath caught us ! How Hasan Shuman will re-
joice over us ! But we will wait till it is dark and then go away."
Meanwhile Pestilence Hasan said to the hall-keeper, " Where are
the men ? "; and as he asked, up they came naked ; and he recited
these two couplets2 : —
1 So in the Brazil you are invited to drink a copa cTagua and find a splendid banquet.
There is a smack of Chinese ceremony in this practice which lingers throughout southern
Europe \ but the less advanced society is, the more it is fettered by ceremony and
"etiquette."
2 The Bresl. edit. (ix. 239) prefers these lines : —
Some of us be hawks and some sparrow-hawks, * And vultures some which at carrion pike j.
And maidens deem all alike we be * But, save in our turbands, we're not alike.
The Rogueries of Dalilah and her Daughter Zaynub. 169
Men in their purposes are much alike, o But in their issues difference
comes to light :
Of men some wise are, others simple souls ; o As of the stars some dull, some
pearly bright.
Then he looked at them and asked, " Who hath played you this
trick and made you naked ? "; and they answered, " We went in
quest of an old woman, and a pretty girl stripped us.'* Quoth
Hasan, "She hath done right well." They asked, "Dost thou
know her ? "; and he answered, " Yes, I know her and the old trot
too." Quoth they, "What shall we say to the Caliph?"; and
quoth he, " O Danaf, do thou shake thy collar before him, and he
will say :-— Who is answerable for her ; and if he ask why thou
hast not caught her ; say thou : — We know her not ; but charge
Hasan Shuman with her. And if he give her into my charge, I
will lay hands on her." So they slept that night and on the
morrow they went up to the Caliph's Divan and kissed ground
before him. Quoth he, " Where is the old woman, O Captain
Ahmad ? " But he shook his collar. The Caliph asked him why
he did so, and he answered, " I know her not; but do thou charge
Hasan Shuman to lay hands on her, for he knoweth her and her
daughter also." Then Hasan interceded for her with the Caliph,
saying, " Indeed, she hath not played off these tricks, because she
coveted the folk's stuff, but to show her cleverness and that of her
daughter, to the intent that thou shouldst continue her husband's
stipend to her and that of her father to her daughter. So an thou
wilt spare her life I will fetch her to thee." Cried the Caliph,
" By the life of my ancestors, if she restore the people's goods, I
will pardon her on thine intercession ! " And said the Pestilence,
" Give me a pledge, O Prince of True Believers ! " Whereupon
Al-Rashid gave him the kerchief of pardon. So Hasan repaired
to Daliiah's house and called to her. Her daughter Zaynab
answered him and he asked her, " Where is thy mother ? " " Up-
stairs," she answered ; and he said, " Bid her take the people's
goods and come with me to the presence of the Caliph ; for I
have brought her the kerchief of pardon, and if she will not come
with a good grace, let her blame only herself." So Dalilah came
down and tying the kerchief about her neck gave him the people's
goods on the donkey-boy's ass and the Badawi's horse. Quoth
he, " There remain the clothes of my Chief and his men "; and
quoth she, " By the Most Great Name, 'twas not I who stripped
them ! " Rejoined Hasan, " Thou sayst sooth, it was thy daughter
A If Laylak wa Laylah.
Zaynab's doing, and this was a good turn she did thee." Then he
carried her to the Divan and laying the people's goods and stuff
before the Caliph, set the old trot in his presence. As soon as he
saw her, he bade throw her down on the carpet of blood, whereat
she cried, " I cast myself on thy protection, O Shuman ! " So he
rose and kissing the Caliph's hands, said, " Pardon, O Commander
of the Faithful ! Indeed, thou gavest me the kerchief of pardon."
Said the Prince of True Believers, " I pardon her for thy sake :
come hither, O old woman ; what is thy name ? " " My name is
Wily Dalilah," answered she, and the Caliph said, "Thou art
indeed crafty and full of guile." Whence she was dubbed Dalilah
the Wily One. Then quoth he, " Why hast thou played all these
tricks on the folk and wearied our hearts ? " and quoth she, " I did
it not of lust for their goods, but because I had heard of the
tricks which Ahmad al-Danaf and Hasan Shuman played in
Baghdad and said to myself:—! too will do the like. And now
I have returned the folk their goods." But the ass-driver rose
and said, " I invoke Allah's law1 between me and her ; for it
sufficed her not to take my ass, but she must needs egg on the
Moorish barber to tear out my eye-teeth and fire me on both
temples." And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say.
fo&en ft foas tje gbcbcn l^unforft anfc 15f$tl)
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
donkey-boy rose and cried out, " I invoke Allah's law between me
and her ; for it sufficed her not to take my ass, but she must needs
egg on the barber to tear out my eye-teeth and fire me on both
temples;" thereupon the Caliph bade give him an hundred
dinars and ordered the dyer the like, saying, " Go ; set up thy
dyery again." So they called down blessings on his head and
went away. The Badawi also took his clothes and horse and de-
parted, saying, "'Tis henceforth unlawful and forbidden me to
enter Baghdad and eat honey-fritters." And the others took their
goods and went away. Then said the Caliph, "Ask a boon of
1 Arab. Shar'a = holy law : here it especially applies to Al-Kisas = lex talionis,
which would order her eye-tooth to be torn out.
The Rogueries of Dalilah and her Daughter Z ay nab. 17 1
me, O Dalilah ! "; and she said, " Verily, my father was governor
of the carrier-pigeons to thee and I know how to rear the birds ;
and my husband was town-captain of Baghdad. Now I wish to
have the reversion of my husband and my daughter wisheth to
have that of her father." The Caliph granted both their requests
and she said, " I ask of thee that I may be portress of thy Khan."
Now he had built a Khan of three stories, for the merchants to
lodge in, and had assigned to its service forty slaves and also forty
dogs he had brought from the King of the Sulaymaniyah,1 when
he deposed him ; and there was in the Khan a cook-slave, who
cooked for the chattels and fed the hounds for which he let make
collars. Said the Caliph, " O Dalilah, I will write thee a patent
of guardianship of the Khan, and if aught be lost therefrom, thou
shalt be answerable for it." " 'Tis well," replied she ; "but do
thou lodge my daughter in the pavilion over the door of the Khan,
for it hath terraced roofs, and carrier-pigeons may not be reared to
advantage save in an open space." The Caliph granted her this also
and she and her daughter removed to the pavilion in question,
where Zaynab hung up the one-and-forty dresses of Calamity
Ahmad and his company. Moreover, they delivered to Dalilah
the forty pigeons which carried the royal messages, and the Caliph
appointed the Wily One mistress over the forty slaves and charged
them to obey her. She made the place of her sitting behind the
door of the Khan, and every day she used to go up to the Caliph's
Divan, lest he should need to send a message by pigeon-post and
stay there till eventide whilst the forty slaves stood on guard at
the Khan ; and when darkness came on they loosed the forty
dogs that they might keep watch over the place by night. Such
were the doings of Dalilah the Wily One in Baghdad and much
like them were
1 i.f.t of the Afghans. Sulaymani is the Egypt and Hijazi term for an Afghan and
the proverb says " Sulaymani harami"— the Afghan is a villainous man. See Pilgri-
mage i. 59, which gives them a better character. The Bresl. edit, simply says, "King
Sulayman."
172 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
THE ADVENTURES OF MERCURY ALI OF CAIRO.1
Now as regards the works of Mercury 'AH ; there lived once at
Cairo,2 in the days of Salah the Egyptian, who was Chief of the
Cairo Police and had forty men under him, a sharper named AH,
for whom the Master of Police used to set snares and think that
he had fallen therein ; but, when they sought for him, they found
that he had fled like zaybak, or quicksiler, wherefore they dubbed
him AH Zaybak or Mercury AH of Cairo. Now one day, as he
sat with his men in his hall, his heart became heavy within him
and his breast was straitened. The hall-keeper saw him sitting
with frowning face and said to him, " What aileth thee, O my
Chief? If thy breast be straitened take a turn in the streets of
Cairo, for assuredly walking in her markets will do away with
thy irk." So he rose up and went out and threaded the streets
awhile, but only increased in cark and care. Presently, he came
to a wine-shop and said to himself, " I will go in and drink myself
drunken." So he entered and seeing seven rows of people in
the shop, said, " Harkye, taverner ! I will not sit except by
myself." Accordingly, the vintner placed him in a chamber alone
and set strong pure wine before him whereof he drank till he lost
his senses. Then he sallied forth again and walked till he came
to the road called Red, whilst the people left the street clear
before him, out of fear of him. Presently, he turned and saw a
water-carrier trudging along, with his skin and gugglet, crying out
and saying, " O exchange ! There is no drink but what raisin*
make, there is no love-delight but what of the lover we take and
none sitteth in the place of honour save the sensible freke5!" So
he said to him, " Here, give me to drink ! " The water-carrier
looked at him and gave him the gugglet which he took and
gazing into it, shook it up and lastly poured it out on the ground.
1 This is a sequel to the Story of Dalilah and both are highly relished by Arabs. The
Bresl. Edit. ix. 245, runs both into one.
2 Arab. Misr, Masr. the Capital, says Savary, applied alternately to Memphis, Fostat
and Grand Cairo each of which had a Jizah (pron. Gizah), skirt, angle outlying
suburb.
3 For the curious street-cries of old Cairo see Lane (M. E. chapt. xiv.) and my
Pilgrimage (i. 120) : here the rhymes are of Zabib (raisins), habib (lover) and labi'b
(man of sense}.
The Adventures of Mercury AH of Cario. 173
Asked the water-carrier, "Why dost thou not drink?"'; and he
answered, saying, " Give me to drink." So the man filled the cup
a second time and he took it and shook it and emptied it on the
ground ; and thus he did a third time. Quoth the water-carrier,
" An thou wilt not drink, I will be off." And Ali said, " Give me
to drink. " So he filled the cup a fourth time and gave it to him ;
and he drank and gave the man a dinar. The water-carrier looked
at him with disdain and said, belittling him, " Good luck to thee !
Good luck to thee, my lad ! Little folk are one thing and great
folk another!" And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased saying her permitted say.
Noto tojien it toa* t|je &eton ^unttreft antr Nmtfj
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
utoter-carrier receiving the dinar, looked at the giver with disdain
and said, " Good luck to thee ! Good luck to thee ! Little folk
are one thing and great folk another." Now when Mercury Ali
heard this, he caught hold of the man's gaberdine and drawing on
him a poignard of price, such an one as that whereof the poet
speaketh in these two couplets : —
Watered steel-blade, the world perfection calls, o Drunk with the viper poison
foes appals,
Cuts lively, burns the blood whene'er it falls ; o And picks up gems from
pave of marble halls -,1
cried to him, " O Shaykh, speak reasonably to me ! Thy water-
skin is worth if dear three dirhams, and the gugglets I emptied on
the ground held a pint or so of water." Replied the water-carrier
"Tis well," and Ali rejoined, "I gave thee a golden ducat: why,
then dost thou belittle me ? Say me, hast thou ever seen any
more valiant than I or more generous than I ? " Answered the
water-carrier; "I have indeed, seen one more valiant than thou
and eke more generous than thou ; for, never, since women bare
1 The Mac. and Bui. Edits, give two silly couplets of moral advice : —
Strike with thy stubborn steel, and never fear * Aught save the Godhead of Allmighty
Might ;
And shun ill practices and never show * Through life but generous gifts to human
sight.
The above is from the Bresl. Edit. ix. 247.
174 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
children, was there on earth's face a brave man who was not
generous." Quoth Ali, and who is he thou deemest braver and
more generous than I ? " Quoth the other, " Thou must know
that I have had a strange adventure. My father was a Shaykh
of the Water-carriers who give drink in Cairo and, when he died,
he left me five male camels, a he-mule, a shop and a house ; but
the poor man is never satisfied; or, if he be satisfied he dieth.
So I said to myself:— I will go up to Al-Hijaz ; and, taking a
string of camels, bought goods on tick, till I had run in debt for
five hundred ducats, all of which I lost in the pilgrimage. Then
I said in my mind : — If I return to Cairo the folk will clap me in
jail for their goods. So I fared with the pilgrims-caravan of
Damascus to Aleppo and thence I went on to Baghdad, where I
sought out the Shaykh of the Water-carriers of the city and
finding his house I went in and repeated the opening chapter of
the Koran to him. He questioned me of my case and I told
him all that had betided me, whereupon he assigned me a shop
and gave me a water-skin and gear. So I sallied forth a-morn
trusting in Allah to provide, and went round about the city. I
offered the gugglet to one, that he might drink ; but he cried, " I
have eaten naught whereon to drink ; for a niggard invited me
this day and set two gugglets before me ; so I said to him : — O
son of the sordid, hast thou given me aught to eat that thou
offerest me drink after it ? Wherefore wend thy ways, O water-
carrier, till I have eaten somewhat : then come and give me to
drink.'1 Thereupon I accosted another and he said : —Allah pro-
vide thee ! And so I went on till noon, without taking hansel,
and I said to myself, Would Heaven I had never come to Bagh-
dad ! Presently, I saw the folk running as fast as they could ;
so I followed them and behold, a long file of men riding two and
two and clad in steel, with double neck-rings and felt bonnets and
burnouses and swords and bucklers. I asked one of the folk
whose suite this was, and he answered, That of Captain Ahmad
al-Danaf. Quoth I, And what is he? and quoth the other, He
is town-captain of Baghdad and her Divan, and to him is com-
mitted the care of the suburbs. He getteth a thousand dinars a
month from the Caliph and Hasan Shuman hath the like. More-
over, each of his men draweth an hundred dinars a month ; and
they are now returning to their barrack from the Divan. And lo !
Calamity Ahmad saw me and cried out, Come give me drink. So
I filled the cup and gave it him, and he shook it and emptied it
The Adventures of Mercury AH of Cairo. 175
out, like unto thee ; and thus he did a second time. Then I filled
the cup a third time and he took a draught as thou diddest ; after
which he asked me, O water-carrier, whence comest thou? And
I answered, From Cairo, and he, Allah keep Cairo and her citi-
zens ! What may bring thee thither? So I told him my story
and gave him to understand that I was a debtor fleeing from debt
and distress. He cried, Thou art welcome to Baghdad; then he
gave me five dinars and said to his men, For the love of Allah be
generous to him. So each of them gave me a dinar and Ahmad
said to me, O Shaykh, what while thou abides! in Baghdad thou
shalt have of us the like every time thou givest us to drink.
Accordingly, I paid them frequent visits and good ceased not to
come to me from the folk till, one day, reckoning up the profit I
had made of them, I found it a thousand dinars and said to
myself, The best thing thou canst do is to return to Egypt. So I
went to Ahmad's house and kissed his hand, and he said, What
seekest thou ? Quoth I, I have a mind to depart ; and I repeated
these two couplets : —
Sojourn of stranger, in whatever land, o Is like the castle basedwpon the
wind :
The breaths of breezes level all he raised, o And so on homeward-way's the
stranger's mind.
I added, The caravan is about to start for Cairo and I wish to
return to my people. So he gave me a she-mule and an hundred
dinars and said to me, I desire to send somewhat by thee, O
Shaykh ! Dost thou know the people of Cairo ? Yes, answered
I ; And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to
say her permitted say.
Nofo fofjen it foas tfje Sbebm f^untafc anb STentJ
She pursued, It hath reached me, 0 auspicious King, that when
Ahmad al-Danaf had given the water-carrier a she-mule and an
hundred dinars and said to him, " I desire to send a trust by thee.
Dost thou know the people of Cairo ? " I answered (quoth the
water-carrier), Yes ; and he said, Take this letter and carry it to
AH Zaybak of Cairo arid say to him, Thy Captain saluteth thee
and he is now with the Caliph. So I took the letter and journeyed
back to Cairo, where I paid my debts and plied my water-carry-
A If Lay I ah wa Lay la k.
ing trade ; but I have not delivered the letter, because I know
not the abode of Mercury All." Quoth Ali, " O elder, be of
good cheer and keep thine eyes cool and clear : I am that Ali,
the first of the lads of Captain Ahmad : here with the letter J "
So he gave him the missive and he opened it and read these two
couplets : —
« O adornment of beauties to thee write I o On a paper that flies as the
winds go by :
Could I fly, I had flown to their arms in desire, « But a bird with cut wings;
how shall ever he fly ? "
" But after salutation from Captain Ahmad al-Danaf to the
eldest of his sons, Mercury Ali of Cairo. Thou knowest that I
tormented Salah al-Din the Cairene and befooled him till I buried
him alive and reduced his lads to obey me, and amongst them
Ali Kitf al-Jamal ; and I am now become town-captain of
Baghdad in the Divan of the Caliph who hath made me over-
seer of the suburbs. An thou be still mindful of our covenant,
come to me ; haply thou shalt play some trick in Baghdad which
may promote thee to the Caliph's service, so he may appoint thee
stipends and allowances and assign thee a lodging, which is what
thou wouldst see and so peace be on thee." When Ali read this
letter, he kissed it and laying it on his head, gave the water-
carrier ten dinars ; after which he returned to his barracks and
told his comrades and said to them, " I commend you one to
other." Then he changed all his clothes and, donning a travelling
cloak and a tarboosh, took a case, containing a spear of bamboo-
cane, four-and-twenty cubits long, made in several pieces, to fit
into one another. Quoth his lieutenant, " Wilt thou go a journey
when the treasury is empty ? " ; and quoth Ali, " When I reach
Damascus I will send you what shall suffice you." Then he set
out and fared on, till he overtook a caravan about to start,
whereof were the Shah-bandar, or Provost of the Merchants, and
forty other traders. They had all loaded their beasts, except
the Provost, whose loads lay upon the ground, and Ali heard his
caravan-leader, who was a Syrian, say to the muleteers, " Bear a
hand, one of you ! " But they reviled him and abused him.
Quoth Ali in himself, " None will suit me so well to travel
withal as this leader." Now Ali was beardless and well-favoured ;
so he went up to and saluted the leader who welcomed him and
said, " What seekest thou ? " Replied Ali, " O my uncle, I see
The Adventures of Mercury AH of Cairo. 1 77
thee alone with forty mule-loads of goods ; but why hast thou not
brought hands to help thee ?" Rejoined the other, O my son, I
hired two lads and clothed them and put in each one's pocket
two hundred dinars ; and they helped me till we came to the
Dervishes' Convent,1 when they ran away." Quoth Ali, " Whither
are you bound ? " and quoth the Syrian, " to Aleppo/' when
Ali said, " I will lend thee a hand." Accordingly they loaded
the beasts and the Provost mounted his she-mule and they set out
he rejoicing in Ali ; and presently he loved him and made
much of him and on this wise they fared on till nightfall, when
they dismounted and ate and drank. Then came the time of
sleep and Ali lay down on his side and made as if he slept ;
whereupon the Syrian stretched himself near him and Ali rose
from his stead and sat down at the door of the merchant's
pavilion. Presently, the Syrian turned over and would have
taken Ali in his arms, but found him not and said to himself,
" Haply he hath promised another and he hath taken him ;
but I have the first right and another night I will keep him."
Now Ali continued sitting at the door of the tent till nigh upon
daybreak, when he returned and lay down near the Syrian, who
found him by his side, when he awoke, and said to himself, " If
I ask him where he hath been, he will leave me and go away/'
So he dissembled with him and they went on till they came to
a forest, in which was a cave, where dwelt a rending lion. Now
whenever a caravan passed, they would draw lots among
themselves and him on whom the lot fell they would throw to
the beast. So they drew lots and the lot fell not save upon the
Provost of the Merchants. And lo ! the lion cut off their way
awaiting his pray, wherefore the Provost was sore distressed
and said to the leader, " Allah disappoint the fortunes* of the far
one and bring his journey to naught ! I charge thee, after my
death, give my loads to my children." Quoth Ali the Clever
One, " What meaneth all this ?" So they told him the case and
he said, " Why do ye run from the tom-cat of the desert ? I
warrant you I will kill him." So the Syrian went to the Provost
and told him of this and he said, " If he slay him, I will give him
1 Arab. •' Al-Khanakah " now more usually termed a Takfyah (Pilgrim, i. 124).
2 Arab. " Ka'b al-ba'fd " (Bresl. Edit. ix. 255) =heel or ankle, melaph. for fortune,
reputation : so the Arabs say the "Ka'b of the tribe is gone I " here "the far one"
= the caravan-leader.
VOL. VIL M
178 A If Laylak wa Laylak.
a thousand dinars/* and said the other merchants, "We will
reward him likewise one and all." With this AH put off
his mantle and there appeared upon him a suit of steel ; then he
took a chopper of steel l and opening it turned the screw ; after
which he went forth alone and standing in the road before the
lion, cried out to him. The lion ran at him, but AH of Cairo
smote him between the eyes with his chopper and cut him in
sunder, whilst the caravan-leader and the merchants looked on.
Then said he to the leader, " Have no fear, O nuncle ! " and the
Syrian answered, saying, " O my son, I am thy servant for all
future time." Then the Provost embraced him and kissed him
between the eyes and gave him the thousand dinars, and each of
the other merchants gave him twenty dinars. He deposited all
the coin with the Provost and they slept that night till the morning,
when they set out again, intending for Baghdad, and fared on
till they came to the Lion's Clump and the Wady of Dogs, where
lay a villain Badawi, a brigand and his tribe, who sallied forth on
them. The folk fled from the highwaymen, and the Provost said,
" My monies are lost ! "; when, lo ! up came AH in a buff coat
hung with bellsj and bringing out his long lance, fitted the pieces
together. Then he seized one of the Arab's horses and mounting
it cried out to the Badawi Chief, saying, " Come out to fight me
with spears ! " Moreover he shook his bells and the Arab's mare
took fright at the noise and AH struck the chiefs spear and broke
it. Then he smote him on the neck and cut off his head.2 When
the Badawin saw their chief fall, they ran at AH, but he cried out,,
saying, " Allaho Akbar — God is Most Great! " — and, falling on them
broke them and put them to flight. Then he raised the Chief's head
on his spear-point and returned to the merchants, who rewarded
him liberally and continued their journey, till they reached
Baghdad. Thereupon AH took his money from the Provost and
committed it to the Syrian caravan-leader, saying, " When thou
returnest to Cairo, ask for my barracks and give these monies to
my deputy." Then he slept that night and on the morrow he
entered the city and threading the streets enquired for Calamity
1 Arab. "Shan't," from Sharata = he Scarified; " Mishrat " = a lancet and
" Sharif ah " =r a mason's rule. Mr. Payne renders " Sharit " by whinyard : it must be
a chopper-like weapon, with a pin or screw (laulab) to keep the blade open like the
snap of the Spaniard's cuchillo. Dozy explains itrzepee, synonyme de Sayf.
8 Text "Dimagh," a Persianism when used for the head : the word properly means
brain or meninx.
The Adventures of Mercury AH of Cairo. 179
Ahmad's quarters; but none would direct him thereto.1 So he'
walked on, till he came to the square Al-Nafz, where he saw
children at play, and amongst them a lad called Ahmad al-Lakft,2
and said to himself, " O my AH, thou shalt not get news of them
but from their little ones." Then he turned and seeing a sweet-
meat-seller bought Halwd of him and called to the children ; but
Ahmad al-Lakit drove the rest away and coming up to him, said,
" What seekest thou ? " Quoth AH, " I had a son a'nd he died and
I saw him in a dream asking for sweetmeats : wherefore I have
bought them and wish to give each child a bit." So saying, he
gave Ahmad a slice, and he looked at it and seeing a dinar
sticking to it, said, " Begone ! I am no catamite : seek another
than I." Quoth AH, " O my son, none but a sharp fellow taketh
the hire, even as he is a sharp one who giveth it. I have sought
all day for Ahmad al-Danaf s barrack, but none would direct me
thereto ; so this dinar is thine an thou wilt guide me thither."
Quoth the lad, " I will run before thee and do thou keep up with
me, till I come to the place, when I will catch up a pebble with
my foot 3 and kick it against the door ; and so shalt thou know it."
Accordingly he ran on and AH after him, till they came to the
place, when the boy caught up a pebble between his toes and
kicked it against the door so as to make the place known. And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
Nofo fojtn ft foas tje §beten f^un&refc anfc
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Ahmad the Abortion had made known the place, AH laid hold of
him and would have taken the dinar from him, but could not ; so
he said to him, " Go : thou deservest largesse for thou art a sharp
fellow, whole of wit and stout of heart. Inshallah, if I become a
1 They were afraid even to stand and answer this remarkable ruffian.
2 Ahmad the Abortion, or the Foundling, nephew (sister's son) of Zaynab the Coney-
catcher. See supra, p. 145.
3 Here the sharp lad discovers the direction without pointing it out. I need hardly
enlarge upon the prehensile powers of the Eastern foot : the tailor will hold his cloth
between his toes and pick up his needle with it, whilst the woman can knead every
muscle and at times catch a mosquito between the toes. I knew an officer in India
whose mistress hurt his feelings by so doing at a critical time when he attributed her
movement to pleasure.
i8o A If Laylah wa Laylak.
captain to the Caliph, I will make thee one of my lads." Then
the boy made off and Ali Zaybak went up to the door and knocked ;
whereupon quoth Ahmad al-Danaf, "O doorkeeper, open the
door ; that is the knock of Quicksilver Ali the Cairene." So he
opened the door and Ali entered and saluted with the salam
Ahmad who embraced him, and the Forty greeted him. Then
Calamity Ahmad gave him a suit of clothes, saying, " When the
Caliph made me captain, he clothed my lads and I kept this suit l
for thee." Then they seated him in the place of honour and
setting on meat they ate well and drink they drank hard and
made merry till the morning, when Ahmad said to Ali, " Beware
thou walk not about the streets of Baghdad, but sit thee still in
this barrack." Asked Ali, " Why so ? Have I come hither to be
shut up ? No, I came to look about me and divert myself."
Replied Ahmad, "O my son, think not that Baghdad be like
Cairo. Baghdad is the seat of the Caliphate ; sharpers abound
therein and rogueries spring therefrom as worts spring out of
earth.*' So Ali abode in the barrack three days when Ahmad
said to him, " I wish to present thee to the Caliph, that he
may assign thee an allowance." But he replied, " When the
time cometh." So he let him go his own way. One day, as
Ali sat in the barrack, his breast became straitened and his soul
troubled and he said in himself, " Come, let us up and thread the
ways of Baghdad and broaden my bosom.'* So he went out and
walked from street to street, till he came to the middle bazar,
where he entered a cook-shop and dined ;2 after which he went out
to wash his hands. Presently he saw forty slaves, with felt bon-
nets and steel cutlasses, come walking, two by two ; and last of all
came Dalilah the Wily, mounted on a she-mule, with a gilded
helmet which bore a ball of polished steel, and clad in a coat of
mail, and such like. Now she was returning from the Divan to
the Khan of which she was portress ; and when she espied Ali,
she looked at him fixedly and saw that he resembled Calamity
Ahmad in height and breadth. Moreover, he was clad in a striped
1 Arab. " Hullah " = dress. In old days it was composed of the Burd or Rida, the
shoulder-cloth from 6 to 9 or 10 feet long, and the Izar or waistcloth which was either
tied or tucked into a girdle of leather or metal. The woman's waistcloth was called
Nitah and descended to the feet while the upper part was doubled and provided with a
Tikkah or string over which it fell to the knees overhanging the lower folds. This
doubling of the " Hujrah," or part round the waist, was called the " Hubkah."
1 Arab " Taghadda," the dinner being at eleven a.m. or noon.
The Adventures of Mercury All of Cairo.
181
Aba-cloak and a burnous, with a steel cutlass by his side and
similar gear, while valour shone from his eyes, testifying in favour
of him and not in disfavour of him. So she returned to the Khan
and going in to her daughter, fetched a table of sand, and struck
a geomantic figure, whereby she discovered that the stranger's
name was AH of Cairo and that his fortune overcame her fortune
and that of her daughter. Asked Zaynab, " O my mother, what
hath befallen thee that thou hast recourse to the sand-table?"
Answered Dalilah, " O my daughter, I have seen this day a young
man who resembleth Calamity Ahmad, and I fear lest he come to
hear how thou didst strip Ahmad and his men and enter the Khan
and play us a trick, in revenge for what we did with his chief and
the forty ; for methinks he has taken up his lodging in Al-Danaf s
barrack/' Zaynab rejoined, " What is this ? Methinks thou hast
taken his measure." Then she donned her fine clothes and went
out into the streets. When the people saw her, they all made love
to her and she promised and sware and listened and coquetted and
passed from market to market, till she saw AH the Cairene coming,
when she went up to him and rubbed her shoulder against him.
Then she turned and said, " Allah give long life to folk of dis-
crimination ! " Quoth he, " How goodly is thy form ! To whom
dost thou belong ? " ; and quoth she, " To the gallant1 like thee ; "
and he said, " Art thou wife or spinster ? " " Married," said she.
Asked AH, "Shall it be in my lodging or thine?"2 and she
answered, " I am a merchant's daughter and a merchant's wife
and in all my life I have never been out of doors till to-day, and
my only reason was that when I made ready food and thought to
eat, I had no mind thereto without company. When I saw thee,
love of thee entered my heart : so wilt thou deign solace my soul
and eat a mouthful with me ? " Quoth he, " Whoso is invited, let
him accept." Thereupon she went on and he followed her from
street to street, but presently he bethought himself and said,
" What wilt thou do and thou a stranger ? Verily 'tis said :—
Whoso doth whoredom in his strangerhood, Allah will send him
1 Arab. Ghandur for which the Dictionaries give only " fat, thick." It applies in
Arabia especially to a Harami, brigand or freebooter, most honourable of professions,
slain in foray or fray, opposed to " Fatis" or carrion (the corps crtvt of the Klephts),
the man who dies the straw-death. Pilgrimage iii. 66.
2 My fair readers will note with surprise how such matters are hurried in the East.
The picture is, however, true to life in lands where "flirtation" is utterly unknown and,
indeed, impossible.
1 82 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
back disappointed. But I will put her off from thee with fair
words." So he said to her, " Take this dinar and appoint me a
day other than this ; " and she said, " By the Mighty Name, it
may not be but thou shalt go home with me as my guest this very
day and I will take thee to fast friend." So he followed her till
she came to a house with a lofty porch and a wooden bolt on the
door and said to him, " Open this lock." * Asked he " Where is
the key ? " ; and she answered, " Tis lost." Quoth he, " Whoso
openeth a lock without a key is a knave whom it behoveth the
ruler to punish, and I know not how to open doors without keys ? 2 "
With this she raised her veil and showed him her face, whereat he
took one glance of eyes that cost him a thousand sighs. Then she
let fall her veil on the lock and repeating over it the names of the
mother of Moses, opened it without a key and entered. He fol-
lowed her and saw swords and steel-weapons hanging up ; and she
put off her veil and sat down with him. Quoth he to himself,
" Accomplish what Allah hath decreed to thee," and bent over her,
to take a kiss of her cheek ; but she caught the kiss upon her palm,
saying, " This beseemeth not but by night." Then she brought a
tray of food and wine, and they ate and drank ; after which she
rose and drawing water from the well, poured it from the ewer over
his hands, whilst he washed them. Now whilst they were on this
wise, she cried out and beat upon her breast, saying, " My husband
had a signet-ring of ruby, which was pledged to him for five
hundred dinars, and I put it on ; but 'twas too large for me, so I
straitened it with wax, and when I let down the bucket,3 that
ring must have dropped into the well So turn thy face to the
door, the while I doff my dress and go down into the well and
fetch it." Quoth Ali, " 'Twere shame on me that thou shouldst
go down there I being present ; none shall do it save I." So he
put off his clothes and tied the rope about himself and she let him
down into the well. Now there was much water therein and she
said to him, " The rope is too short ; loose thyself and drop down."
So he did himself loose from the rope and dropped into the
water, in which he sank fathoms deep without touching bottom ;
whilst she donned her mantilla and taking his clothes, returned to
her mother And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say.
1 Arab. "Zabbah," the wooden bolt (before noticed) which forms the lock and is
opened by a slider and pins. It is illustrated by Lane (M. E. Introduction).
* i.e. I am not a petty thief. * Arab. Sail = kettle, bucket. Lat. Situla (?)
The Adventures of Mercury Ali of Cairo. 183
TJCofu fojen ft toas tf)0 &eben ^untofc anfc ^toclftj Nt'g&t,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Ali
of Cairo was in the well, Zaynab donned her mantilla and, taking
his clothes, returned to her mother and said, " I have stripped Ali
the Egyptian and cast him into the Emir Hasan's well, whence
alas for his chance of escaping!"1 Presently, the Emir Hasan,
the master of the house, who had been absent at the Divan, came
home and, finding the door open, said to his Syce, "Why didst
thou not draw the bolt ? " " O my lord," replied the groom,
" indeed I locked it with my own hand." The Emir cried, " As
my head liveth, some robber hath entered my house ! " Then he
went in and searched, but found none and said to the groom,
" Fill the ewer, that I may make the Wuzu-ablution." So the
man lowered the bucket into the well but, when he drew it up, he
found it heavy and looking down, saw something therein sitting ;
whereupon he let it fall into the water and cried out, saying, " O
my lord, an Ifrit came up to me out of the well ! " Replied the
Emir, " Go and fetch four doctors of the law, that they may read
the Koran over him, till he go away." So he fetched the doctors
and the Emir said to them, " Sit round this well and exorcise me
this Ifrit." They did as he bade them ; after which the groom and
another servant lowered the bucket again and AH clung to it and
hid himself under it patiently till he came near the top, when he
sprang out and landed among the doctors, who fell a-cuffing one
another and crying out, " Ifrit ! Ifrit ! " The Emir looked at Ali
and seeing him a young man, said to him, "Art thou a thief?"
" No," replied Ali ; " Then what dost thou in the well ? " asked
the Emir ; and Ali answered, " I was asleep and dreamt a wet
dream ;2 so I went down to the Tigris to wash myself and dived,
whereupon the current carried me under the earth and I came up
in this well." Quoth the other, "Tell the truth."3 So Ali told
him all that had befallen him, and the Emir gave him an old
1 i.e. <f there is no chance of 'his escaping." It may also mean, *' And far from him
(Hay hat) is escape."
2 Arab. "Ihtilam," the sign of puberty in boy or girl; this, like all emissions of
semen, voluntary or involuntary, requires the Ghuzl or total ablution before prayers can
be said, etc. See vol. v. 199, in the Tale of Tawaddud.
3 This is the way to take an Eastern when he tells a deliberate lie ; and it often
surprises him into speaking the truth.
1 84 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
gown and let him go. He returned to Calamity Ahmad's lodging
and related to him all that had passed. Quoth Ahmad, " Did I
not warn thee that Baghdad is full of women who play tricks upon
men ? " And quoth AH Kitf al-Jamal, " I conjure thee by the
Mighty Name, tell me how it is that thou art the chief of the lads
of Cairo and yet hast been stripped by a girl ? " This was
grievous to Ali and he repented him of not having followed
Ahmad's advice. Then the Calamity gave him another suit of
clothes and Hasan Shuman said to him, " Dost thou know the
young person ? " " No," replied Ali ; and Hasan rejoined,
" Twas Zaynab, the daughter of Dalilah the Wily, the portress of
the Caliph's Khan ; and hast thou fallen into her toils, O Ali ? "
Quoth he, " Yes," and quoth Hasan, " O Ali, 'twas she who took
thy Chiefs clothes and those of all his men." " This is a disgrace
to you all ! " "And what thinkest thou to do ? " " I purpose to
marry her/' " Put away that thought far from thee, and console thy
heart of her." " O Hasan, do thou counsel me how I shall do to
marry her/' " With all my heart : if thou wilt drink from my
hand and march under my banner, I will bring thee to thy will of
her." " I will well." So Hasan made Ali put off his clothes ;
and, taking a cauldron heated therein somewhat as it were pitch,
wherewith he anointed him and he became like unto a blackamoor
slave. Moreover, he smeared his lips and cheeks and pencilled
his eyes with red Kohl.1 Then he clad him in a slave's habit and
giving him a tray of kabobs and wine, said to him, " There is a
black cook in the Khan who requires from the bazar only meat ;
and thou art now become his like ; so go thou to him civilly and
accost him in friendly fashion and speak to him in the blacks'
lingo, and salute him, saying, Tis long since we met in the
beer-ken. He will answer thee, I have been too busy : on my
hands be forty slaves, for whom I cook dinner and supper, besides
making ready a tray for Dalilah and the like for her daughter
Zaynab and the dogs' food. And do thou say to him, Come, let
us eat kabobs and lush swipes.2 Then go with him into the
saloon and make him drunken and question him of his service,
how many dishes and what dishes he hath to cook, and ask him of
1 The conjunctiva in Africans is seldom white ; often it is red and more frequently
yeHow.
* So in the texts, possibly a clerical error for the wine which he had brought with the
kabobs. But beer is the especial tipple of African slaves in Egypt.
The Adventures of Mercury All of Cairo. 185
the dogs* food and the keys of the kitchen and the larder ; and he
will tell thee ; for a man, when he is drunken, telleth all he would
conceal were he sober. When thou hast done this drug him and
don his clothes and sticking the two knives in thy girdle, take the
vegetable-basket and go to the market and buy meat and greens,
with which do thou return to the Khan and enter the kitchen and
the larder and cook the food. Dish it up and put Bhang in it, so
as to drug the dogs and the slaves and Dalilah and Zaynab and
lastly serve up. When all are asleep, hie thee to the upper
chamber and bring away every suit of clothes thou wilt find
hanging there. And if thou have a mind to marry Zaynab, bring
with thee also the forty carrier-pigeons/' So AH went to the
Khan and going in to the cook, saluted him and said, " Tis long
since I have met thee in the beer-ken." The slave replied, "I
have been busy cooking for the slaves and the dogs." Then he
took him and making him drunken, questioned him of his work.
Quoth the kitchener, " Every day I cook five dishes for dinner
and the like for supper ; and yesterday they sought of me a sixth
dish,1 yellow rice,2 and a seventh, a mess of cooked pomegranate
seed." Ali asked, "And what is the order of thy service ?" and
the slave answered, " First I serve up Zaynab's tray, next Dalilah's ;
then I feed the slaves and give the dogs their sufficiency of meat,
and the least that satisfies them is a pound each." But, as fate
would have it, he forgot to ask him of the keys. Then he drugged
him and donned his clothes ; after which he took the basket and
went to the market. There he bought meat and greens. And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
Nofo foljm it tons tfie S>eben fountain an* mftfeent]) Ni$t,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Ali of
Cairo, after drugging the cook-slave with Bhang, took the two
knives which he stuck in his belt and, carrying the vegetable-
1 Arab. Laun, prop. := color, hue ; but applied to species and genus, our '« kind "j
and especially to dishes which differ in appearance ; whilst in Egypt it means any dish.
2 Arab. «' Zardah "= rice dressed with honey and saffron. Vol. ii. 313. The word is
still common in Turkey.
186 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
basket, went to the market where he bought meat and greens ;
and, presently returning to the Khan, he saw Dalilah seated at the
gate, watching those who went in and came out, and the forty
slaves with her, armed. So he heartened his heart and entered ;
but Dalilah knew him and said to him, " Back, O captain of
thieves ! Wilt thou play a trick on me in the Khan ? " Thereupon
he (dressed as a slave) turned and said to her, " What sayest thou,
0 portress ? " She asked, " What hast thou done with the slave,
our cook ? ; say me if thou hast killed or drugged him ? " He
answered, " What cook ? Is there here another slave-cook than
1 ? " She rejoined, " Thou liest, thou art Mercury AH the Cairene."
And he said to her, in slaves' patois, " O portress, are the Cairenes
black or white ? I will slave for you no longer." Then said the
slaves to him, " What is the matter with thee, O our cousin ? "
Cried Dalilah, " This is none of your uncle's children, but AH
Zaybak the Egyptian ; and meseems he hath either drugged your
cousin or killed him." But they said, " Indeed this is our cousin
Sa'adu'llah the cook ; " and she, " Not so, 'tis Mercury AH, and
he hath dyed his skin.'* Quoth the sharper, " And who is AH ? I
am Sa'adu'llah." Then she fetched unguent of proof, with which
she anointed Ali's forearm and rubbed it ; but the black did not
come off; whereupon quoth the slaves, " Let him go and dress us
our dinner." Quoth Dalilah, " If he be indeed your cousin, he
knoweth what you sought of him yesternight1 and how many
dishes he cooketh every day." So they asked him of this and he
said, " Every day I cook you five dishes for the morning and the
like for the evening meal, lentils and rice and broth and stew2 and
sherbet of roses ; and yesternight ye sought of me a sixth dish and
a seventh, to wit yellow rice and cooked pomegranate seed." And
the slaves said " Right ! " Then quoth DaHlah, " In with him and
if he know the kitchen and the larder, he is indeed your cousin ;
but, if not, kill him." Now the cook had a cat which he had
brought up, and whenever he entered the kitchen it would stand
at the door and spring to his back, as soon as he went in. So,
when AH entered, the cat saw him and jumped on his shoulders ;
but he threw it off and it ran before him to the door of the kitchen
1 Arab. " Laylat Ams," the night of yesterday (Al-barihah) not our " last night " which
would be the night of the day spoken of.
2 Arab. " Yakhnf," a word much used in Persia and India and properly applied to
the complicated broth prepared for the rice and meat. For a good recipe see Herklots,
Appendix xxix.
The Adventures of Mercury All of Cairo.
187
and stopped there. He guessed that this was the kitchen door ; so
he took the keys and seeing one with traces of feathers thereon,
knew it for the kitchen key and therewith opened the door. Then
he entered and setting down the greens, went out again, led by the
cat, which ran before him and stopped at another door. He guessed
that this was the larder and seeing one of the keys marked with
grease, knew it for the key and opened the door therewith ; where-
upon quoth the slaves, " O Dalilah, were he a stranger, he had not
known the kitchen and the larder, nor had he been able to distin-
guish the keys thereof from the rest ; verily, he is our cousin
Sa'adu'llah." Quoth she, " He learned the places from the cat and
distinguished the keys one from the other by the appearance : but
this cleverness imposeth not upon me" Then he returned to the
kitchen where he cooked the dinner and, carrying Zaynab's tray up
to her room, saw all the stolen clothes hanging up ; after which he
went down and took Dalilah her tray and gave the slaves and the
dogs their rations. The like he did at sundown and drugged
Dalilah's food and that of Zaynab and the slaves. Now the doors
of the Khan were opened and shut with the sun. So Ali went
forth and cried out, saying, " O dwellers in the Khan, the watch
is set and we have loosed the dogs ; whoso stirreth out after this
can blame none save himself." But he had delayed the dogs'
supper and put poison therein ; consequently when he set it before
them, they ate of it and died while the slaves and Dalilah and
Zaynab still slept under Bhang. Then he went up and took all the
clothes and the carrier-pigeons and, opening the gate, made off to
the barrack of the Forty, where he found Hasan Shuman the
Pestilence who said to him, " How hast thou fared ? " Thereupon
he told him what had passed and he praised him. Then he
caused him put off his clothes and boiled a decoction of herbs
wherewith he washed him, and his skin became white as it was ;
after which he donned his own dress and going back to the Khan,
clad the cook in the habit he had taken from him and made him smell
to the counter-drug ; upon which the slave awoke and going forth
to the greengrocer's, bought vegetables and returned to the Khan,
Such was the case with Al-Zaybak of Cairo ; but as regards Dalilah
the Wily, when the day broke, one of the lodgers in the Khan came
out of his chamber and, seeing the gate open and the slaves drugged
and the dogs dead, he went in to her and found her lying drugged,
with a scroll on her neck and at her head a sponge steeped in the
counter-drug. He set the sponge to her nostrils and she awoke and
Laylak wa Laylah.
asked," Where am I ?" The merchant answered, "When I came down
from my chamber I saw the gate of the Khan open and the dogs
dead and found the slaves and thee drugged." So she took up
the paper and read therein these words, " None did this deed save
Ali the Egyptian." Then she awoke the slaves and Zaynab by
making them smell the counter-Bhang and said to them, " Did I not
tell you that this was Ali of Cairo ?"; presently adding to the slaves,
" But do ye conceal the matter." Then she said to her daughter,
" How often have I warned thee that Ali would not forego his
revenge? He hath done this deed in requital of that which
thou diddest with him and he had it in his power to do with thee
other than this thing ; but he refrained therefrom out of courtesy
and a desire that there should be love and friendship between us."
So saying, she doffed her man's gear and donned woman's attire 1
and, tying the kerchief of peace about her neck, repaired to Ahmad
al-Danafs barrack. Now when Ali entered with the clothes and
the carrier-pigeons, Hasan Shuman gave the hall-keeper the price
of forty pigeons and he bought them and cooked them amongst
the men. Presently there came a knock at the door and Ahmad
said, " That is Dalilah's knock : rise and open to her, O hall-
keeper." So he admitted her and And Shahrazad perceived
the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Nofo fo&en ft foas t&e fteben ^un&rrtr anfc jfourtefntf) Wi
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Dalilah was admitted, Hasan asked her, " What bringeth thee
hither, O ill-omened old woman ? Verily, thou and thy brother
Zurayk the fishmonger are of a piece \ "; and she answered, " O
captain I am in the wrong and this my neck is at thy mercy ; but
tell me which of you it was that played me this trick ? " Quoth
Calamity Ahmad, " Twas the first of my lads." Rejoined Dalilah,
" For the sake of Allah intercede with him to give me back the
carrier-pigeons and what not, and thou wilt lay me under great
obligation." When Hasan heard this he said, " Allah requite thee,
O Ali \ Why didst thou cook the pigeons ? "; and Ali answered,
" I knew not that they were carrier-pigeons." Then said Ahmad,
" O hall-keeper bring us the cooked pigeons." So he brought them
and Dalilah took a piece and tasting it, said, " This is none of the
1 In token of defeat and in acknowledgment that she was no match for men.
The Adventures of Mercury Alt of Cairo.^ 189
carrier-pigeons' flesh, for I fed them on grains of musk and their
meat is become even as musk." Quoth Shuman, " An thou desire
to have the carrier-pigeons, comply with Ali's will." Asked she
" What is that ? " And Hasan answered, " He would have thee
marry him to thy daughter Zaynab." She said, " I have not com-
mand over her except of affection "; and Hasan said to AH the
Cairene " Give her the pigeons." So he gave them to her, and she
took them and rejoiced in them. Then quoth Hasan to her,
" There is no help but thou return us a sufficient reply "; and
Dalilah rejoined, "If it be indeed his wish to marry her, it availed
nothing to play this clever trick upon us : it behoveth him rather
to demand her in marriage of her mother's brother and her
guardian, Captain Zurayk, him who crieth out, saying : — Ho ! a
pound of fish for two farthings ! and who hangeth up in his shop
a purse containing two thousand dinars." When the Forty heard
this, they all rose and cried out, saying, " What manner of blather
is this, O harlot ? Dost thou wish to bereave us of our brother
Ali of Cairo ? " Then she returned to the Khan and said to her
daughter, " Ali the Egyptian seeketh thee in marriage." Whereat
Zaynab rejoiced, for she loved him because of his chaste forbear-
ance towards her,1 and asked her mother what had passed. So
she told her, adding, " I made it a condition that he should demand
thy hand of thine uncle, so I might make him fall into destruc-
tion." Meanwhile Ali turned to his fellows and asked them,
" What manner of man is this Zurayk ? "; and they answered," He
was chief of the sharpers of Al-Irak land and could all but pierce
mountains and lay hold upon the stars. He would steal the Kohl
from the eye and, in brief, he had not his match for roguery ; but
he hath repented his sins and forsworn his old way of life and
opened him a fishmonger's shop. And now he hath amassed two
thousand dinars by the sale of fish and laid them in a purse with
strings of silk, to which he hath tied bells and rings and rattles of
brass, hung on a peg within the doorway. Every time he openeth
his shop he suspendeth the said purse and crieth out, saying : —
Where are ye, O sharpers of Egypt, O prigs of Al-Irak, O
tricksters of Ajam-land ? Behold, Zurayk the fishmonger hath
hung up a purse in front of his shop, and whoso pretendeth to
1 This is a neat touch of nature. Many a woman, even of the world, has fallen in love
with a man before indifferent to her because he did not take advantage of her when he
bad the opportunity.
igo A If Laylah wa Laylak.
craft and cunning, and can take it by sleight, it is his. So the long
fingered and greedy-minded come and try to take the purse, but
cannot ; for, whilst he frieth his fish and tendeth the fire, he layeth
at his feet scone-like circles of lead ; and whenever a thief thinketh
to take him unawares and maketh a snatch at the purse he casteth
at him a load of lead and slayeth him or doeth him a damage. So
O Ali, wert thou to tackle him, thou wouldst be as one who
jostleth a funeral cortege, unknowing who is dead j1 for thou art no
match for him, and we fear his mischief for thee. Indeed, thou
hast no call to marry Zaynab, and he who leaveth a thing alone
liveth without it." Cried Ali, " This were shame, O comrades ;
needs must I take the purse : but bring me a young lady's habit."
So they brought him women's clothes and he clad himself therein
and stained his hands with Henna, and modestly hung down his
veil. Then he took a lamb and killing it, cut out the long
intestine 2 which he cleaned and tied up below ; moreover he filled
1 The slightest movement causes a fight at a funeral or a wedding-procession in the
East ; even amongst the " mild Hindus."
8 Arab. " Al-Musran " (plur. of " Masir ") properly the intestines which contain the
chyle. The bag made by Ali was, in fact, a " Cundum " (so called from the inventor*
Colonel Cundum of the Guards in the days of Charles Second) or " French letter "; une
capote anglaise, a "check upon child." Captain Grose says (Class. Diet. etc. s.v.
Cundum) "The dried gut of a sheep worn by a man in the act of coition to prevent
venereal infection. These machines were long prepared and sold by a matron of the
name of Philips at the Green Canister in Half Moon Street in the Strand * * *
Also a false scabbard over a sword and the oilskin case for the colours of a regiment."
Another account is given in the Guide Pratique des Maladies Secretes, Dr. G. Harris,
Bruxelles. Librairie Populaire. He calls these petits sachets de baudruche " Candoms,
from the doctor who invented them." (Littre ignores the word) and declares that the
famous Ricord compared them with a bad umbrella which a storm can break or burst,
while others term them cuirasses against pleasure and cobwebs against infection. They
were much used in the last century. "Those pretended stolen goods were Mr. Wilkes's
Papers, many of which tended to prove his authorship of the North Briton, No. 45,
April 23, 1763, and some Cundums enclosed in an envelope" (Records of C. of King's
Bench, London, 1763). " Pour finir 1' inventaire de ces curiosites du cabinet de Madame
Gourdan, il ne faut pas omettre une multitude de redingottes appelees d'Angleterre, je ne
sais pourquois. Vous connoissez, an surplus, ces especes de boucliers qu'on oppose aux
traits empoisonnes de 1'amour ; el qui n'emoussent que ceux du plaisir." (L* Observateur
Anglois, Londies 1778, iii. 69). Again we read : —
" Les capotes melancoliques
Qui pendent chez les gros Millan (?)
S'enflent d'elles-memes, lubriques,
Et dechargent en se gonflant."
Passage Satyrique.
The Adventures of Mercury Alt of Cairo. 191
it with the blood and bound it between his thighs ; after which he
donned petticoat-trousers and walking boots. He also made
himself a pair of false breasts with birds' crops and filled them
with thickened milk and tied round his hips and over his belly a
piece of linen, which he stuffed with cotton, girding himself over
all with a kerchief of silk well starched. Then he went out,
whilst all who saw him exclaimed. " What a fine pair of hind
cheeks ! " Presently he saw an ass-driver coming, so he gave
him a dinar and mounting, rode till he came to Zurayk's shop,
where he saw the purse hung up and the gold glittering
through it. Now Zurayk was frying fish, and AH said, " O
ass-man, what is that smell ? " Replied he, " It's the smell
of Zurayk's fish." Quoth Ali, "I am a woman with child and
the smell harmeth me ; go, fetch me a slice of the fish." So the
donkey-boy said to Zurayk, " What aileth thee to fry fish so early
and annoy pregnant women with the smell ? I have here the wife
of the Emir Hasan Sharr al-Tarik, and she is with child ; so give
her a bit of fish, for the babe stirreth in her womb. O Protector,
O my God, avert from us the mischief of this day ! " Thereupon
Zurayk took a piece of fish and would have fried it, but the fire
had gone out and he went in to rekindle it. Meanwhile Ali dis-
mounted and sitting down, pressed upon the lamb's intestine till
it burst and the blood ran out from between his legs. Then he
cried aloud, saying, " O my back ! O my side " Whereupon the
driver turned and seeing the blood running, said, " What aileth
thee, O my lady ? " Replied Ali, " I have miscarried "; where-
upon Zurayk looked out and seeing the blood fled affrighted
into the inner shop. Quoth the donkey-driver, "Allah torment
Also in Louis Prolat :—
" II fuyait, me laissant une capote au cul."
The articles are now of two kinds mostly of baudruche (sheep's gut) and a few of
caoutchouc. They are made almost exclusively in the faubourgs of Paris, giving employ-
ment to many women and young girls ; Crenelle turns out the baudruche and Crenelle
and Lilas the India-rubber article ; and of the three or four makers M. Deschamps is
best known. The sheep's gut is not joined in any way but of single piece as it comes
from the animal after, of course, much manipulation to make it thin and supple ; the
inferior qualities are stuck together at the sides. Prices vary from 4^ to 36 francs per
gross. Those of India-rubber are always joined at the side with a solution especially
prepared for the purpose. I have also heard of fish-bladders but can give no details on
the subject. The Cundum was unknown to the ancients of Europe although syphilis was
not : even prehistoric skeletons show traces of its ravages.
1 9* A If Laylah wa Laylah.
thee, O Zurayk ! The lady hath miscarried and thou art no
match for her husband. Why must thou make a stench so early
in the morning ? I said to thee : — Bring her a slice, but thou
wouldst not." Thereupon, he took his ass and went his way and,
as Zurayk still did not appear, AH put out his hand to the purse ;
but no sooner had he touched it than the bells and rattles and
rings began to jingle and the gold to chink. Quoth Zurayk, who
returned at the sound, " Thy perfidy hath come to light, O gallows-
bird ! Wilt thou put a cheat on me and thou in a woman's habit ?
Now take what cometh to thee ! " And he threw a cake of lead
at him, but it went agley and lighted on another ; whereupon the
people rose against Zurayk and said to him, " Art thou a trades-
man, or a swashbuckler ? An thou be a tradesman, take down thy
purse and spare the folk thy mischief." He replied, " Bismillah,
in the name of Allah ! On my head be it." As for Ali, he made
off to the barrack and told Hasan Shuman what had happened,
after which he put off his woman's gear and donning a groom's
habit which was brought to him by his chief took a dish and five
dirhams. Then he returned to Zurayk's shop and the fishmonger
said to him, " What dost thou want, O my master ? " 1 He showed
him the dirhams and Zurayk would have given him of the fish
in the tray, but he said, " I will have none save hot fish." So he
set fish in the earthen pan and finding the fire dead, went in to
relight it; whereupon Ali put out his hand to the purse and
caught hold of the end of it. The rattles and rings and bells
jingled and Zurayk said, "Thy trick hath not deceived me. I
knew thee for all thou art disguised as a groom by the grip of
thy hand on the dish and the dirhams.0 And Shahrazad per-
ceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Nofo fojen ft toas tje &eben f^untoteU anto Jftfttentf)
She resumed, It hath reached me. O auspicious King, that when
Ali of Egypt put out his hand to the purse, the bells and rings
jingled and Zurayk said, " Thy trick hath not deceived me for
all thou comest disguised as a groom I knew thee by the grip of
thy hand on the dish and the dirhams ! " So saying, he threw the
1 Arab. " Ya UstA M (for " Ustaz.") The Pers. term is Ustad = a craft-master, an
artisan and especially a barber. Here it is merely a polite address.
The Adventures of Mercury AH of Cairo. 193
lead at him, but he avoided it and it fell into the pan full of
hot fish and broke it and overturned it, fat and all, upon the
breast and shoulders of the Kazi, who was passing. The oil ran
down inside his clothes to his privy parts and he cried out, " O
my privities ! What a sad pickle you are in ! Alas, unhappy I !
Who hath played me this trick?" Answered the people, "O
our lord, it was some small boy that threw a stone into the
pan: but for Allah's ward, it had been worse." Then they
turned and seeing the loaf of lead and that it was Zurayk who
,had thrown it, rose against him and said to him, " O Zurayk,
this is not allowed of Allah ! Take down the purse or it shall
go ill for thee." Answered he, " I will take it down, Inshallah \ "
Meanwhile Ali returned to the barrack and told his comrades
who cried, " Where is the purse ? ", all that had passed and they
said, "Thou hast exhausted two-thirds of his cunning." Then
he changed his groom's dress for the garb of a merchant and
going out, met a snake-charmer, with a bag of serpents and a
wallet containing his kit to whom said he, " O charmer, come
and amuse my lads, and thou shalt have largesse." So he accom-
panied him to the barrack, where he fed him and drugging him
with Bhang, doffed his clothes and put them on. Then he took
the bags and repairing to Zurayk's shop began to play the reed-
pipe. Quoth Zurayk, " Allah provide thee ! " But Ali pulled
out the serpents and cast them down before him ; whereat the
fishseller, who was afraid of snakes, fled from them into the
inner shop. Thereupon Ali picked up the reptiles and, thrusting
them back into the bag, stretched out his hand and caught hold
of the end of the purse. The rings again rang and the bells and
rattles jangled, and Zurayk cried, " Wilt thou never cease to play
me tricks ? Now thou feignest thyself a serpent-charmer ! " So
saying, he took up a piece of lead, and hurled it at Ali ; but it
missed him and fell on the head of a groom, who was passing
by, following his master, a trooper, and knocked him down.
Quoth the soldier, "Who felled him?"; and the folk said,
"'Twas a stone fell from the roof." So the soldier passed on
and the people, seeing the piece of lead, went up to Zurayk
and cried to him, "Take down the purse!"; and he said,
" Inshallah, I will take it down this very night ! " Ali ceased
not to practice upon Zurayk till he had made seven different
attempts but without taking the purse. Then he returned the
snake-charmer his clothes and kit and gave him due benevo-
,VOL. VII. N
194 A If Laylah wa Lay la h.
lence ; after which he went back to Zurayk's shop and heard
him say, " If I leave the purse here to-night, he will dig through
the shop-wall and take it ; I will carry it home with me." So
he arose and shut the shop; then he took down the purse and
putting it in his bosom set out home, till he came near his
house, when he saw a wedding in a neighbour's lodging and
said to himself, " I will hie me home and give my wife the purse
and don my fine clothes and return to the marriage." And AH
followed him. Now Zurayk had married a black girl, one of the
freed women of the Wazir Ja'afar and she had borne him a son,
whom he named Abdallah, and he had promised her to spend the
money in the purse on the occasion of the boy's circumcision and
of his marriage-procession. So he went into his house and, as he
entered, his wife saw that his face was overcast and asked him,
" What hath caused thy sadness ? " Quoth he, " Allah hath
afflicted me this day with a rascal who made seven attempts to get
the purse, but without avail ; " and quoth she, " Give it to me, that
I may lay it up against the boy's festival-day." (Now Ali, who
had followed him lay hidden in a closet whence he could see and
hear all.) So he gave her the purse and changed his clothes, say-
ing, " Keep the purse safely, O Umm Abdallah, for I am going to
the wedding." But she said, "Take thy sleep awhile." So he lay
down and fell asleep. Presently, Ali rose and going on tiptoe to
the purse, took it and went to the house of the wedding and stood
there, looking on at the fun. Now meanwhile, Zurayk dreamt that
he saw a bird fly away with the purse and awaking in affright, said
to his wife, " Rise; look for the purse." So she looked and finding
it gone, buffeted her face and said, " Alas the blackness of thy
fortune, O Umm Abdallah ! A sharker hath taken the purse."
Quoth Zurayk, " By Allah it can be none other than rascal Ali
who hath plagued me all day ! He hath followed me home and
seized the purse ; and there is no help but that I go and get it
back." Quoth she, " Except thou bring it, I will lock on thee
the door and leave thee to pass the night in the street." So
he went up to the house of the wedding, and seeing Ali looking
on, said to himself/' This is he who took the purse; but he lodgeth
with Ahmad al-Danaf." So he forewent him to the barrack and,
climbing up at the back, dropped down into the saloon, where he
found every one asleep. Presently there came a rap at the door
and Zurayk asked, " Who is there ! " " Ali of Cairo," answered the
The Adventures of Mercury Alt of Cairo. 195
knocker ; and Zurayk said, " Hast thou brought the purse ? " So
Ali thought it was Hasan Shuman and replied, " I have brought
it j1 open the door." Quoth Zurayk, " Impossible that I open to
thee till I see the purse ; for thy chief and I have laid a wager
about it." Said Ali, " Put out thy hand." So he put out his hand
through the hole in the side-door and Ali laid the purse in it;
whereupon Zurayk took it and going forth, as he had come in,
returned to the wedding. Ali stood for a long while at the door,
but none opened to him ; and at last he gave a thundering knock
that awoke all the men and they said, " That is Ali of Cairo's
peculiar rap." So the hall-keeper opened to him and Hasan
Shuman said to him, " Hast thou brought the purse ? " Replied
Ali, " Enough of jesting, O Shuman : didst thou not swear that
thou wouldest not open to me till I showed thee the purse, and
did I not give it thee through the hole in the side door ? And
didst thou not say to me, I am sworn never to open the door till
thou show me the purse ? " Quoth Hasan, " By Allah, 'twas not
I who took it, but Zurayk ! " Quoth Ali, " Needs must I get it
again," and repaired to the house of the wedding, where he heard
the buffoon2 say, "Bravo,3 O Abu Abdallah ! Good luck to thee
with thy son ! " Said Ali, " My luck is in the ascendant," and
going to the fishmonger's lodging, climbed over the back wall of
the house and found his wife asleep. So he drugged her with
Bhang and clad himself in her clothes. Then he took the child in
his arms and went round, searching, till he found a palm-leaf
1 In common parlance Arabs answer a question (like the classics of Europe who rarely
used Yes and Nof Yea and Nay), by repeating its last words. They have, however,
many affirmative particles e.g. Ni'am which answers a negative " Dost thou not go ?"
— Ni'am (Yes !) ; and Ajal, a stronger form following a command, e.g. Sir (go) — Ajal,
Yes verily. The popular form is Aywa ('llahi) = Yes, by Allah. The chief negatives
are Ma and La, both often used in the sense of " There is not."
2 Arab. " Khalbiis," prop, the servant of the Almah-gids who acts buffoon as well as
pimp. The " Maskharah " (whence our " mask ") corresponds with the fool or jester of
mediaeval Europe: amongst the Arnauts he is called "Suttari" and is known by his
fox's tails : he mounts a mare, tom-toms on the kettle-drum and is generally one of the
bravest of the corps. These buffoons are noted for extreme indecency : they generally
appear in the ring provided with an enormous phallus of whip-cord and with this they
charge man, woman and child, to the infinite delight of the public.
3 Arab. "Shubash" pronounced in Egypt Shobash : it is the Persian Shah-bash lit.
=r be a King, equivalent to our bravo. Here, however, the allusion is to the buffoon's
cry at an Egyptian feast, " Shohbash 'alayk, ya Sahib al-faraj," =a present is due from
thee, O giver of the fete ! " See Lane M E. xxvii.
196 A If Lay la k wa Laylah.
basket containing buns,1 which Zurayk of his niggardliness, had
kept from the Greater Feast. Presently, the fishmonger returned
and knocked at the door, whereupon AH imitated his wife's voice
and asked, " Who is at the door ? " " Abu Abdallah," answered
Zurayk and AH said, " I swore that I would not open the door to
thee, except thou broughtest back the purse." Quoth the fish-
monger, " I have brought it." Cried AH, " Here with it into my
hand before I open the door;" and Zurayk answered, saying, " Let
down the basket and take it therein." So Sharper AH let down
the basket and the other put the purse therein, whereupon All
took it and drugged the child. Then he aroused the woman and
making off by the back way as he had entered, returned with the
child and the purse and the basket of cakes to the barrack and
showed them all to the Forty, who praised his dexterity. There-
upon he gave them cakes, which they ate, and made over the boy
to Hasan Shuman, saying, " This is Zurayk's child ; hide it by
thee." So he hid it and fetching a lamb, gave it to the hall-keeper
who cooked it whole, wrapped in a cloth, and laid it out shrouded
as it were a dead body. Meanwhile Zurayk stood awhile, waiting
at the door, then gave a knock like thunder and his wife said to
him, " Hast thou brought the purse ? " He replied, " Didst thou
not take it up in the basket thou diddest let down but now?"; and
she rejoined, " I let no basket down to thee, nor have I set eyes
on the purse." Quoth he, " By Allah the sharper hath been
beforehand with me and hath taken the purse again ! " Then he
searched the house and found the basket of cakes gone and the
child missing and cried out, saying, " Alas, my child ! " Where-
upon the woman beat her breast and said, ° I and thee to the
Wazir, for none hath killed my son save this sharper, and all
because of thee." Cried Zurayk, " I will answer for him." So he
tied the kerchief of truce about his neck and going to Ahmad
al-Danaf's lodging, knocked at the door. The hall-keeper ad-
mitted him and as he entered Hasan Shuman asked him, " What
bringeth thee here ? " He answered, " Do ye intercede with AH
the Cairene to restore me my child and I will yield to him the
purse of gold." Quoth Hasan, " Allah requite thee, O AH ! Why
1 Arab. " Kafak al-I'd: " the former is the Arab form of the Persian " Kahk " (still
retained in Egypt) whence I would derive our word " cake." It alludes to the sweet
cakes which are served up with dates, the quatre mendiants and sherbets during visits of
the Lesser (not the greater) Festival, at the end of the Ramazan fast. (Lane M.E. xxv).
The Adventures of Mercury Ali of Cairo.
didst thou not tell me it was his child ? " " What hath befallen
him ? " cried Zurayk, and Hasan replied, " We gave him raisins to
eat, and he choked and died ; and this is he." Quoth Zurayk
"Alas, my son! What shall I say to his mother?" Then he
rose and opening the shroud, saw it was a lamb barbecued and
said, " Thou makest sport of me, O Ali ! " Then they gave him
the child and Calamity Ahmad said to him, "Thou didst hang up
the purse, proclaiming that it should be the property of any sharper
who should be able to take it, and Ali hath taken it; so 'tis the
very property of our Cairene." Zurayk answered, " I make him
a present of it ;" but Ali said to him, " Do thou accept it on
account of thy niece Zaynab." And Zurayk replied, " I accept it."
Then quoth the Forty, " We demand of thee Zaynab in marriage
for Ali of Cairo ;" but quoth he, " I have no control over her save
of kindness." Hasan asked, "Dost thou grant our suit ?"; and he
answered, "Yes, I will grant her in marriage to him who can avail
to her mahr or marriage-settlement." " And what is her dowry ? "
enquired Hasan ; and Zurayk replied, " She hath sworn that none
shall mount her breast save the man who bringeth her the robe of
Kamar, daughter of Azariah the Jew and the rest of her gear."
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to
say her permitted say.
IC-ofo fo&cn ft foas tfie &eben ^untrnft anfc £>txteentf) Nifl&t,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Zurayk replied to Shuman, "She hath sworn that none shall
ride astraddle upon her breast save the man who bringeth her
the clothes of Kamar, daughter of Azariah the Jew and her
crown and girdle and pantoufle1 of gold/' Ali cried, " If I do
not bring her the clothes this very night, I renounce my claim to
her." Rejoined Zurayk, " O Ali, thou art a dead man if thou play
any of thy pranks on Kamar." " Why so ? " asked Ali and the
other answered, " Her father, Jew Azariah, is a skilful, wily, per-
fidious magician who hath the Jinn at his service. He owneth
without the city a castle, whose walls are one brick of gold and
one of silver and which is visible to the folk only whilst he is
1 Arab. " Tasumah," a rare word for a peculiar slipper. Do*y (s. v.) says only,
«espece de chaussure, sandale, pantoufle, soulier.
198 A If Laylak wa Laylah.
therein : when he goeth forth, it disappeareth. He brought his
daughter this dress I speak of from an enchanted treasure, and
every day he layeth it in a charger of gold and, opening the
windows of the palace, crieth out : — Where are the sharpers of
Cairo, the prigs of Al-Irak, the master-thieves of Ajam-land ?
Whoso prevaileth to take this dress, 'tis his. So all the long-
fingered ones essayed the adventure, but failed to take it, and he
turned them by his magic into apes and asses." But Ali said, " I
will assuredly take it, and Zaynab shall be displayed therein/' *
So he went to the shop of the Jew and found him a man of stern
and forbidding aspect, seated with scales and stone-weights and
gold and silver and nests of drawers and so forth before him, and
a she-mule tethered hard by. Presently he rose and shutting his
shop, laid the gold and silver in two purses, which he placed in a
pair of saddle-bags and set on the she-mule's back. Then he
mounted and rode till he reached the city-outskirts followed, with-
out his knowledge, by Ali, when he took out some dust from a
pocket-purse and, muttering over it, sprinkled it upon the air, No
sooner had he done this than sharper Ali saw a castle which had
not its like, and the Jew mounted the steps upon his beast which
was a subject Jinni ; after which he dismounted and taking the
saddle-bags off her back, dismissed the she-mule and she vanished.
Then he entered the castle and sat down. Presently, he arose and
opening the lattices, took a wand of gold, which he set up in the
open window and, hanging thereto a golden charger by chains of
the same metal, laid in it the dress, whilst Ali watched him from
behind the door, and presently he cried out, saying, " Where are
the sharpers of Cairo ? Where are the prigs of Al-Irak, the
master-thieves of the Ajam-land ? Whoso can take this dress by
his sleight, 'tis his ! " Then he pronounced certain magical words
and a tray of food spread itself before him. He ate and conjured
a second time, whereupon the tray disappeared ; and yet a third
time, when a table of wine was placed between his hands and he
drank. Quoth Ali, " I know not how I am to take the dress
except if he be drunken. " Then he stole up behind the Jew
whinger in grip ; but the other turned and conjured, saying to his
hand, " Hold with the sword ;" whereupon Ali's right arm was held
and abode half-way in the air hending the hanger. He put out his
1 Arab. " Ijtila " = the displaying of the bride on her wedding night so often alluded
to in The Nights.
The Adventures of Mercury All of Cairo. 199
left hand to the weapon, but it also stood fixed in the air, and so with
his right foot, leaving him standing on one foot. Then the Jew
dispelled the charm from him and Ali became as before. Pre-
sently Azariah struck a table of sand and found that the thief s
name was Mercury Ali of Cairo ; so he turned to him and said,
" Come nearer! Who art thou and what dost thou here? " He
replied, " I am Ali of Cairo, of the band of Ahmad al-Danaf. I
sought the hand of Zaynab, daughter of Dalilah the Wily, and
she demanded thy daughter's dress to her dowry ; so do thou give
it to me and become a Moslem, an thou wouldst save thy life."
Rejoined the Jew, " After thy death ! Many have gone about to
steal the dress, but failed to take it from me ; wherefore an thou
deign be advised, thou wilt begone and save thyself ; for they only
seek the dress of thee, that thou mayst fall into destruction ; and
indeed, had I not seen by geomancy that thy fortune overrideth
my fortunes I had smitten thy neck." Ali rejoiced to hear that
his luck overcame that of the Jew and said to him, " There is no
help for it but I must have the dress and thou must become a True
Believer." Asked the Jew, " Is this thy will and last word," and
Ali answered, " Yes." So the Jew took a cup and filling it with
water, conjured over it and said to Ali, " Come forth from this
shape of a man into the form of an ass." Then he sprinkled him
with the water and straightway he became a donkey, with hoofs
and long ears, and fell to braying after the manner of asinines.
The Jew drew round him a circle which became a wall over
against him, and drank on till the morning, when he said to Ali,
" I will ride thee to-day and give the she-mule a rest." So he
locked up the dress, the charger, the rod and the charms in a
cupboard1 and conjured over Ali, who followed him. Then he
set the saddle-bags on his back and mounting, fared forth of the
Castle, whereupon it disappeared from sight and he rode into
Baghdad, till he came to his shop, where he alighted and emptied
the bags of gold and silver into the trays before him. As for Ali,
he was tied up by the shop-door, where he stood in his asinine
form hearing and understanding all that passed, without being
able to speak. And behold, up came a young merchant with
whom fortune had played the tyrant and who could find no easier
way of earning his livelihood than water-carrying. So he brought
1 Arab. Khiskhanah ; a mixed word from Khaysh = canvass or stuffs generally and
Pers. Khanah = house room. Dozy (s.v.) says armoiret buffet.
2OO A If Laylah wa Laylah.
his wife's bracelets to the Jew and said to him, " Give me the
price of these bracelets, that I may buy me an ass." Asked the
Jew, " What wilt thou do with him ? "; and the other answered,
" O master, I mean to fetch water from the r/ver on his back, and
earn my living thereby.'1 Quoth the Jew, " Take this ass of mine."
So he sold him the bracelets and received the ass-shaped Ali of
Cairo in part payment and carried him home. Quoth Ali to him-
self, " If the Ass-man clap the pannel on thee and load thee with
water-skins and go with thee half a score journeys a day he will
ruin thy health and thou wilt die." So, when the water-carrier's
wife came to ^bring him his fodder, he butted her with his head
and she fell on her back ; whereupon he sprang on her and smiting
her brow with his mouth, put out and displayed that which his
begetter left him. She cried aloud and the neighbours came to
her assistance and beat him and raised him off her breast. When
her husband the intended water-carrier came home, she said to
him, " Now either divorce me or return the ass to his owner." He
asked, " What hath happened ? "; and she answered, " This is a
devil in the guise of a donkey. He sprang upon me, and had not
the neighbours beaten him off my bosom he had done with me a
foul thing." So he carried the ass back to the Jew, who said
to him, " Wherefore hast thou brought him back ? " and he
replied, " He did a foul thing with my wife." So the Jew gave
him his money again and he went away; and Azariah said to Ali,
" Hast thou recourse to knavery, unlucky wretch that thou art, in
order that And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased saying her permitted say.
ttfoto fo&en it foas tfje &cbtn l^untofc anto Jbcbenfmtti)
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
the water-carrier brought back the ass, its Jew owner returned to
him the monies and turning to Ali of Cairo said, " Hast thou
recourse to knavery, unlucky wretch that thou art, in order that
he may return thee to me ? But since it pleaseth thee to be an
ass, I will make thee a spectacle and a laughing stock to great and
small." Then he mounted him and rode till he came without the
city, when he brought out the ashes in powder and conjuring over
it sprinkled it upon the air and immediately the Castle appeared.
He entered and taking the saddle-bags off the ass's back set up
The Adventures of Mercury Ali of Cairo. 20 1
the rod and hung to it the charger wherein were the clothes pro-
claiming aloud, " Where be the clever ones of all quarters who
may avail to take this dress?" Then he conjured as before and
meat was set before him and he ate and then wine when he drank ;
after which he took a cup of water and muttering certain words
thereover, sprinkled it on the ass Ali, saying, " Quit this form and
return to thy former shape." Ali straightway became a man once
more and Azariah said to him, " O Ali, take good advice and be
content with my mischief. Thou hast no call to marry Zaynab
nor to take my daughter's dress, for 'tis no easy matter for thee :
so leave greed and 'twill be better for thee ; else will I turn thee
into a bear or an ape or set on thee an Ifrit, who will cast thee
behind the Mountain Kaf." He replied, " I have engaged to take
the dress and needs must I have it and thou must Islamize or I
will slay thee." Rejoined the Jew, " O Ali, thou art like a walnut;
unless it be broken it cannot be eaten." Then he took a cup of
water and conjuring over it, sprinkled Ali with somewhat thereof,
saying, u Take thou shape of bear ; " whereupon he instantly be-
came a bear and the Jew put a collar about his neck, muzzled him
and chained him to a picket of iron. Then he sat down and ate
and drank, now and then throwing him a morsel of his orts and
emptying the dregs of the cup over him, till the morning, when he
rose and laid by the tray and the dress and conjured over the
bear, which followed him to the shop. There the Jew sat down
and emptied the gold and silver into the trays before Ali, after
binding him by the chain ; and the bear there abode seeing and
comprehending but not able to speak. Presently up came a man
and a merchant, who accosted the Jew and said to him, "O Master,
wilt thou sell me yonder bear? I have a wife who is my cousin
and is sick ; and they have prescribed for her to eat bears' flesh
and anoint herself with bears' grease." At this the Jew rejoiced
and said to himself, " I will sell him to this merchant, so he may
slaughter him and we be at peace from him." And Ali also said in
his mind, " By Allah, this fellow meaneth to slaughter me ; but
deliverance is with the Almighty." Then said the Jew, " He is a
present from me to thee." So the merchant took him and carried
him to the butcher, to whom he said, " Bring thy tools and com-
pany me." The butcher took his knives and followed the merchant
to his house, where he bound the beast and fell to sharpening his
blade : but, when he went up to him to slaughter him, the bear
escaped from his hands and rising into the air, disappeared from
202 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
sight between heaven and earth ; nor did he cease flying till he
alighted at the Jew's castle. Now the reason thereof was on this
wise. When the Jew returned home, his daughter questioned him
of AH and he told her what had happened ; whereupon she said,
" Summon a Jinni and ask him of the youth, whether he be indeed
Mercury Ali or another who secketh to put a cheat on thee." So
Azariah called a Jinni by conjurations and questioned him of Ali ;
and he replied, "'Tis Ali of Cairo himself. The butcher hath
pinioned him and whetted his knife to slaughter him." Quoth the
Jew, " Go, snatch him up and bring him hither, ere the butcher cut
his throat." So the Jinni flew off and, snatching Ali out of the
butcher's hands, bore him to the palace and set him down before
the Jew, who took a cup of water and conjuring over it, sprinkled
him therewith, saying, "Return to thine own shape." And he
straightway became a man again as before. The Jew's daughter
Kamar,1 seeing him to be a handsome young man, fell in love with
him and he fell in love with her ; and she said to him, " O unlucky
one, why dost thou go about to take my dress, enforcing my father
to deal thus with thee ?" Quoth he, t( 1 have engaged to get it for
Zaynab the Coney-catcher, that I may wed her therewith." And
she said, " Others than thou have played pranks with my father to
get my dress, but could not win to it," presently adding, " So put
away this thought from thee." But he answered, " Needs must I
have it, and thy father must become a Moslem, else I will slay
him." Then said the Jew, " See, O my daughter, how this un-
lucky fellow seeketh his own destruction," adding, " Now I will
turn thee into a dog." So he took a cup graven with characters
and full of water and conjuring over it, sprinkled some of it upon
Ali, saying, " Take thou form of dog." Whereupon he straight-
way became a dog, and the Jew and his daughter drank together
till the morning, when the father laid up the dress and charger
and mounted his mule. Then he conjured over the dog, which
followed him, as he rode towards the town, and all dogs barked at
Ali 2 as he passed, till he came to the shop of a broker, a seller of
second-hand goods, who rose and drove away the dogs, and Ali
lay down before him. The Jew turned and looked for him, but
1 The Bresl. Edit. "Kamarfyah"= Moon-like (fern.) for Moon.
* Every traveller describes the manners and customs of dogs in Eastern cities where
they furiously attack all canine intruders. I have noticed the subject in writing of Al-
Medinah where the beasts are confined to the suburbs (Pilgrimage ii. 52-54).
The Adventures of Mercury All of Cairo. 203
finding him not, passed onwards. Presently, the broker shut up
his shop and went home, followed by the dog, which, when his
daughter saw enter the house, she veiled her face and said, " O my
papa, dost thou bring a strange man in to me ? " He replied, " O
my daughter, this is a dog." Quoth she, " Not so, 'tis Ali the
Cairene, whom the Jew Azariah hath enchanted ; " and she turned
to the dog and said to him, " Art not Ali of Cairo ? " And he
signed to her with his head, " Yes." Then her father asked her,
" Why did the Jew enchant him ? " ; and she answered, " Because
of his daughter Kamar's dress ; but I can release him." Said the
broker, " An thou canst indeed do him this good office, now is the
time," and she, " If he will marry me, I will release him." And
he signed to her with his head, " Yes." So she took a cup of
water, graven with certain signs and conjuring over it, was about
to sprinkle Ali therewith, when lo and behold ! she heard a great
cry and the cup fell from her hand. She turned and found that it
was her father's handmaid, who had cried out ; and she said to
her, " O my mistress, is't thus thou keepest the covenant between
me and thee ? None taught thee this art save I, and thou didst
agree with me that thou wouldst do naught without consulting
me and that whoso married thee should marry me also, and that
one night should be mine and one night thine." And the broker's
daughter said, " 'Tis well." When the broker heard the maid's
words, he asked his daughter, "Who taught the maid?"; and
she answered, " O my papa, enquire of herself." So he put the
question and she replied, " Know, O my lord, that, when I was
with Azariah the Jew, I used to spy upon him and listen to him,
when he performed his gramarye ; and when he went forth to his
shop in Baghdad, I opened his books and read in them, till I
became skilled in the Cabbala-science. One day, he was warm
with wine and would have me lie with him, but I objected, saying,
I may not grant thee this except thou become a Moslem. He
refused and I said to him, Now for the Sultan's market.1 So he
sold me to thee and I taught my young mistress, making it a
condition with her that she should do naught without my counsel,
and that whoso might wed her should wed me also, one night for
me and one night for her." Then she took a cup of water and
conjuring over it, sprinkled the dog therewith ; saying, " Return
1 She could legally compel him to sell her j because, being an Infidel, he had attempted
to debauch a Moslemah.
2O4 Aff Laylah wa Laylah,
thou to form of man." And he straightway was restored to his
former shape ; whereupon the broker saluted him with the salam
and asked him the reason of his enchantment. So Ali told him
all that had passed And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased to say her permitted say
j3ofo fo&en it foas t&e §>ebm f^untrrrtr an& lEtgbttenrt) Jiu$t,
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
broker, having saluted Ali of Cairo with the salam, asked him the
reason of his enchantment and what had befallen him ; and he
answered by telling him all that had passed, when the broker said
to him, " Will not my daughter and the handmaid suffice thee ? "
but he answered, " Needs must I have Zaynab also." Now
suddenly there came a rap at the door and the maid said, " Who
is at the door ? " The knocker replied, " Kamar, daughter of
Azariah the Jew ; say me, is Ali of Cairo with you ? '' Replied
the broker's daughter, " O thou daughter of a dog ! If he be
with us, what wilt thou with him ? Go down, O maid, and open
to her." So the maid let her in, and when she looked upon
Ali and he upon her, he said, " What bringeth thee hither
O dog's daughter ? " Quoth she, " I testify that there is no
god but the God and I testify that Mohammed is the Apostle
of God." And, having thus Islamised, she asked him, " Do men
in the Faith of Al-Islam give marriage portions to women or
do women dower men ? '* Quoth he, " Men endow women."
" Then," said she, " I come and dower myself for thee,
bringing thee, as my marriage-portion, my dress together with
the rod and charger and chains and the head of my father,
the enemy of thee and the foeman of Allah." And she threw
down the Jew's head before him. Now the cause of her
slaying her sire was as follows. On the night of his turning
Ali into a dog, she saw, in a dream, a speaker who said to her,
" Become a Moslemah." She did so ; and as soon as she awoke
next morning she expounded Al-Islam to her father who re-
fused to embrace the Faith ; so she drugged him with Bhang
and killed him. As for Ali, he took the gear and said to the
broker, " Meet we to-morrow at the Caliph's Divan, that I may
take thy daughter and the handmaid to wife." Then he set out
rejoicing, to return to the barrack of the Forty. On his way he
met a sweetmeat seller, who was beating hand upon hand and
The Adventures of Mercury AH of Cairo. 205
saying, « There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah,
the Glorious, the Great ! Folk's labour hath waxed sinful and
man is active only in fraud ! " Then said he to Ali, " I conjure
thee, by Allah, taste of this confection ! " So Ali took a piece
and ate it and fell down senseless, for there was Bhang therein ;
whereupon the sweetmeat-seller seized the dress and the charger
and the rest of the gear and thrusting them into the box: where
he kept his sweetmeats hoisted it up and made off. Presently he
met a Kazi, who called to him, saying, " Come hither, O sweet-
meat seller ! " So he went up to him and setting down his sack
laid the tray of sweetmeats upon it and asked, " What dost thou
want?" "Halwd and dragte,1" answered the Kazi and, taking
some in his hand, said, " Both of these are adulterated.'' Then
he brought out sweetmeats from his breast-pocket2 and gave them
to the sweetmeat-seller, saying, " Look at this fashion ; how
excellent it is ! Eat of it and make the like of it." So he ate
and fell down senseless, for the sweetmeats were drugged with
Bhang, whereupon the Kazi bundled him into the sack and made
off with him, charger and chest and all, to the barrack of the
Forty. Now the Judge in question was Hasan Shuman and the
reason of this was as follows. When Ali had been gone some
days in quest of the dress and they heard no news of him,
Calamity Ahmad said to his men, " O lads, go and seek for your
brother Ali of Cairo." So they sallied forth in quest of him and
among the rest Hasan Shuman the Pestilence, disguised in a Kazi's
gear. He came upon the sweetmeat-seller and, knowing him
for Ahmad al-Lakit3 suspected him of having played some trick
upon Ali ; so he drugged him and did as we have seen. Mean-
while, the other Forty fared about the streets and highways
making search in different directions, and amongst them Ali
Kitf al-Jamal, who espying a crowd, made towards the people
and found the Cairene Ali lying drugged and senseless in their
midst. So he revived him and he came to himself and seeing the
folk flocking around him asked, " Where am I ? " Answered
Ali Camel-shoulder and his comrades, " We found thee lying here
drugged but know not who drugged thee." Quoth Ali, " 'Twas
1 Arab." Halawat waMulabbas "; the latter etymological ly means one dressed or clothed.
Here it alludes to almonds, etc., clothed or coated with sugar. See Dozy s. v. " labas."
~ Arab. " 'Ubb" from a root = being long : Dozy (s.v.), says poche au sein ; Habb
al-'ubb is a woman's ornament.
3 Who, it will be remembered, was Dalilah's grandson.
206 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
a certain sweetmeat-seller who drugged me and took the gear
from me ; but where is he gone ? " Quoth his comrades, " We
have seen nothing of him ; but come, rise and go home with
us." So they returned to the barrack, where they found Ahmad
al-Danaf, who greeted AH and enquired if he had brought the
dress. He replied, " I was coming hither with it and other
matters, including the Jew's head, when a sweetmeat-seller met
me and drugged me with Bhang and took them from me." Then
he told him the whole tale ending with, " If I come across that
man of goodies again, I will requite him." Presently Hasan
Shuman came out of a closet and said to him, " Hast thou gotten
the gear, O Ali ?" So he told him what had befallen him and
added, " If I know whither the rascal is gone and where to
find the knave, I would pay him out. Knowest thou whither
he went?" Answered Hasan, " I know where he is," and
opening the door of the closet, showed him the sweet-
meat-seller within, drugged and senseless. Then he aroused
him and he opened his eyes and finding himself in presence of
Mercury Ali and Calamity Ahmad and the Forty, started up and
said, " Where am I and who hath laid hands on me ? " Replied
Shuman, "'Twas I laid hands on thee;" and Ali cried, " O
perfidious wretch, wilt thou play thy pranks on me ? " And he
would have slain him : but Hasan said to him, *' Hold thy hand
for this fellow is become thy kinsman/' " How my kinsman ? "
quoth Ali ; and quoth Hasan, " This is Ahmad al-Lakit son of
Zaynab's sister." Then said Ali to the prisoner, " Why didst thou
thus, O Lakit ? " and he replied, " My grandmother, Dalilah the
Wily, bade me do it ; only because Zurayk the fishmonger fore-
gathered with the old woman and said : — Mercury Ali of Cairo is
a sharper and a past master in knavery, and he will certainly slay
the Jew and bring hither the dress. So she sent for me and
said to me, O Ahmad, dost thou know Ali of Cairo ? Answered
I : — Indeed I do and 'twas I directed him to Ahmad al-Danaf's
lodging when he first came to Baghdad. Quoth she : — Go and set
thy nets for him, and if he have brought back the gear, put a
cheat on him and take it from him. So I went round about the
highways of the city, till I met a sweetmeat-seller and buying his
clothes and stock-in-trade and gear for ten dinars, did what was
clone." Thereupon quoth Ali, " Go back to thy grandmother and
Zurayk, and tell them that I have brought the gear and the Jew's
head and say to them: — Meet me to-morrow at the Caliph's
The Adventures of Mercury All of Cairo. 207
Divan, there to receive Zaynab's dowry." And Calamity Ahmad
rejoiced in this and said, " We have not wasted our pains in
rearing thee, O Ali ! " Next morning Ali took the dress, the
charger, the rod and the chains of gold, together with the head of
Azariah the Jew mounted on a pike, and went up, accompanied
by Ahmad al-Danaf and the Forty, to the Divan, where they
kissed ground before the Caliph And Shahrazad perceived
the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Nofo fofeen ft foas t&e *btim ^unUrrtJ antr Ninctecntft
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Ali
the Cairene went up to the Caliph's Divan, accompanied by his
uncle Ahmad al-Danaf and his lads they kissed ground before the
Caliph who turned and seeing a youth of the most valiant aspect,
enquired of Calamity Ahmad concerning him and he replied, " O
Commander of the Faithful, this is Mercury Ali the Egyptian
captain of the brave boys of Cairo, and he is the first of my lads."
And the Caliph loved him for the valour that shone from between
his eyes, testifying for him and not against him. Then Ali rose ;
and, casting the Jew's head down before him, said, " May thine
every enemy be like this one, O Prince of True Believers!"
Quoth Al-Rashid, " Whose head is this ? " ; and quoth Ali, " 'Tis
the head of Azariah the Jew." " Who slew him ? " asked the
Caliph. So Ali related to him all that had passed, from first to
last, and the Caliph said, " I had not thought thou wouldst kill
him, for that he was a sorcerer." Ali replied, " O Commander of
the Faithful, my Lord made me prevail to his slaughter/' Then
the Caliph sent the Chief of Police to the Jew's palace, where he
found him lying headless ; so he laid the body on a bier,1 and
carried it to Al-Rashid, who commanded to burn it Whereat,
behold, up came Kamar and kissing the ground before the Caliph,
informed him that she was the daughter of Jew Azariah and that
she had become a Moslemah. Then she renewed her profession
1 Arab. "Tabut," a term applied to the Ark of the Covenant (Koran ii. 349), which
contained Moses' rod and shoes, Aaron's mitre, the manna-pot, the broken Tables of
the Law, and the portraits of all the prophets which are to appear till the end of time—
an extensive list for a box measuring 3 by 7 cubits. Europeans often translate it coffin,
but it is properly the wooden case placed over an honoured grave. " Iran " is the Ark
of Moses exposure, also the large hearse on which tribal chiefs were carried to earth.
208 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
of Faith before the Commander of the Faithful and said to him
" Be thou my intercessor with Sharper Ali that he take me to
wife." She also appointed him her guardian to consent to her
marriage with the Cairene, to whom he gave the Jew's palace and
all its contents, saying, " Ask a boon of me." Quoth Ali, " I beg
of thee to let me stand on thy carpet and eat of thy table ; " and
quoth the Caliph, " O Ali, hast thou any lads ? " He replied, " I
have forty lads ; but they are in Cairo." Rejoined the Caliph,
" Send to Cairo and fetch them hither," presently adding, " But,
O Ali, hast thou a barrack for them?" "No," answered Ali;
and Hasan Shuman said, " I make him a present of my barrack
\vith all that is therein, O Commander of the Faithful." How-
ever, the Caliph retorted, saying, " Thy lodging is thine own, O
Hasan;" and he bade his treasurer give the court architect ten
thousand dinars, that he might build Ali a hall with four dafses
and forty sleeping-closets for his lads. Then said he, "O Ali,
hast thou any further wish, that we may command its fulfilment ?";
and said Ali, " O King of the age, be thou my intercessor with
Dalilah the Wily that she give me her daughter Zaynab to wife
and take the dress and gear of Azariah's girl in lieu of dower."
Dalilah accepted the Caliph's intercession and accepted the
charger and dress and what not, and they drew up the marriage
contracts between Ali and Zaynab and Kamar, the Jew's daughter
and the broker's daughter and the handmaid. Moreover, the
Caliph assigned him a solde with a table morning and evening,
and stipends and allowances for fodder ; all of the most liberal.
Then Ali the Cairene fell to making ready for the wedding
festivities and, after thirty days, he sent a letter to his comrades in
Cairo, wherein he gave them to know of the favours and honours
which the Caliph had bestowed upon him and said, "I have
married four maidens and needs must ye come to the wedding.''
So, after a reasonable time the forty lads arrived and they held
high festival ; he homed them in his barrack and entreated them
with the utmost regard and presented them to the Caliph, who
bestowed on them robes of honour and largesse. Then the tiring-
women displayed Zaynab before Ali in the dress of the Jew's
daughter, and he went in unto her and found her a pearl
unthridden and a filly by all save himself unridden. Then he
went in unto the three other maidens and found them accomplished
in beauty and loveliness. After this it befel that Ali of Cairo was
one night on guard by the Caliph who said to him, " I wish thee
Ardashir and Hay at al-Nufus. 209
O Ali, to tell me all that hath befallen thee from first to last with
Dalilah the Wily and Zaynab the Coney-catcher and Zurayk the
Fishmonger." So Ali related to him all his adventures and the
Commander of the Faithful bade record them and lay them up in
the royal muniment-rooms. So they wrote down all that had
befallen him and kept it in store with other histories for the
people of Mohammed the Best of Men. And Ali and his wives
and comrades abode in all solace of life, and its joyance, till there
came to them the Destroyer of Delights and Sunderer of Societies ;
and Allah (be He extolled and exalted !) is All-knowing ! ' And
also men relate the tale of
ARDASHIR AND HAYAT AL-NUFUS.2
THERE was once in the city of Shiraz a mighty King called Sayf
al-A'azam Shah, who had grown old, without being blessed with
a son. So he summoned the physicists and physicians and said
to them, " I am now in years and ye know my case and the state
of the kingdom and its ordinance ; and I fear for my subjects
after me ; for that up to this present I have not been vouchsafed
a son." Thereupon they replied, " We will compound thee a some-
what of drugs wherein shall be efficacy, if it please Almighty
Allah ! " So they mixed him drugs, which he used and knew his
wife carnally, and she conceived by leave of the Most High Lord,
who saith to a thing, " Be," and it becometh. When her months
were accomplished, she gave birth to a male child like the moon,
whom his father named Ardashir,3 and he grew up and throve and
applied himself to the study of learning and letters, till he
attained the age of fifteen. Now there was in Al-Irak a King
called Abd al-Kddir who had a daughter, by name Hayat
al-Nufus, and she was like the rising full moon ; but she had an
hatred for men and the folk very hardly dared name mankind in
her presence. The Kings of the Chosroes had sought her in
1 i.e. What we have related is not " Gospel Truth."
2 Omitted by Lane (Hi. 252) "because little more than. a repetition" of Taj al-Muluk
and the Lady Dunya. This is true ; but the nice progress of the nurse's pimping is a
well-finished picture and the old woman's speech (infra p. 243) is a gem.
* Artaxerxes ; in the Mac. Edit. Azdashir, a misprint.
VOL. VII.
2IO A I Laylah wa Laylah.
marriage of her sire ; but, when he spoke with her thereof, she
said, " Never will I do this ; and if thou force me thereto, I will
slay myself." Now Prince Ardashir heard of her fame and fell in
love with her and told his father who, seeing his case, took pity
on him and promised him day by day that he should marry her.
So he despatched his Wazir to demand her in wedlock, but King
Abd al-Kadir refused, and when the Minister returned to King
Sayf al-A'azam and acquainted him with what had befallen his
mission and the failure thereof, he was wroth with exceeding
wrath and cried, " Shall the like of me send to one of the Kings
on a requisition and he accomplish it not ? " Then he bade a
herald make proclamation to his troops, bidding them bring out
the tents and equip them for war with all diligence, though they
should borrow money for the necessary expenses; and he said,
" I will on no wise turn back, till I have laid waste King Abd
al-Kadir's dominions and slain his men and plundered his
treasures and blotted out his traces ! " When the report of this
reached Ardashir he rose from his carpet-bed, and going in to his
father, kissed ground * between his hands and said, " O mighty
King, trouble not thyself with aught of this thing And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
Koto fo&en ft toas tjje &eben f^untrrrtr an* ^toentjetfi Xig&t,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
report of this reached the Prince he went in to his sire the King
and, kissing ground between his hands, said, " O mighty King,
trouble not thy soul with aught of this thing and levy not thy
champions and armies neither spend thy monies. Thou art
stronger than he, and if thou loose upon him this thy host, thou
wilt lay waste his cities and dominions and spoil his good and slay
his strong men and himself ; but when his daughter shall come to
know what hath befallen her father and his people by reason of
her, she will slay herself, and I shall die on her account ; for I can
never live after her ; no, never." Asked the King, " And what
» I use "kiss ground" as we say "kiss hands." But it must not be understood
literally: the nearest approach would be to touch the earth with the finger-tips and
apply them to the lips or brow. Amongst Hindus the Ashtanga-prostration included
actually kissing the ground.
Ardashir and Hay at al-Nufus. 211
then thinkest thou to do, O my son ? " and the Prince answered,
"I will don a merchant's habit and cast about how I may win to
the Princess and compass my desire of her/' Quoth Sayf
al-A'azam, "Art thou determined upon this?"; and quoth the
Prince, " Yes, O my sire ; " whereupon the King called to his
Wazir, and said to him, " Do thou journey with my son, the core
of my heart, and help him to win his will and watch over him and
guide him with thy sound judgment, for thou standest to him even
in my stead." " I hear and obey," answered the Minister ; and
the King gave his son three hundred thousand dinars in gold and
great store of jewels and precious stones and goldsmiths' ware and
stuffs and other things of price. Then Prince Ardashir v/ent in to
his mother and kissed her hands and asked her blessing. She
blessed him and, forthright opening her treasures, brought out to
him necklaces and trinkets and apparel and all manner of other
costly objects hoarded up from the time of the bygone Kings, whose
price might not be evened with coin. Moreover, he took with
him of his Mamelukes and negro-slaves and cattle all that he
needed for the road and clad himself and the Wazir and their
company in traders' gear. Then he farewelled his parents and
kinsfolk and friends ; and, setting out, fared on over wolds and
wastes all hours of the day and watches of the night ; and whenas
the way was longsome upon him he improvised these couplets : —
My longing bred of love with mine unease for ever grows ; o Nor against all
the wrongs of time one succourer arose :
When Pleiads and the Fishes show in sky the rise I watch, o As worshipper
within whose breast a pious burning glows :
For Star o' Morn I speer until at last when it is seen, o I'm madded with
my passion and my fancy's woes and throes :
I swear by you that never from your love have I been loosed ; o Naught am
I save a watcher who of slumber nothing knows !
Though hard appear my hope to win, though languor aye increase, o And after
thee my patience fails and ne'er a helper shows ;
Yet will I wait till Allah shall be pleased to join our loves ; o I'll mortify
the jealous and I'll mock me of my foes.
When he ended his verse he swooned away and the Wazir
sprinkled rose-water on him, till the Prince came to himself, when
the Minister said to him, " O King's son, possess thy soul in
patience ; for the consequence of patience is consolation, and
behold, thou art on the way to whatso thou wishest." And he
ceased not to bespeak him fair and comfort him till his trouble
212 A If Lay la h wa Lay I ah.
subsided ; and they continued their journey with all diligence.
Presently, the Prince again became impatient of the length of the
way and bethought him of his beloved and recited these
couplets : —
Longsome is absence, restlessness increaseth and despite ; * And burn my
vitals in the blaze my love and longings light :
Grows my hair gray from pains and pangs which I am doomed bear * For
pine, while tear-floods stream from eyes and sore offend my sight :
I swear, O Hope of me, O End of every wish and will, * By Him who made
mankind and every branch with leafage dight,
A passion-load for thee, O my Desire, I must endure, * And boast I that to
bear such load no lover hath the might
Question the Night of me and Night thy soul shall satisfy * Mine eyelids
never close in sleep throughout the livelong night.
Then he wept with sore weeping and 'plained of that he suffered
for stress of love-longing; but the Wazir comforted him and
spoke him fair, promising him the winning of his wish ; after
which they fared on again for a few days, when they drew near
to the White City, the capital of King Abd al-Kadir, soon after
sunrise. Then said the Minister to the Prince, " Rejoice, O
King's son, in all good ; for see, yonder is the White City, that
which thou seekest" Whereat the Prince rejoiced with exceeding
joy and recited these couplets : —
My friends, I yearn in heart distraught for him ; o Longing abides and with
sore pains I brim :
I mourn like childless mother, nor can find o One to console me when
the light grows dim ;
Yet when the breezes blow from off thy land, o I feel their freshness shed
on heart and limb ;
And rail mine eyes like water-laden clouds, o While in a tear-sea shed
by heart I swim.
Now when they entered the White City they asked for the
Merchants' Khan, a place of moneyed men ; and when shown the
hostelry they hired three magazines and on receiving the keys1
they laid up therein all their goods and gear. They abode in the
Khan till they were rested, when the Wazir applied himself to
devise a device for the Prince, And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
1 The "key " is mentioned because a fee so called (miftah) is paid on its being handed
to the new lodger (Pilgrimage i. 62).
Avdashir and Hay at al-Nufus. 213
Nofo fofjm it foa* flje &ebcn l^untafc an* ^feentg-first
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
Prince and the Minister alighted at the Khan and lodged their
goods in the ground-floor magazines and there settled their
servants. Then they tarried awhile till they had rested when
the Wazir arose and applied himself to devise a device for the
Prince, and said to him, " I have bethought me of somewhat
wherein, methinks, will be success for thee, so it please Almighty
Allah." Quoth Ardashir, " O thou Wazir of good counsel, do
what cometh to thy mind, and may the Lord direct thy rede
aright ! " Quoth the Minister, " I purpose to hire thee a shop
in the market-street of the stuff-sellers and set thee therein ; for
that all, great and small, have recourse to the bazar and, meseems,
when the folk see thee with their own eyes sitting in the shop
their hearts will incline to thee and thou wilt thus be enabled to
attain thy desire, for thou art fair of favour and souls incline
to thee and sight rejoiceth in thee." The other replied, " Do
what seemeth good to thee." So the Wazir forthright began to
robe the Prince and himself in their richest raiment and, putting
a purse of a thousand dinars in his breast-pocket, went forth and
walked about the city, whilst all who looked upon them marvelled
at the beauty of the King's son, saying, " Glory be to Him
who created this youth ' of vile water1 ' ! Blessed be Allah
excellentest of Creators ! " Great was the talk anent him and
some said, " This is no mortal, ' this is naught save a noble
angel '";2 and others, "Hath Rizwdn, the door-keeper of the
Eden-garden, left the gate of Paradise unguarded, that this youth
hath come forth ?" The people followed them to the stuff-
market, where they entered and stood, till there came up to them
an old man of dignified presence and venerable appearance, who
saluted them, and they returned his salam. Then the Shaykh
said to them, " O my lords, have ye any need, that we may
have the honour of accomplishing ? " ; and the Wazir asked him,
" Who art thou, O elder ? " He answered, " I am the Overseer
of the market." Quoth the Wazir, '• Know then, O Shaykh,
that this youth is my son and I wish to hire him a shop in the .
1 The Koranic term for semen, often quoted.
* Koran, xii. 31, in the story of Joseph, before noticed.
214 -A If Layiak wa Laylah.
bazar, that he may sit therein and learn to sell and buy and take
and give, and come to ken merchants' ways and habits." " I hear
and I obey/' replied the Overseer and brought them without stay
or delay the key of a shop, which he caused the brokers sweep
and clean. And they did his bidding. Then the Wazir sent for
a high mattress, stuffed with ostrich-down, and set it up in the
shop, spreading upon it a small prayer-carpet, and a cushion
fringed with broidery of red gold. Moreover he brought pillows
and transported thither so much of the goods and stuffs that
he had brought with him as filled the shop. Next morning the
young Prince came and opening the shop, seated himself on the
divan, and stationed two Mamelukes, clad in the richest of raiment
before him and two black slaves of the goodliest of the
Abyssinians in the lower part of the shop. The Wazir enjoined
him to keep his secret from the folk, so thereby he might find"
aid in the winning of his wishes ; then he left him and charging
him to acquaint him with what befel him in the shop, day by day
returned to the Khan. The Prince sat in the shop till night as
he were the moon at its fullest, whilst the folk, hearing tell of his
comeliness, flocked to the place, without errand, to gaze on his
beauty and loveliness and symmetry and perfect grace and glorify
the Almighty who created and shaped him, till none could pass
through that bazar for the excessive crowding of the folk about
him. The King's son turned right and left, abashed at the
throng of people that stared at him, hoping to make acquaintance
with some one about the court, of whom he might get news of
the Princess ; but he found no way to this, wherefore his breast
was straitened. Meanwhile, the Wazir daily promised him
the attainment of his desire and the case so continued for a
time till, one morning, as the youth sat in the shop, there came
up an old woman of respectable semblance and dignified presence
clad in raiment of devotees1 and followed by two slave-girls like
moons. She stopped before the shop and, having considered the
Prince awhile, cried, " Glory be to God who fashioned that face
and perfected that figure ! " Then she saluted him and he
returned her salam and seated her by his side. Quoth she,
" Whence cometh thou, O fair of favour ? " ; and quoth he, " From
the parts of Hind, O my mother ; and I have come to this city to
1 Probably the white woollens, so often mentioned, whose use is now returning to
Europe, where men have a reasonable fear of dyed stuffs, especially since Aniline
conquered Cochineal.
Ardashir and Hay at al-Nufits. 21$
see the world and look about me." Honour to thee for a visitor !
What goods and stuffs hast thou ? Show me something handsome,
fit for Kings.0 "If thou wish for handsome stuffs, I will show
them to thee ; for I have wares that beseem persons of every
condition." O my son, I want somewhat costly of price and
seemly to sight ; brief, the best thou hast." " Thou must needs
tell me for whom thou seekest it, that I may show thee goods
according to the rank of the requirer." " Thou speakest sooth,
O my son," said she, " I want somewhat for my mistreess
Hayat al-Nufus, daughter of Abd al-Kadir, lord of this land and
King of this country," Now when Ardashir heard his mistres's
name, his reason flew for joy and his heart fluttered and he gave
no order to slave or servant, but, putting his hand behind him,
pulled out a purse of an hundred dinars and offered it to the old
woman, saying, " This is for the washing of thy clothes." Then
he again put forth his hand and brought out of a wrapper a dress
worth ten thousand dinars or more and said to her, " This is of
that which I have brought to your country." When the old
woman saw it, it pleased her and she asked, " What is the price of
this dress, O perfect in qualities ? " Answered he, " I will take
no price for it !" whereupon she thanked him and repeated
her question ; but he said, " By Allah, I will take no price
for it. I make thee a present of it, an the Princess will
not accept it and 'tis a guest-gift from me to thee. Alham-
dolillah— Glory be to God — who hath brought us together,
so that, if one day I have a want, I shall find thee a helper to
me in winning it ! " She marvelled at the goodliness of his
speech and the excess of his generosity and the perfection of his
courtesy and said to him, "What is thy name, O my lord ?"
He replied, " My name is Ardashir ; " and she cried, " By Allah
this is a rare name ! Therewith are Kings' sons named, and thou
art in a guise of the sons of the merchants ! " Quoth he,
*' Of the love my father bore me, he gave me this name, but
a name signifieth naught ; " and quoth she in wonder, " O my
son, take the price of thy goods." But he swore that he would
not take aught. Then the old lady said to him, " O my dear
one, Truth (I would have thee know) is the greatest of all
things and thou hadst not dealt thus generously by me but for a
special reason : so tell me thy case and thy secret thought ; belike
thou hast some wish to whose winning I may help thee." There-
upon he laid his hand in hers and, after exacting an oath of secrecy,
216 A If Laylah wa Laylak.
told her the whole story of his passion for the Princess and his
condition by reason thereof. The old woman shook her head and
said, " True ; but O my son, the wise say, in the current adage :—
An thou wouldest be obeyed, abstain from ordering what may not
be made ; and thou, my son, thy name is Merchant, and though
thou hadst the keys of the Hidden Hoards, yet wouldst thou be
called naught but Merchant. An thou wouldst rise to high rank,
according to thy station, then seek the hand of a Kazi's daughter
or even an Emir's ; but why, O my son, aspirest thou to none but
the daughter of the King of the age and the time, and she a clean
maid, who knoweth nothing of the things of the world and hath
never in her life seen anything but her palace wherein she
dwelleth ? Yet, for all her tender age, she is intelligent, shrewd,
vivacious, penetrating, quick of wit, sharp of act and rare of rede :
her father hath no other child and she is dearer to him than his
life and soul. Every morning he cometh to her and giveth her
good-morrow, and all who dwell in the palace stand in dread of
her. Think not, O my son, that any dare bespeak her with aught
of these words ; nor is there any way for me thereto. By Allah,
O my son, my heart and vitals love thee and were it in my power
to give thee access to her, I would assuredly do it ; but I will tell
thee somewhat, wherein Allah may haply appoint the healing of
thy heart, and will risk life and goods for thee, till I win thy will
for thee." He asked, " And what is that, O my mother ;" and
she answered, " Seek of me the daughter of a Wazir or an Emir,
and I will grant thy request ; but it may not be that one should
mount from earth to heaven at one bound." When the Prince
heard this, he replied to her with courtesy and sense, " O my
mother, thou art a woman of wit and knowest how things go.
Say me doth a man, when his head irketh him, bind up his hand ?"
Quoth she, " No, by Allah, O my son " ; and quoth he, " Even so my
heart seeketh none but her and naught slayeth me but love of her.
By Allah, I am a dead man, and I find not one to counsel me aright
and succour me ! Allah upon thee, O my mother, take pity on my
strangerhood and the streaming of my tears!" And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Nofo fo&en ft foas tje S>eten f^untafc anfc ®foentg=$cam& Xfg&t,
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Arda-
shir, the King's son said to the old woman, " Allah upon thee, O
Ardashir and Hay at al-Nufus. 217
my mother, take pity on my strangerhood and the streaming of my
tears." Replied she, "By Allah, O my son, thy words rend my
heart, but my hand hath no cunning wherewith to help thee."
Quoth he, " I beseech thee of thy favour, carry her a letter and kiss
her hands for me." So she had compassion on him and said,
" Write what thou wilt and I will bear it to her." When he heard
this, he was ready to fly for joy and calling for ink-case and paper,
wrote these couplets : —
0 Haya"t al-Nufus, be gen'rous, and incline o To one who loving thee for
parting's doomed to pine.
1 was in all delight, in gladsomest of life, o But now I am distraught with
sufferings condign.
To wakefulness I cling through longsomeness of night o And with me sorrow
chats1 through each sad eve of mine;
Pity a lover sad, a sore afflicted wretch o Whose eyelids ever ulcered are
with tearful brine ;
And when the morning comes at last, the real morn o He finds him drunken
and distraught with passion's wine.
Then he folded the scroll and kissing it, gave it to the old woman ;
after which he put his hand to a chest and took out a second
purse containing an hundred dinars, which he presented to her,
saying, " Divide this among the slave girls." She refused it and
cried, " By Allah, O my son, I am not with thee for aught of
this ! "; however, he thanked her and answered, " There is no help
but that thou accept of it." So she took it and kissing his hands,
returned home; and going in to the Princess, cried, "O my lady,
I have brought thee somewhat the like whereof is not with the
people of our city, and it cometh from a handsome young man,
than whom there is not a goodlier on earth's face ! " She asked,
<f O my nurse, and whence cometh the youth ? " and the old
1 Arab, "samfr," one who enjoys the musamarah or night-talk outside the Arab tents.
"Samar " is the shade of the moon, or half darkness when only stars shine without a
moon, or the darkness of a moonless night. Hence the proverb (A. P. ii. 513) " Ma"
af'al-hu al-samar wa'l kamar ;" I will not do it by moondarkness or by moonshine, i.e.
never. I have elsewhere remarked that " Early to bed and early to rise " is a civilised
maxim ; most barbarians sit deep into the night in the light of the moon of a camp-fire
and will not rise till nearly noon. They agree in our modern version of the old saw : —
Early to bed and early to rise
Makes a man surly and gives him red eyes.
The Shayks of Arab tribes especially transact most of their public business during the
dark hours.
A If Laylah wa Laylah.
woman answered, " From the parts of Hind ; and he hath given
me this dress of gold brocade, embroidered with pearls and gems
and worth the Kingdom of Chosroes and Caesar." Thereupon she
opened the dress and the whole palace was illuminated by its
brightness, because of the beauty of its fashion and the wealth of
unions and jewels wherewith it was broidered, and all who were
present marvelled at it. The Princess examined it and, judging it
to be worth no less than a whole year's revenue of her father's
kingdom, said to the old woman, " O my nurse, cometh this dress
from him or from another?"1 Replied she, "From him;" and
Hayat al-Nufus asked, " Is this trader of our town or a stranger ? "
The old woman answered, " He is a foreigner, O my lady, newly
come hither; and by Allah he hath servants and slaves; and he
is fair of face, symmetrical of form, well mannered, open-handed
and open-hearted, never saw I a goodlier than he, save thyself."
The King's daughter rejoined, " Indeed this is an extraordinary
thing, that a dress like this, which money cannot buy, should be
in the hands of a merchant ! What price did he set on it, O my
nurse ? " Quoth she, " By Allah, he would set no price on it, but
gave me back the money thou sentcst by me and swore that he
would take naught thereof, saying : — 'Tis a gift from me to the
King's daughter ; for it beseemeth none but her ; and if she will
not accept it, I make thee a present of it." Cried the Princess,
"By Allah, this is indeed marvellous generosity and wondrous
munificence ! But I fear the issue of his affair, lest haply2 he be
brought to necessity. Why didst thou not ask him, O my nurse,
if he had any desire, that we might fulfil it for him ? " The nurse
replied, " O my lady, I did ask him, and he said to me : — I have
indeed a desire ; but he would not tell me what it was. However,
he gave me this letter and said : — Carry it to the Princess." So
Hayat al-Nufus took the letter and opened and read it to the end ;
whereupon she was sore chafed ; and lost temper and changing
colour for anger she cried out to the old woman, saying, " Woe to
thee, O nurse ! What is the name of this dog who durst write
this language to a King's daughter ? What affinity is there
between me and this hound that he should address me thus ? By
Almighty Allah, Lord of the well Zemzem and of the Hatim
1 Suspecting that it had been sent by some Royal lover.
2 Arab. " Rubbamet " a particle more emphatic than rubba, = perhaps, sometimes,
often.
Ardashir and Hay at al-Nufus. 219
Wall,1 but that I fear the Omnipotent, the Most High, I would
send and bind the cur's hands behind him and slit his nostrils, and
shear off his nose and ears and after, by way of example, crucify
him on the gate of the bazar wherein is his booth !" When the old
woman heard these words, she waxed yellow; her side muscles2
quivered and her tongue clave to her mouth ; but she heartened
her heart and said, " Softly, O my lady ! What is there in his
letter to trouble thee thus ? Is it aught but a memorial containing
his complaint to thee of poverty or oppression, from which he
hopeth to be relieved by thy favour ? " Replied she, " No, by
Allah, O my nurse, 'tis naught of this ; but verses and shameful
words ! However, O my nurse, this dog must be in one of three
cases : either he is Jinn-mad, and hath no wit, or he seeketh his
own slaughter, or else he is assisted to his wish of me by some
one of exceeding puissance and a mighty Sultan. Or hath he
heard that I am one of the baggages of the city, who lie a night
or two with whosoever seeketh them, that he writeth me immodest
verses to debauch my reason by talking of such matters ? " Re-
joined the old woman, " By Allah, O my lady, thou sayst sooth !
But reck not thou of yonder ignorant hound, for thou art seated in
thy lofty, firm-builded and unapproachable palace, to which the very
birds cannot soar neither the wind pass over it, and as for him,
he is clean distraught. Wherefore do thou write him a letter
and chide him angrily and spare him no manner of reproof, but
threaten him with dreadful threats and menace him with death
and say to him : — Whence hast thou knowledge of me, that thou
durst write me, O dog- of a merchant, O thou who trudgest far
and wide all thy days in wilds and wolds for the sake of gaining
a dirham or a dinar ? By Allah, except thou awake from thy
sleep and put off thine intoxication, I will assuredly crucify thee
on the gate of the market-street wherein is thy shop ! " Quoth
the Princess, " I fear lest he presume, if I write to him "; and
quoth the nurse, " And pray what is he and what is his rank that
he should presume to us ? Indeed, we write him but to the intent
that his presumption may be cut off arid his fear magnified."
1 «« The broken (wall) " from Hatim == breaking. It fences the Hijr or space where
Ishmael is buried (vol. vi. 205) ; and I have described it in Pilgrimage iii. 165.
2 Arab. ** Farais " (plur. of farisah) : the phrase has often occurred and is — our
" trembled in every nerve." As often happens in Arabic, it is "horsey;" alluding to
the shoulder-muscles (not shoulder-blades, Preston p. So.) between neck and flank which
readily quiver in blood-horses when excited or frightened.
22O A If Laylak wa Laylah.
And she ceased not craftily to persuade her, till she called for
ink-case and paper and wrote him these couplets : —
0 thou who claimest to be prey of love and ecstasy ; o Thou, who for
passion spendest nights in grief and saddest gree :
Say, dost thou (haughty one !) desire enjoyment of the moon ? o Did man e'er sue
the moon for grace whate'er his lunacy ?
1 verily will counsel thee with rede the best to hear : o Cut short this
course ere come thou nigh sore risk, nay death, to dree !
If thou to this request return, surely on thee shall fall o Sore punishment,
for vile offence a grievous penalty.
Be reasonable then, be wise, hark back unto thy wits ; o Behold, in very
truth I speak with best advice to thee :
By Him who did all things that be create from nothingness; o Who dressed the
face of heaven with stars in brightest radiancy:
If in the like of this thy speech thou dare to sin again ! o I'll surely have
thee crucified upon a trunk of tree.
Then she rolled up the letter and gave it to the old woman who
took it and, repairing to Ardashir's shop, delivered it to him,
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
her permitted say.
Koto toljen it toas tfje Sfceben Jf^un&rttf anfc ^foentg--tf)ufo Ntg&t,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
old woman took that letter from Hayat al-Nufus she fared forth
till she found the youth who was sitting in his shop and gave it
to him, saying, " Read thine answer and know that when she
perused thy paper she was wroth with exceeding wrath ; but
I soothed her and spake her fair, till she consented to write thee
a reply." He took the letter joyfully but, when he had read it
and understood its drift, he wept sore, whereat the old woman's
heart ached and she cried, " O my son, Allah never cause thine
eyes to weep nor thy heart to mourn ! What can be more gracious
than that she should answer thy letter when thou hast done what
thou diddest ? " He replied, " O my mother what shall I do for
a subtle device ? Behold, she writeth to me, threatening me with
death and crucifixion and forbidding me from writing to her; and
I, by Allah, see my death to be better than my life ; but I beg
thee of thy grace * to carry her another letter from me." She
1 Arab. " Fazl " = exceeding goodness as in " Fazl wa ma'rifah " = virtue and
learning.
Ardashir and Hay at al-Nufus. 221
said, " Write and I warrant I'll bring thee an answer. By Allah,
I will assuredly venture my life to win for thee thy wish, though
I die to pleasure thee ! " He thanked her and kissing her hands,
wrote these verses : —
Do you threaten me wi' death for my loving you so well? o When Death
to me were rest and all dying is by Fate ?
And man's death is but a boon, when so longsome to him grows o His life, and
rejected he lives in lonest state :
Then visit ye a lover who hath ne'er a soul to aid ; o For on pious works
of men Heaven's blessing shall await.
But an ye be resolved on this deed then up and on ; o I'm in bonds to you,
a bondsman confined within your gate :
What path have I whose patience without you is no more? o How is this, when
a lover's heart in stress of love is strait ?
O my lady show me ruth, who by passion am misused ; o For all who love
the noble stand for evermore excused.
He then folded the scroll and gave it to the old woman, together
with two purses of two hundred dinars, which she would have
refused, but he conjured her by oath to accept of them. So she
took them both and said, " Needs must I bring thee to thy desire,
despite the noses of thy foes." Then she repaired to the palace
and gave the letter to Hayat al-Nufus who said, " What is this,
O my nurse ? Here are we in a correspondence and thou coming
and going ! Indeed, I fear lest the matter get wind and we be
disgraced." Rejoined the old woman, " How so, O my lady ?
Who dare speak such word ? " So she took the letter and after
reading and understanding it she smote hand on hand, saying,
" Verily, this is a calamity which is fallen upon us, and I know
not whence this young man came to us ! " Quoth the old woman,
" O my lady, Allah upon thee, write him another letter ; but be
rough with him this time and say to him : — An thou write me
another word after this, I will have thy head struck off." Quoth
the Princess, " O my nurse, I am assured that the matter will not
end on such wise ; 'twere better to break off this exchange of
letters ; and, except the puppy take warning by my previous
threats, I will strike off his head." The old woman said, " Then
write him a letter and give him to know this condition." So
Hayat al-Nufus called for pen-case and paper and wrote these
couplets : —
Ho, thou heedless of Time and his sore despight ! o Ho, thou heart whom
hopes of my favours excite !
222 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
Think O pride-full! would'st win for thyself the skies? o Would'st attain to
the moon shining clear and bright ?
I will burn thee with fire that shall ne'er be quenched, o Or will slay thee
with scymitar's sharpest bite !
Leave it, friend, and 'scape the tormenting pains, o Such as turn hair-
partings1 from black to white.
Take my warning and fly from the road of love ; o Draw thee back
from a course nor seemly nor right !
Then she folded the scroll and gave it to the old woman, who was
puzzled and perplexed by the matter. She carried it to Ardashir,
and the Prince read the letter and bowed his head to the earth,
making as if he wrote with his finger and speaking not a word.
Quoth the old woman, " How is it I see thee silent stay and not
say thy say ? " ; and quoth he, " O my mother, what shall I say,
seeing that she doth but threaten me and redoubleth in hard-
heartedness and aversion?" Rejoined the nurse, "Write her a
letter of what thou wilt : I will protect thee ; nor let thy heart
be cast down, for needs must I bring you twain together.'' He
thanked her for her kindness and kissing her hand, wrote these
couplets :—
A heart, by Allah ! never soft to lover-wight, o Who sighs for union
only with his friends, his sprite !
Who with tear-ulcered eyelids evermore must bide, o When falleth upon
earth first darkness of the night :
Be just, be gen'rous, lend thy ruth and deign give alms o To love-molested lover,
parted, forced to flight !
He spends the length of longsome night without a doze; o Fire-brent and drent
in tear-flood flowing infinite :
Ah ; cut not off the longing of my fondest heart o Now disappointed,
wasted, flutt'ring for its blight.
Then he folded the scroll and gave it to the old woman, together
with three hundred dinars, saying, " This is for the washing of thy
hands." She thanked him and kissed his hands, after which she
returned to the palace and gave the letter to the Princess, who
took it and read it and throwing it from her fingers, sprang to her
feet. Then she walked, shod as she was with pattens of gold, set
with pearls and jewels, till she came to her sire's palace, whilst
the vein of anger started out between her eyes, and none dared
1 Arab, " Al-Mafarik " (plur. of Mafrak), = the pole or crown of the head, where
the hair parts naturally and where baldness mostly begins.
Ardashir and Hay at al-Nufus. 223
ask her of her case. When she reached the palace, she enquired
for the King, and the slave-girls and concubines replied to her,
"O my lady, he is gone forth a-hunting and sporting." So she
returned, as she were a rending lioness, and bespake none for the
space of three hours, when her brow cleared and her wrath cooled.
As soon as the old woman saw that her irk and anger were past,
she went up to her and, kissing ground between her hands, asked
her, " O my lady, whither went those noble steps ? " The Princess
answered, "To the palace of the King my sire." "And could
no one do thine errand ? " enquired the nurse. Replied the
Princess, " No, for I went to Acquaint him of that which hath
befallen me with yonder cur of a merchant, so he might lay hands
on him and on all the merchants of his bazar and crucify them
over their shops nor suffer a single foreign merchant to tarry in
our town," Quoth the old woman, "And was this thine only
reason, O my lady, for going to thy sire?"; and quoth Hayat
al-Nufus, " Yes, but I found him absent a-hunting and sporting
and now I await his return/' Cried the old nurse, " I take refuge
with Allah, the All-hearing, the All-knowing ! Praised be He !
O my lady, thou art the most sensible of women and how couldst
thou think of telling the King these fond words, which it behoveth
none to publish ? " Asked the Princess, " And why so ? " and the
nurse answered, " Suppose thou had found the King in his palace
and told him all this tale and he had sent after the merchants and
commanded to hang them over their shops, the folk would have
seen them hanging and asked the reason and it would have been
answered them : — They sought to seduce the King's daughter.
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
Nob fofien tt foas tfje Sbebw f^untrtrt anH ^foent^fouttfj
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
old woman said to the Princess, " Suppose thou had told this to
the King and he had ordered the merchants to be hanged, would
not folk have seen them and have asked the cause of the execution
when the answer would have been :— They sought to seduce the
King's daughter ? Then would they have dispread divers reports
concerning thee, some saying : — She abode with them ten days,
away from her palace, till they had taken their fill of her; and
224 Alf Laylah wa Laylah*
other some in othcrguise ; for woman's honour, O my lady, is like
curded milk, the least dust fouleth it ; and like glass, which, if it
be cracked, may not be mended. So beware of telling thy sire or
any other of this matter, lest thy fair fame be smirched, O mistress
mine, for 'twill never profit thee to tell folk aught ; no, never !
Weigh what I say with thy keen wit, and if thou find it not just,
do whatso thou wilt." The Princess pondered her words, and
seeing them to be altogether profitable and right, said, "Thou
speakest sooth, O my nurse ; but anger had blinded my judg-
ment." Quoth the old woman, "Thy resolve to tell no one is
pleasing to the Almighty ; but something remaineth to be done :
we must not let the shamelessness of yonder vile dog of a mer-
chant pass without notice. Write him a letter and say to him : —
O vilest of traders, but that I found the King my father absent, I
had straightway commanded to hang thee and all thy neighbours.
But thou shalt gain nothing by this ; for I swear to thee, by Allah
the Most High, that an thou return to the like of this talk, I will
blot out the trace of thee from the face of earth \ And deal thou
roughly with him in words, so shalt thou discourage him in this
attempt and arouse him from his heedlessncss." " And will these
words cause him to abstain from his offending ? " asked the
Princess ; and the old woman answered, " How should he not
abstain? Besides, I will talk with him and tell him what hath
passed." So the Princess called for ink-case and paper and wrote
these couplets: —
To win our favours still thy hopes are bent ; o And still to win thy will
art confident !
Naught save his pride-full aim shall slay a man ; o And he by us shall die of
his intent.
Thou art no lord of might, no chief of men, o Nabob or Prince or Sol-
dan Heaven-sent ;
And were this deed of one who is our peer, o He had returned with
hair for fear white-sprent :
Yet will I deign once more excuse thy sin o So from this time thou
prove thee penitent.
Then she gave the missive to the old woman, saying, " O my nurse,
do thou admonish this puppy lest I be forced to cut off his head
and sin on his account." Replied the old woman, " By Allah, O
my lady, I will not leave him a side to turn on ! "s Then she
returned to the youth and, when salams had been exchanged, she
gave him the letter. He read it and shook his head, saying,
Ardashir and Hay at al-Nufus. 225
"Verily, we are Allah's and unto him shall we return!" adding,
"O my mother, what shall I do? My fortitude faileth me and
my patience palleth upon me ! " She replied, " O my son, be long-
suffering : peradventure, after this Allah shall bring somewhat to
pass. Write that which is in thy mind and I will fetch thee an
answer, and be of good cheer and keep thine eyes cool and clear ;
for needs must I bring about union between thee and her, —
Inshallah ! " He blessed her and wrote to the Princess a note
containing these couplets : —
Since none will lend my love a helping hand, * And I by passion's bale in
death low-lain,
I bear a flaming fire within my heart * By day and night nor place of rest
attain,
How cease to hope in thee, my wishes' term ? * Or with my longings to be glad
and fain ?
The Lord of highmost Heaven to grant my prayer * Pray I, whom love of lady
fair hath slain ;
And as I'm clean o'erthrown by love and fear, * To grant me speedy union
deign, oh deign !
Then he folded the scroll and gave it to the old woman, bringing
out at the same time a purse of four hundred dinars. She took
the whole and returning to the palace sought the Princess to whom
she gave the letter ; but the King's daughter refused to take it
and cried, "What is this? " Replied the old woman, " O my lady,
this is only the answer to the letter thou sentest to that merchant
dog-" Quoth Hayat al-Nufus, " Didst thou forbid him as I told
thee ? " ; and quoth she, " Yes, and this is his reply." So the
Princess took the letter and read it to the end ; then she turned
to the old woman and exclaimed, " Where is the result of thy
promise ? " " O my lady, saith he not in his letter that he repent-
eth and will not again offend, excusing himself for the past ? "
" Not so, by Allah ! : on the contrary, he increaseth." " O my
lady, write him a letter and thou shalt presently see what I will
do with him." " There needeth nor letter nor answer." " I must
have a letter that I may rebuke him roughly and cut off his hopes."
" Thou canst do that without a letter." " I cannot do it without
the letter." So Hayat al-Nufus called for pen-case and paper and
wrote these verses : —
Long have I chid thee but my chiding hindereth thee not * How often would
my verse with writ o' hand ensnare thee, ah !
Then keep thy passion hidden deep and ever unrevealed, * And if thou dare
gainsay me Earth shall no more bear thee, ah !
VOL. VII. P
226 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
And if, despite my warning, thou dost to such words return * Death's Mes-
senger1 shall go his rounds and dead declare thee, ah !
Soon shall the wold's fierce chilling blast o'erblow that corse o' thine ; * And
birds o' the wild with ravening bills and beaks shall tear thee, ah !
Return to righteous course ; perchance that same will profit thee ; * If bent on
wilful aims and lewd I fain forswear thee, ah !
When she had made an end of her writing this, she cast the writ from
her hand in wrath, and the old woman picked it up and went with
it to Ardashir. When he read it to the last he knew that she had
not softened to him, but only redoubled in rage against him, and
that he would never win to meet her, so he bethought himself
to write her an answer invoking Allah's help against her. There-
upon he indited these couplets : —
0 Lord, by the Five Shaykhs, I pray deliver me * From love, which gars me
bear such grief and misery.
Thou knowest what I bear for passion's fiery flame ; « What stress of sickness
for that merciless maid I dree.
She hath no pity on the pangs to me decreed # How long on weakly wight
shall last her tyranny ?
1 am distraught for her with passing agonies » And find no friend, 0 folk ! to
hear my plaint and plea.
How long, when Night hath drooped her pinions o'er the world * Shall I lament
in public as in privacy?
For love of you I cannot find forgetfulness ; * And how forget when Patience
taketh wings to flee ?
O thou wild parting-bird2 say is she safe and sure « From shift and change
of time and the world's cruelty ?
Then he folded the scroll and gave it to the old woman, adding a
purse of five hundred dinars ; and she took it and carried it to the
Princess, who read it to the end and learned its purport. Then,
casting it from her hand, she cried, " Tell me O wicked old woman,
the cause of all that hath befallen me from thee and from thy
1 Arab. Na'i al-maut, the person sent round to announce a death to the friends and
relations of the deceased and invite them to the funeral.
2 Arab. Tair al-bayn, any bird, not only the Hatim or black crow, which announces
separation. Crows and ravens flock for food to the camps broken up for the springtide
and autumnal marches, and thus become emblems of desertion and desolation. The
same birds are also connected with Abel's burial in the Koran (v. 34), a Jewish tradition
borrowed by Mohammed. Lastly, here is a paranomasia in the words " Ghurab al-
Bayn" =: Raven of the Wold (the black bird with white breast and red beak and legs) :
"GhuraV (Heb. Oreb) connects with Ghurbah = strangerhood, exile, and "Bayn"
with distance, interval, disunion, the desert (between the cultivated spots). There is
another and a similar pun anent the Ban-tree; the first word meaning "he fared, he
left."
Ardashir and Hay at al-Nu/us. 227
cunning and thine advocacy of him, so that thou hast made me
write letter after letter and thou ceasest not to carry messages,
going and coming between us twain, till thou hast brought about a
correspondence and a connection. Thou leavest not to say:— I
will ensure thee against his mischief and cut off from thee his
speech ; but thou speakest not thus save only to the intent that I may
continue to write thee letters and thou to fetch and carry between
us, evening and morning, till thou ruin my repute. Woe to thee !
Ho, eunuchs, seize her ! Then Hayat al-Nufus commanded them
to beat her, and they lashed her till her whole body flowed with
blood and she fainted away, whereupon the King's daughter caused
her slave-women to drag her forth by the feet and cast her without
the palace and bade one of them stand by her head till she re-
covered, and say to her, " The Princess hath sworn an oath that
thou shalt never return to and re-enter this palace ; and she hath
commanded to slay thee without mercy an thou dare return
hither." So, when she came to herself, the damsel told her what
the King's daughter said and she answered, " Hearkening and
obedience." Presently the slave-girls fetched a basket and a porter
whom they caused carry her to her own house ; and they sent after
her a physician, bidding him tend her assiduously till she recovered.
He did what he was told to do and as soon as she was whole she
mounted and rode to the shop of Ardashir who was concerned
with sore concern for her absence and was longing for news of
her. As soon as he saw her, he sprang up and coming to meet
her, saluted her ; then he noticed that she was weak and ailing ;
so he questioned her of her case and she told him all that had
befallen her from her nursling. When he heard this, he found it
grievous and smote hand upon hand, saying, " By Allah, O my
mother, this that hath betided thee straiteneth my heart! But,
what, O my mother, is the reason of the Princess's hatred to
men ? " Replied the old woman, " Thou must know O my son,
that she hath a beautiful garden, than which there is naught good-
lier on earth's face and it chanced that she lay there one night. In
the joyance of sleep, she dreamt a dream and 'twas this, that she
went down into the garden, where she saw a fowler set up his net
and strew corn thereabout, after which he withdrew and sat down
afar off to await what game should fall into it. Ere an hour had
passed the birds flocked to pick up the corn and a male pigeon1
1 Arab. "Tayr," any flying thing, a bird; with true Arab carelessness the writer
waits till the tale is nearly ended before letting us know that the birds are pigeons
(Hamam).
228 A If Laylah wa Lay I ah.
fell into the net and struggled in it, whereat all the others took
fright and fled from him. His mate was amongst them, but she
returned to him after the shortest delay ; and, coming up to the net,
sought out the mesh wherein his foot was entangled and ceased
not to peck at it with her bill, till she severed it and released her
husband, with whom she flew away. All this while, the fowler sat
dozing, and when he awoke, he looked at the net and found it
spoilt. So he mended it and strewed fresh grain, then withdrew
to a distance and sat down to watch it again. The birds soon
returned and began to pick up the corn, and among the rest the
pair of pigeons. Presently, the she-pigeon fell into the net and
struggled to get free ; whereupon all the other birds flew away, and
her mate, whom she had saved, fled with the rest and did not
return to her. Meantime, sleep had again overcome the fowler;
and, when he awoke after long slumbering, he saw the she-pigeon
caught in the net j so he went up to her and freeing her feet from
the meshes, cut her throat. The Princess startled by the dream
awoke troubled, and said : — Thus do men with women, for women
have pity on men and throw away their lives for them, when they
are in difficulties ; but if the Lord decree against a woman and she
fall into calamity, her mate deserteth her and rescueth her not,
and wasted is that which she did with him of kindness. Allah
curse her who putteth her trust in men, for they ill requite the fair
offices which women do them ! And from that day she conceived
an hatred to men." Said the King's son, " O my mother, doth
she never go out into the highways ? "; and the old woman replied,
" Nay, O my son ; but I will tell thee somewhat wherein, Allah
willing, there shall be profit for thee. She hath a garden which is of
the goodliest pleasaunces of the age ; and every year, at the time of
the ripening of the fruits, she goeth thither and taketh her pleasure
therein only one day, nor layeth the night but in her pavilion. She
entereth the garden by the private wicket of the palace which leadeth
thereto ; and thou must know that it wanteth now but a month
to the time of her going forth. So take my advice and
hie thee this very day to the keeper of that garden and
make acquaintance with him and gain his good graces, for he
admitteth not one of Allah's creatures into the garth, because of
its communication with the Princess's palace. I will let thee
know two days beforehand of the day fixed for her coming forth,
when do thou repair to the garden, as of thy wont, and make
shift to night there. When the King's daughter cometh be thou
Ardashir and Hay at al-Nufus. 229
hidden in some place or other ; And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
fo&m it tons t&e Scben ®untireb anfc ^toentg-fift!)
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
old woman charged the King's son, saying, " I will let thee know
two days beforehand of the King's daughter going down to the
garden : do thou hide thee in some place or other ; and, when thou
espiest her, come forth and show thyself to her. When she
seeth thee, she will fall in love with thee ; for thou art fair to
look upon and love covereth all things. So keep thine eyes cool
and clear1 and be of good cheer, O my son, for needs must I
bring about union between thee and her." The young Prince
kissed her hand and thanked her and gave her three pieces of
Alexandrian silk and three of satin of various colours, and with
each piece, linen for shifts and stuff for trousers and a kerchief for
the turband and fine white cotton cloth of Ba'albak for the linings,
so as to make her six complete suits, each handsomer than its
sister. Moreover, he gave her a purse containing six hundred
gold pieces and said to her, " This is for the tailoring." She took
the whole and said to him, <( O my son, art thou not pleased to
acquaint me with thine abiding-place and I also will show thee the
way to my lodging ? " " Yes," answered he and sent a Mameluke
with her to note her home and show her his own house. Then he
rose and bidding his slaves shut the shop, went back to the
Wazir, to whom he related all that had passed between him and
the old woman, from first to last. Quoth the Minister, " O my
son, should the Princess Hayat al-Nufus come out and look upon
thee and thou find no favour with her what wilt thou do ? "
Quoth Ardashir, " There will be nothing left but to pass from
words to deeds and risk my life with her ; for I will snatch her
up from amongst her attendants and set her behind me on a
swift horse and make for the wildest of the wold. If I escape, I
shall have won my wish and if I perish, I shall be at rest from
1 Arab. " Karr 'aynan." The Arabs say, "Allah cool thine eye," because tears of
grief are hot and those of joy cool (Al-Asma'i) ; others say the cool eye is opposed to
that heated by watching; and Al-Hariri (Ass. xxvii.) makes a scorching afternoon
" hotter than the tear of a childless mother." In the burning climate of Arabia coolth
and refrigeration are equivalent to refreshment and delight.
230 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
this hateful life." Rejoined the Minister, " O my son, dost thou
think to do this thing and live ? How shall we make our escape,
seeing that our country is far distant, and how wilt thou deal
thus with a King of the Kings of the Age, who hath under his
hand an hundred thousand horse, nor can we be sure but that he
will despatch some of his troops to cut off our way ? Verily,
there is no good in this project which no wise man would
attempt." Asked Ardashir, " And how then shall we do, O Wazir
of good counsel ? For unless I win her I am a dead man without
a chance." The Minister answered, " Wait till to-morrow when
we will visit this garden and note its condition and see what
betideth us with the care-taker." So when the morning morrowed
they took a thousand dinars in a poke and, repairing to the
garden, found it compassed about with high walls and strong, rich
in trees and rill-full leas and goodly fruiteries. And indeed its
flowers breathed perfume and its birds warbled amid the bloom as
it were a garden of the gardens of Paradise. Within the door
sat a Shaykh, an old man on a stone bench and they saluted him.
When he saw them and noted the fairness of their favour, he rose
to his feet after returning their salute, and said, " O my lords, per-
chance ye have a wish which we may have the honour of satisfying ? "
Replied the Wazir, " Know, O elder, that we are strangers and the
heat hath overcome us : our lodging is afar off at the other end
of the city ; so we desire of thy courtesy that thou take these two
dinars and buy us somewhat of provaunt and open us meanwhile
the door of this flower garden and seat us in some shaded place,
where there is cold water, that we may cool ourselves there,
against thou return with the provision, when we will eat, and thou
with us, and then, rested and refreshed, we shall wend our ways."
So saying, he pulled out of his pouch a couple of dinars and put
them into the keeper's hand. Now this care-taker was a man
aged three-score and ten, who had never in all his life possessed
so much money: "So, when he saw the two dinars in his hand,
he was like to fly for joy and rising forthwith opened the
garden gate to the Prince and the Wazir, and made them enter
and sit down under a wide-spreading, fruit-laden, shade-affording
tree, saying, " Sit ye here and go no further into the garden, for
it hath a privy door communicating with the palace of the
Princess Hayat al-Nufus." They replied, "We will not stir
hence." Whereupon he went out to buy what they had ordered
and returned after awhile, with a porter bearing on his head a
Ardashir and Hay at al-Nufus. 231
roasted lamb and bread. They ate and drank together and
talked awhile, till, presently, the Wazir, looking about him in all
corners right and left, caught sight of a lofty pavilion at the
farther end of the garden ; but it was old and the plaster was
peeled from its walls and its buttresses were broken down. So
he said to the Gardener, " O Shaykh, is this garden thine own or
dost thou hire it ? " ; and he replied, " I am neither owner nor
tenant of the garden, only its care-taker." Asked the Minister,
" And what is thy wage ? " whereto the old man answered, " A
dinar a month," and quoth the Wazir, " Verily they wrong thee,
especially an thou have a family." Quoth the elder, " By Allah,
O my lord; I have eight children and I " — The Wazir broke in,
0 There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the
Glorious, the Great ! Thou makest me bear thy grief my poor
fellow ! What wouldst thou say of him who should do thee a
good turn, on account of this family of thine ? " Replied the old
man, " O my lord, whatsoever good thou dost shall be garnered
up for thee with God the Most High ! " Thereupon said the
Wazir, " O Shaykh, thou knowest this garden of thine to be a
goodly place ; but the pavilion yonder is old and ruinous. Now I
mean to repair it and stucco it anew and paint it handsomely, so
that it will be the finest thing in the garth ; and when the owner
comes and finds the pavilion restored and beautified, he will not
fail to question thee concerning it. Then do thou say :— O my
lord, at great expense I set it in repair, for that I saw it in ruins
and none could make use of it nor could anyone sit therein. If
he says : — Whence hadst thou the money for this ? reply, I spent of
my own money upon the stucco, thereby thinking to whiten my
face with thee and hoping for thy bounties. And needs must he
recompense thee fairly over the extent of thine expenses. To-
morrow I will bring builders and plasterers and painters to repair
this pavilion and will give thee what I promised thee." Then he
pulled out of his poke a purse of five hundred dinars and gave it
to the Gardener, saying, "Take these gold pieces and expend
them upon thy family and let them pray for me and for this my
son." Thereupon the Prince asked the Wazir, " What is the
meaning of all this ? " and he answered, " Thou shalt presently
see the issue thereof." And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and ceased to say her permitted say.
232 A If Laylah wa Laylah
Nofo tofien ft foas t&e Sbeben 3^untJre& anfc
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
the Wazir gave five hundred ducats to the old Gardener, saying,
" Take these gold pieces and expend them upon thy family and
let them pray for this my son," the old man looked at the gold
and his wits fled ; so he fell down at the Wazir's feet, kissing them
and invoking blessings on him and his son ; and when they went
away, he said to them, " I shall expect you to-morrow : for by
Allah Almighty, there must be no parting between us, night or
day." Next morning the Wazir went to the Prince's shop and
sent for the syndic of the builders ; then he carried him and his
men to the garth, where the Gardener rejoiced in their sight. He
gave them the price of rations1 and what was needful to the work-
men for the restoration of the pavilion, and they repaired it and
stucco'd it and decorated it. Then said the Minister to the
painters, " Harkye, my masters, listen to my words and apprehend
my wish and my aim. Know that I have a garden like this, where
I was sleeping one night among the nights and saw in a dream a
fowler set up nets and sprinkle corn thereabout. The birds flocked
to pick up the grain, and a cock-bird fell into the net, whereupon the
others took fright and flew away, and amongst the rest his mate :
but, after awhile, she returned alone and picked at the mesh that
held his feet, till she set him free and they flew away together.
Now the fowler had fallen asleep and, when he awoke, he found
the net empty ; so he mended it and strewing fresh grain sat down
afar off, waiting for game to fall into that snare. Presently the
birds assembled again to pick up the grains, and amongst the rest
the two pigeons. By-and-by, the hen-bird fell into the net, when
all the other birds took fright at her and flew away, and her
husband flew With them and did not return ; whereupon the fowler
came up and taking the quarry, cut her throat. Now, when her
mate flew away with the others, a bird of raven seized him and
slew him and ate his flesh and drank his blood, and I would have
1 Arab. " Muunah," the " Mona " of Maroccan travellers (English not Italian who
are scandalised by "Mona") meaning the provisions supplied gratis by the unhappy
villagers to all who visit them with passport from the Sultan. Our cousins German
have lately scored a great success by paying for all their rations which the Ministers of
other nations, England included, were mean enough to accept.
Ardashir and Hay at al-Nufus. 233
you pourtray me the presentment of this my dream, even as I have
related it to you, in the liveliest colours, laying the fair scene in
this rare garden, with its walls and trees and rills, and dwell
especially on the fowler and the falcon, If ye do this I have set
forth to you and the work please me, I will give you what shall
gladden your hearts, over and above your wage." The painters,
hearing these words, applied themselves with all diligence to do
what he required of them and wrought it out in masterly style ;
and when they had made an end of the work, they showed it to
the Wazir who, seeing his so-called dream set forth as it was1
was pleased and thanked them and rewarded them munificently.
Presently, the Prince came in, according to his custom, and
entered the pavilion, unweeting what the Wazir had done. So
when he saw the portraiture of the fowler and the birds and the
net and beheld the male pigeon in the clutches of the hawk, which
had slain him and was drinking his blood and eating his flesh, his
understanding was confounded and he returned to the Minister
and said, " O Wazir of good counsel, I have seen this day a marvel
which, were it graven with needlegravers on the eye-corners would
be a warner to whoso will be warned ?" Asked the Minister, " And
what is that, O my lord ? "; and the Prince answered, " Did I not
tell thee of the dream the Princess had and how it was the cause
of her hatred for men ? " "Yes," replied the Wazir ; and Ardashir
rejoined, " By Allah, O Minister, I have seen the whole dream
pourtrayed in painting, as I had eyed it with mine own eyes ;
but I found therein a circumstance which was hidden from the
Princess, so that she saw it not, and 'tis upon this that I rely for
the winning of my wish." Quoth the Wazir, " And what is that,
O my son ? "; and quoth the Prince, " I saw that, when the male
bird flew away ; and, leaving his mate entangled in the net, failed
to return and save her, a falcon pounced on him and slaying him,
ate his flesh and drank his blood. Would to Heaven the Princess
had seen the whole of the dream and had beheld the cause of his
failure to return and rescue her ! " Replied the Wazir, " By Allah,
1 Arab. " Kaannahu huwa"; lit. = as he (was) he. This reminds us of the great
grammarian, Sibawayh, whose name the Persians derive from " Apple-flavour (Sib + bu).
He was disputing, in presence of Harun al-Rashid with a rival Ai-Kisa'f, and advocated
the Basrian form, " Fa-iza huwa hu " (behold, it was he) against theKufan, " Fa-iza huwa
iyyahu " (behold, it was him). The enemy overcame him by appealing to Badawin, who
spoke impurely, whereupon Sibawayh left the court, retired to Khorasan and died, it is
said of a broken heart.
234 A If Laylah wa Laylak.
O auspicious King, this is indeed a rare thing and a wonderful ! "
And the King's son ceased not to marvel at the picture and lament
that the King's daughter had not beheld the dream to its end,
saying in himself, " Would she had seen it to the last or might see
the whole over again, though but in the imbroglio of sleep ! "
Then quoth the Wazir to him, " Thou saidst to me : — Why wilt
thou repair the pavilion?; and I replied: — Thou shalt presently
see the issue thereof. And behold, now its issue thou seest ; for
it was I did this deed and bade the painters pourtray the Princess's
dream thus and paint the male bird in the pounces of the falcon
which eateth his flesh and drinketh his blood ; so that when she
cometh to the pavilion, she will behold her dream depicted and see
how the cock-pigeon was slain and excuse him and turn from her
hate for men." When the Prince heard the Wazir's words, he
kissed his hands and thanked him, saying, " Verily, the like of
thee is fit to be Minister to the most mighty King, and, by Allah,
an I win my wish and return to my sire, rejoicing, I will assuredly
acquaint him with this, that he may redouble in honouring thee
and advance thee in dignity and hearken to thine every word."
So the Wazir kissed his hand and they both went to the old
Gardener and said, " Look at yonder pavilion and see how fine it
is ! " And he replied, " This is all of your happy thought." Then
said they, " O elder, when the owners of the place question thee
concerning the restoration of the pavilion, say thou : — 'Twas I did
it of my own monies; to the intent that there may betide thee fair
favour and good fortune." He said, " I hear and I obey "; and
the Prince continued to pay him frequent visits. Such was the
case with the Prince and the Wazir ; but as regards Hayat
al-Nufus, when she ceased to receive the Prince's letters and
messages and when the old woman was absent from her, she
rejoiced with joy exceeding and concluded that the young man
had returned to his own country. One day, there came to her a
covered tray from her father ; so she uncovered it and finding
therein fine fruits, asked her waiting-women, " Is the season of
these fruits come?" Answered they, "Yes." Thereupon she
cried, " Would we might make ready to take our pleasure in the
flower-garden ! " And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased saying her permitted say.
Ardashir and Hay at al-Nufus. 235
foj)en ft foaa tfje Sbeben f^unfcteto an*
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Princess,
after receiving the fruit from her sire, asked, " Is the season of
these fruits set in ? "; and they answered, " Yes ! " Thereupon she
cried, " Would we might make ready to take our pleasure in the
flower-garden ! " " O my lady," they replied, " thou sayest well,
and by Allah, we also long for the garden ! " So she enquired,
" How shall we do, seeing that every year it is none save my nurse
who taketh us to walk in the garden and who pointeth out to us
the various trees and plants ; and I have beaten her and forbidden
her from me ? Indeed, I repent me of what was done by me to
her, for that, in any case, she is my nurse and hath over me the
right of fosterage. But there is no Majesty and there is no Might
save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great ! " When her handmaids
heard this, they all sprang up ; and, kissing the ground between
her hands, exclaimed, "Allah upon thee, O my lady, do thou
pardon her and bid her to the presence ! " ; and quoth she, " By
Allah, I am resolved upon this ; but which of you will go to her,
for I have prepared her a splendid robe of honour ? " Hereupon
two damsels came forward, by name Bulbul and Siwad al-'Ayn,
who were comely and graceful and the principals among the
Princess's women, and her favourites. And they said, " We will
go to her, O King's daughter ! " ; and she said, " Do what seemeth
good to you." So they went to the house of the nurse and
knocked at the door and entered ; and she, recognising the twain,
received them with open arms and welcomed them. When they
had sat awhile with her, they said to her, " O nurse, the Princess
pardoneth thee and desireth to take thee back into favour." She
replied, " This may never be, though I drink the cup of ruin !
Hast thou forgotten how she put me to shame before those who
love me and those who hate me, when my clothes were dyed with
my blood and I well nigh died for stress of beating, and after this
they dragged me forth by the feet, like a dead dog, and cast me
without the door ? So by Allah, I will never return to her nor fill
my eyes with her sight ! " Quoth the two girls, " Disappoint not
our pains in coming to thee nor send us away unsuccessful.
Where is thy courtesy uswards ? Think but who it is that cometh
in to visit thee : canst thou wish for any higher of standing than
we with the King's daughter ? " She replied, " I take refuge with
236 A If Lay la k iva Laylah.
Allah : well I wot that my station is less than yours ; were it not
that the Princess's favour exalted me above all her women, so
that, were I wroth with the greatest of them, she had died in her
skin of fright." They rejoined, " All is as it was and naught is in
anywise changed. Indeed, 'tis better than before, for the Princess
humbleth herself to thee and seeketh a reconciliation without
intermediary." Said the old woman, " By Allah, were it not for
your presence and intercession with me, I had never returned to
her; no, not though she had commanded to slay me!" They
thanked her for this and she rose and dressing herself accom-
panied them to the palace. Now when the King's daughter saw
her, she sprang to her feet in honour, and the old woman said,
" Allah ! Allah ! O King's daughter, say me, whose was the fault,
mine or thine ? " Hayat al-Nufus replied, " The fault was mine,
and 'tis thine to pardon and forgive. By Allah, O my nurse, thy
rank is high with me and thou hast over me the right of fosterage ;
but thou knowest that Allah (extolled and exalted be He!) hath
allotted to His creatures four things, disposition, life, daily bread
and death ; nor is it in man's power to avert that which is decreed.
Verily, I was beside myself and could not recover my senses ; but,
0 my nurse, I repent of what deed I did." With this, the crone's
anger ceased from her and she rose and kissed the ground before
the Princess, who called for a costly robe of honour and threw it
over her, whereat she rejoiced with exceeding joy in the presence
of the Princess's slaves and women. When all ended thus happily,
Hayat al-Nufus said to the old woman, " O my nurse, how go the
fruits and growths of our garth ? " ; and she replied, " O my lady,
1 see excellent fruits in the town ; but I will enquire of this matter
and return thee an answer this very day." Then she withdrew,
honoured with all honour and betook herself to Ardashir, who
received her with open arms and embraced her and rejoiced in her
coming, for that he had expected her long and longingly. She
told him all that had passed between herself and the Princess and
how her mistress was minded to go down into the garden on such
a day. -- And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
to say her permitted say.
Nofo fo&en ft foas tfje gbebcn ^untotr anfc
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
old woman betook herself to the Prince and told him all that had
Ardashir and Hayat al-Nufus. 237
passed between herself and the Princess Hayat al-Nufus ; and
how her mistress was minded to go down into the garden on such
a day and said to him, " Hast thou done as I bade thee with the
Warder of the garden and hast thou made him taste of thy
bounties ? " He replied, " Yes, and the oldster is become my good
friend : my way is his way and he would well I had need of him."
Then he told her all that had happened and of the dream-paintings
which the Wazir had caused to be limned in the pavilion ; especially
of the fowler, the net and the falcon : whereat she joyed with great
joy and said, "Allah upon thee, do thou set thy Minister midmost
thy heart, for this that he hath done pointeth to the keenness of
his wit and he hath helped thee to the winning thy wish. So rise
forthright, O my son, and go to the Hammam-bath and don thy
daintiest dress, wherein may be our success. Then fare thou to
the Gardener and make shift to pass the night in the garden, for
though he should give the earth full of gold none may win to pass
into it, whilst the King's daughter is therein. When thou hast
entered, hide thee where no eye may espy thee and keep concealed
till thou hear me cry : — O Thou whose boons are hidden, save us
from that we fear! Then come forth from thine ambush and
walk among the trees and show thy beauty and loveliness which
put the moons to shame, to the intent that Princess Hayat al-
Nufus may see thee and that her heart and soul may be filled
with love of thee ; so shalt thou attain to thy wish and thy grief
be gone." " To hear is to obey," replied the young Prince and
gave her a purse of a thousand dinars, which she took and went
away. Thereupon Ardashir fared straight for the bath and
washed ; after which he arrayed himself in the richest of robes
of the apparel of the Kings of the Chosroes and girt his middle
with a girdle wherein were conjoined all manner precious stones
and donned a turband inwoven with red gold and purfled with
pearls and gems. His cheeks shone rosy-red and his lips were
scarlet ; his eyelids like the gazelle's wantoned ; like a wine-struck
wight in his gait he swayed ; beauty and loveliness garbed him,
and his shape shamed the bowing of the bough. Then he put in
his pocket a purse containing a thousand dinars and, repairing to
the flower-garden, knocked at the door. The Gardener opened
to him and rejoicing with great joy salamed to him in most
worshipful fashion; then, observing that his face was overcast,
he asked him how he did. The King's son answered, " Know, O
elder, that I am dear to my father and he never laid his hand on
238 A If Laylah wa La}
me till this day, when words arose between us and he abused me
and smote me on the face and struck me with his staff and drave
me away. Now I have no friend to turn to and I fear the perfidy
of Fortune, for thou knowest that the wrath of parents is no light
thing. Wherefore I come to thee, O uncle, seeing that to my
father thou art known, and I desire of thy favour that thou suffer
me abide in the garden till the end of the day, or pass the night
there, till Allah grant good understanding between myself and
my sire." When the old man heard these words he was concerned
anent what had occurred and said, " O my lord, dost thou give me
leave to go to thy sire and be the means of reconciliation between
thee and him?" Replied Ardashir, "O uncle, thou must know
that my father is of impatient nature, and irascible ; so an thou
proffer him reconciliation in his heat of temper he will make thee
no answer ; but when a day or two shall have passed, his heat
will soften. Then go thou in to him and thereupon he will
relent." " Hearkening and obedience," quoth the Gardener ;
" but, O my lord, do thou come with me to my house, where
thou shalt night with my children and my family and none shall
reproach this to us." Quoth Ardashir, " O uncle, I must be alone
when I am angry."1 The old man said, " It irketh me that thou
shouldst lie solitary in the garden, when I have a house." But
Ardashir said, " O uncle, I have an aim in this, that the trouble of
my mind may be dispelled from me and I know that in this lies
the means of regaining his favour and softening his heart
to me/' Rejoined the Gardener, " I will fetch thee a carpet
to sleep on and a coverlet wherewith to cover thee;" and
the Prince said, " There is no harm in that, O uncle." So the
keeper rose and opened the garden to him, and brought him
the carpet and coverlet, knowing not that the King's daughter
was minded to visit the garth. On this wise fared it with the
Prince ; but as regards the nurse, she returned to the Princess
and told her that the fruits were kindly ripe on the garden trees ;
whereupon she said, " O my nurse, go down with me to-morrow
into the garden, that we may walk about in it and take our
1 This is a sign of the Saudawi or melancholic tempejrament in which black bile
predominates. It is supposed to cause a distaste for society and a longing for solitude,
an unsettled habit of mind and neglect of worldly affairs. I remarked that in Arabia
students are subject to it, and that amongst philosophers and literary men of Mecca
and Al-Medinah there was hardly one who was not spoken of as a "Saudawi." See
Pilgrimage ii. 49, 50.
Ardashir and Hay at al-Nufus. 239
pleasure, — Inshallah ; and send meanwhile to the Gardener, to let
him know what we purpose." So she sent to the Gardener to
say : — The Princess will visit the parterre to-morrow, so leave
neither water-carriers nor tree-tenders therein, nor let one of
Allah's creatures enter the garth. When word came to him, he
set his water-ways and channels in order and, going to Ardashir,
said to him, " O my lord, the King's daughter is mistress of this
garden ; and I have only to crave thy pardon, for the place is
thy place and I live only in thy favours, except that my tongue
is under thy feet.1 I must tell thee that the Princess Hayat al-
Nufus hath a mind to visit it to-morrow at the first of the day and
hath bidden me leave none therein who might look upon her.
So I would have thee of thy favour go forth of the garden this
day, for the Queen will abide only in it till the time of mid-after-
noon prayer and after it shall be at thy service for se'nnights and
fortnights, months and years." Ardashir asked, " O elder, haply
we have caused thee some mishap ? " ; and the other answered,
" By Allah, O my lord, naught hath betided me from thee but
honour ! " Rejoined the Prince, " An it be so, nothing but all
good shall befal thee through us ; for I will hide in the garden
and none shall espy me, till the King's daughter hath gone back
to her palace." Said the Gardener, " O my lord, an she espy
the shadow of a man in the garden or any of Allah's male
creatures she will strike off my head ; *' And Shahrazad per-
ceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Jtofo fo{)£n it foas t&e §b*ben l^unutefc anfc ®fo0ntg=ntml)
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
the Gardener said to the Prince, " An the King's daughter espy
the shadow of a man in her garden, she will strike off my head ; "
the youth replied, " Have no fear, I will on no wise let any see
me. But doubtless to-day thou lackest of spending-money for
thy family." Then he put his hand to his purse and pulled out
five hundred ducats, which he gave to him saying, " Take this
gold and lay it out on thy family, that thy heart may be at ease
concerning them." When the Shaykh looked upon the gold, his
1 f.t. I am a servant and bound to tell thee what my orders are.
240 A If Lay la h wa Laylah.
life seemed a light thing to him1 and he suffered the Prince to
tarry where he was, charging him straitly not to show himself in
the garden. Then he left him loitering about. Meanwhile, when
the eunuchs went in to the Princess at break of day, she bade
open the private wicket leading from the palace to the parterres
and donned a royal robe, embroidered with pearls and jewels and
gems, over a shift of fine silk purfled with rubies. Under the
whole was that which tongue refuseth to explain, whereat was
confounded the brain and whose love would embrave the craven's
strain. On her head she set a crown of red gold, inlaid with
pearls and gems and she tripped in pattens of cloth of gold,
embroidered with fresh pearls2 and adorned with all manner
precious stones. Then she put her hand upon the old woman's
shoulder and commanded to go forth by the privy door ; but the
nurse looked at the garden and, seeing it full of eunuchs and
handmaids walking about, eating the fruits and troubling the
streams and taking their ease of sport and pleasure in the
water said to the Princess, " O my lady, is this a garden or a
madhouse ? " Quoth the Princess, " What meaneth thy speech, O
nurse ? " ; and quoth the old woman, " Verily the garden is full
of slave-girls and eunuchs, eating of the fruits and troubling
the streams and scaring the birds and hindering us from
taking our ease and sporting and laughing and what not
else ; and thou hast no need of them. Wert thou going forth of
thy palace into the highway, this would be fitting, as an honour
and a ward to thee ; but, now, O my lady, thou goest forth of the
wicket into the garden, where none of Almighty Allah's creatures
may look on thee." Rejoined the Princess, " By Allah, O nurse
mine, thou sayst sooth ! But how shall we do ? " ; and the old
woman said, " Bid the eunuchs send them all away and keep only
two of the slave-girls, that we may make merry with them. So
she dismissed them all, with the exception of two of her hand-
maids who were most in favour with her. But when the old
woman saw that her heart was light and that the season was
pleasant to her, she said to her, " Now we can enjoy ourselves
aright : so up and let us take our pleasance in the garden." The
1 A touching lesson how tribes settle matters in the East.
2 i.e. fresh from water (Arab. "Rutub"), before the air can tarnish them. The
pearl (margarita) in Arab is Lu'lu' ; the " unio " or large pearl Durr, plur. Durar. In
modern parlance Durr is the second quality of the twelve into which pearls are
divided.
Ardashir and Hay at al-Nufus. 241
Princess put her hand upon her shoulder and went out by the
private door. The two waiting-women walked in front and she
followed them laughing at them and swaying gracefully to and
fro in her ample robes ; whilst the nurse forewent her, showing
her the trees and feeding her with fruits ; and so they fared on
from place to place, till they came to the pavilion, which when
the King's daughter beheld and saw that it had been restored,
she asked the old woman, " O my nurse, seest thou yonder
pavilion ? It hath been repaired and its walls whitened." She
answered, " By Allah, O my lady, I heard say that the keeper of
the garden had taken stuffs of a company of merchants and sold
them and bought bricks and lime and plaster and stones and so
forth with the price ; so I asked him what he had done with all
this, and he said : — I have repaired the pavilion which lay in
ruins, presently adding : — And when the merchants sought their
due of me, I said to them, Wait til^ the Princess visit the
garden and see the repairs and they satisfy her; then will I
take of her what she is pleased to bestow on me,^and pay you
what is your due. Quoth I — What moved thee to do this
thing?; and quoth he: — I saw the pavilion in ruins, the coigns
thrown down and the stucco peeled from the walls, and none had
the grace to repair it ; so I borrowed the coin on my own account
and restored the place ; and I trust in the King's daughter to deal
with me as befitteth her dignity. I said : — The Princess is all
goodness and generosity and will no doubt requite thee. And
he did all this but in hopes of thy bounty." Replied the Prin-
cess, " By Allah, he hath dealt nobly in rebuilding it and hath
done the deed of generous men ! Call me my purse-keeperess."
The old woman accordingly fetched the purse-keeperess, whom the
Princess bade give the Gardener two thousand dinars ; whereupon
the nurse sent to him, bidding him to the presence of the King's
daughter. But when the messenger said to him, " Obey the
Queen's order," the Gardener felt feeble and, trembling in every
joint, said in himself, Doubtless, the Princess hath seen the young
man, and this day will be the most unlucky of days for me." So
he went home and told his wife and children what had happened
and gave them his last charges and farewelled them, while they
wept for and with him. Then he presented himself before the
Princess, with a face the colour of turmeric and ready to fall flat
at full length. The old woman remarked his plight and hastened
to forestall him, saying, " O Shaykh, kiss the earth in thanksgiving
VOL, VII. Q
242 A If Laylah wa Lay la ft.
to Almighty Allah and be constant in prayer to Him for the
Princess. I told her what thou didst in the matter of repairing
the ruined pavilion, and she rejoiceth in this and bestoweth on
thee two thousand dinars in requital of thy pains ; so take them
from the purse-keeperess and kiss the earth before the King's
daughter and bless her and wend thy way." Hearing these words
he took the gold and kissed the ground before Hayat al-Nufus,
calling down blessings on her. Then he returned to his house,
and his family rejoiced in him and blessed him * who had been
the prime cause of this business. And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Nofo fofcen it foas tfje Sbebcn ^unlrrrtr an& ®$frtt'et&
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
the Care-taker took the two thousand ducats from the Princess and
returned to his house, all his family rejoiced in him and blessed
him who had been the prime cause of this business. Thus it fared
with these ; but as regards the old woman, she said to the Princess,
" O my lady, this is indeed become a fine place ! Never saw I a
purer white than its plastering nor properer than its painting!
I wonder if he have also repaired it within : else hath he made
the outside white and left the inside black. Come, let us enter
and inspect." So they went in, the nurse preceding, and found
the interior painted and gilded in the goodliest way, The
Princess looked right and left, till she came to the upper end
of the estrade, when she fixed her eyes upon the wall and gazed
long and earnestly thereat ; whereupon the old woman knew that
her glance had lighted on the presentment of her dream and took
the two waiting-women away with her, that they might not divert
her mind. When the King's daughter had made an end of
examining the painting, she turned to the old woman, wondering
and beating hand on hand, and said to her, " O my nurse, come,
see a wondrous thing which were it graven with needle-gravers
on the eye corners would be a warner to whoso will be warned."
She replied, " And what is that, O my lady ? "; when the Princess
rejoined, " Go, look at the upper end of the estrade, and tell me
what thou seest there." So she went up and considered the
dream-drawing : then she came down, wondering, and said, " By
1 i.e. the Wazir, but purposely left vague.
Ardashir and Hay at al-Nufus. 243
Allah, O my lady, here is depicted the garden and the fowler
and his net and the birds and all thou sawest in thy dream ; and
verily, nothing but urgent need withheld the male pigeon from
returning to free his mate after he had fled her, for I see him in
the talons of a bird of raven which hath slaughtered him and is
drinking his blood and rending his flesh and eating it ; and this,
0 my lady, caused his tarrying to return and rescue her from the
net. But, O my mistress, the wonder is how thy dream came to
be thus depicted, for, wert thou minded to set it forth in painture,
thou hadst not availed to portray it. By Allah, this is a marvel
which should be recorded in histories ! Surely, O my lady, the
angels appointed to attend upon the sons of Adam, knew that
the cock-pigeon was wronged of us, because we blamed him for
deserting his mate ; so they embraced his cause and made manifest
his excuse ; and now for the first time we see him in the hawk's
pounces a dead bird." Quoth the Princess, " O my nurse, verily,
Fate and Fortune had course against this bird, and we did him
wrong." Quoth the nurse, " O my mistress, foes shall meet before
Allah the Most High : but, O my lady, verily, the truth hath been
made manifest and the male pigeon's excuse certified to us ; for
had the hawk not seized him and drunk his blood and rent his
flesh he had not held aloof from his mate, but had returned to
her, and set her free from the net ; but against death there is no
recourse, nor, O my lady, is there aught in the world more tenderly
solicitous than the male for the female, among all creatures which
Almighty Allah hath created. And especially 'tis thus with man ;
for he starveth himself to feed his wife, strippeth himself to clothe
her, angereth his family to please her and disobeyeth and denieth
his parents to endow her. She knoweth his secrets and concealeth
them and she cannot endure from him a single hour.1 An he be
absent from her one night, her eyes sleep not, nor is there a dearer
to her than he : she loveth him more than her parents and they
lie down to sleep in each other's arms, with his hand under her
neck and her hand under his neck, even as saith the poet : —
1 made my wrist her pillow and I lay with her in litter ; * And I said to Night
" Be long ! " while the full moon showed glitter :
Ah me, it was a night, Allah never made its like ; * Whose first was
sweetest sweet and whose last was bitt'rest bitter ! z
1 The whole of the nurse's speech is admirable : its naive and striking picture of
conjugal affection goes far to redeem the grossness of The Nights.
* The bitterness was the parting in the morning.
244 Alf Laylah wa Laylak.
Then he kisseth her and she kisseth him ; and I have heard of a
certain King that, when his wife fell sick and died, he buried
himself alive with her, submitting himself to death, for the love
of her and the strait companionship which was between them.
Moreover, a certain King sickened and died, and when they were
about to bury him, his wife said to her people : Let me bury
myself alive with him : else will I slay myself and my blood shall
be on your heads. So, when they saw she would not be turned
from this thing, they left her, and she cast herself into the grave
with her dead husband, of the greatness of her love and tenderness
for him." And the old woman ceased not to ply the Princess with
anecdotes of conjugal love between men and women, till there
ceased that which was in her heart of hatred for the sex masculine ;
and when she felt that she had succeeded in renewing in her the
natural inclination of woman to man, she said to her, " Tis time
to go and walk in the garden." So they fared forth from the
pavilion and paced among the trees. Presently the Prince chanced
to turn and his eyes fell on Hayat al-Nufus ; and when he saw
the symmetry of her shape and the rosiclearness of her cheeks
and the blackness of her eyes and her exceeding grace and her
passing loveliness and her excelling beauty and her prevailing
elegance and her abounding perfection, his reason was confounded
and he could not take his eyes off her. Passion annihilated his
right judgment and love overpassed all limits in him ; his vitals
were occupied with her service and his heart was aflame with the
fire of repine, so that he swooned away and fell to the ground.
When he came to himself, she had passed from his sight and was
hidden from him among the trees ; And Shahrazad perceived
the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Nofo fofjen it foas tfje Sbeben l^unfcrefc anfo tJinrtjufirst
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Prince Ardashir, who lay hid in the garden, saw the Princess and
her nurse walking amongst the trees, he swooned away for very
love-longing. When he came to himself Hayat al-Nufus had
passed from his sight and was hidden from him among the trees ;
so he sighed from his heart-core and improvised these couplets : —
Whenas mine eyes behold her loveliness, o My heart is torn with love's own
ecstasy.
Ardashir and Hayat al-Nufus. 24$
I wake overthrown, castdown on face of earth o Nor can the Princess1 my
sore torment see.
She turned and ravished this sad Love-thrall'd sprite ; o Mercy, by Allah, ruth ;
nay, sympathy !
O Lord, afford me union, deign Thou soothe o My soul, ere grave-niche house
this corse of me ;
I'll kiss her ten times ten times, and times ten o For lover's wasted cheek the
kisses be !
The old woman ceased not to lead the Princess a-pleasuring about
the garden, till they reached the place where the Prince lay
ambushed, when, behold she said, " O Thou whose bounties are
hidden, vouchsafe us assurance from that we fear ! " The King's
son hearing the signal, left his lurking-place and, surprised by the
summons, walked among the trees, swaying to and fro with a
proud and graceful gait and a shape that shamed the branches.
His brow was crowned with pearly drops and his cheeks red as
the afterglow, extolled be Allah the Almighty in that He hath
created ! When the King's daughter caught sight of him, she
gazed a long while on him and noticed his beauty and grace and
loveliness and his eyes that wantoned like the gazelle's, and his
shape that outvied the branches of the myrobalan ; wherefore her
wits were confounded and her soul captivated and her heart trans-
fixed with the arrows of his glaces. Then she said to the old
woman, "O my nurse, whence came yonder handsome youth ?";
and the nurse asked, " Where is he, O my lady ? " " There he is,"
answered Hayat al-Nufus ; " near hand, among the trees." The
old woman turned right and left, as if she knew not of his
presence, and cried, " And pray, who can have taught this youth
the way into this garden ? " Quoth Hayat al-Nufus, " Who shall
give us news of the young man ? Glory be to Him who created
men ! But say me, dost thou know him, O my nurse ? " Quoth
the old woman, " O my lady, he is the young merchant who wrote
to thee by me." The Princess (and indeed she was drowned in
the sea of her desire and the fire of her passion and love-longing)
broke out, " O my nurse, how goodly is this youth ! Indeed he is
fair of favour. Methinks, there is not on the face of earth a
goodlier than he ! " Now when the old woman was assured that
the love of him had gotten possession of the Princess, she said to
her, " Did I not tell thee, O my lady, that he was a comely youth
with a beaming favour ? " Replied Hayat al-Nufus, " O my nurse,
1 English Prin'cess," too often pronounced in French fashion Princess
246 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
King's daughters know not the ways of the world nor the manners
of those that be therein, for that they company with none, neither
give they nor take they. O my nurse, how shall I do to bring
about a meeting and present myself to him, and what shall I say
to him and what will he say to me ? " Said the old woman,
" What device is left me ? Indeed, we were confounded in this
matter by thy behaviour"; and the Princess said, " O my nurse,
know thou that if any ever died of passion, I shall do so, and
behold, I look for nothing but death on the spot by reason of the
fire of my love-longing." When the old woman heard her words
and saw the transport of her desire for him, she answered, " O my
lady, now as for his coming to thee, there is no way thereto ; and
indeed thou art excused from going to him, because of thy tender
age ; but rise with me and follow me. I will accost him : so shalt
thou not be put to shame, and in the twinkling of an eye affection
shall ensue between you." The King's daughter cried, " Go thou
before me, for the decree of Allah may not be rejected." Accord-
ingly they went up to the place where Ardashir sat, as he were
the full moon at its fullest, and the old woman said to him, " See
O youth, who is present before thee ! 'Tis the daughter of our
King of the age, Hayat al-Nufus : bethink thee of her rank and
appreciate the honour she doth thee in coming to thee and rise out
of respect for her and stand before her." The Prince sprang to
his feet in an instant and his eyes met her eyes, whereupon they
both became as they were drunken without wine. Then the love
of him and desire redoubled upon the Princess and she opened
her arms and he his, and they embraced ; but love-longing and
passion overcame them and they swooned away and fell to the
ground and lay a long while without sense. The old woman,
fearing scandalous exposure, carried them both into the pavilion,
and, sitting down at the door, said to the two waiting-women,
" Seize the occasion to take your pleasure in the garden, for the
Princess sleepeth." So they returned to their diversion. Presently
the lovers revived from their swoon and found themselves in the
pavilion, whereat quoth the Prince, " Allah upon thee, O Princess
of fair ones, is this vision or sleep-illusion ? " Then the twain
embraced and intoxicated themselves without wine, complaining
each to other of the anguish of passion ; and the Prince impro-
vised these couplets : —
Sun riseth sheen from her brilliant brow, o And her cheek shows the rosiest
afterglow :
Ardashir and Hay at al-Nufus. 247
And when both appear to the looker-on, o The skyline star ne'er for shame
will show :
An the leven flash from those smiling lips, o Morn breaks and the rays dusk
and gloom o'erthrow.
And when with her graceful shape she sways, o Droops leafiest Bdn-tree1 for
envy low :
Me her sight suffices ; naught crave I more : o Lord of Men and Morn, be her
guard from foe !
The full moon borrows a part of her charms ; o The sun would rival but fails
his lowe.
Whence could Sol aspire to that bending grace ? o Whence should Luna see
such wit and such mind-gifts know ?
Who shall blame me for being all love to her, o 'Twixt accord and discord
aye doomed to woe :
Tis she won my heart with those forms that bend o What shall lover's heart
from such charms defend ?
— — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to
say her permitted say.
Nofo fo&en it foas t&e £>ebcn ^untJtefc an* fZFf)tr.tB*scconTj
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
the Prince had made an end of his verses, the Princess strained
him to her bosom and kissed him on the mouth and between the
eyes ; whereupon his soul returned to him and he fell to com-
plaining to her of that he had endured for stress of love and
tyranny of longing and excess of transport and distraction and all
he had suffered for the hardness of her heart. Hearing those
words she kissed his hands and feet and bared her head,2 where-
upon the gloom gathered and the full moons dawned therein. Then
said she to him, " O my beloved and term of all my wishes, would
the day of estrangement had never been and Allah grant it may
never return between us ! " And they embraced and wept
together, whilst she recited these couplets : —
1 In dictionaries " Ban " (Anglice ben-tree) is the myrobalan which produces gum
benzoin. It resembles the tamarisk. Mr. Lyall (p. 74 Translations of Ancient Arab
Poetry, Williams and Norgate, 1885), calls it a species of Moringa, tall, with plentiful
and intensely green foliage used for comparisons on account of its straightness and
graceful shape of its branches. The nut supplies a medicinal oil.
8 A sign of extreme familiarity : the glooms are the hands and the full moons are the
eyes.
248 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
O who shamest the Moon and the sunny glow : o Thou whose slaughtering
tyranny lays me low ;
With the sword of a look thou hast shorn my heart, o How escape thy sword-
glance fatal of blow ?
Thus eke are thine eyebrows a bow that shot o My bosom with shafts of
fiercest lowe :
From thy cheeks' rich crop cometh Paradise j o How, then, shall my
heart the rich crop forego ?
Thy graceful shape is a blooming branch, o And shall pluck the
fruits who shall bear that bough.
Perforce thou drawest me, robst my sleep ; o In thy love I strip me
and shameless show :*
Allah lend thee the rays of most righteous light, o Draw the farthest near
and a tryst bestow :
Then have ruth on the vitals thy love hath seared, o And the heart that flics
to thy side the mo'e!
And when she ended her recitation, passion overcame her and she
was distraught for love and wept copious tears, rain-like streaming
down. This burnt the Prince's heart and he in turn became
troubled and distracted for love of her. So he drew nearer to her
and kissed her hands and wept with sore weeping and they
ceased not from lover-reproaches and converse and versifying,
until the call to mid-afternoon prayer (nor was there aught
between them other than this), when they bethought them of
parting and she said to him, " O light of mine eyes and core of
my heart, the time of severance has come between us twain : when
shall we meet again ? " " By Allah/' replied he (and indeed her
words shot him as with shafts), " to mention of parting I am
never fain ! " Then she went forth of the pavilion, and he turned
and saw her sighing sighs would melt the rock and weeping
shower-like tears ; whereupon he for love was sunken in the sea of
desolation and improvised these couplets : —
O my heart's desire ! grows my misery o From the stress of love, and what
cure for me ?
By thy face, like dawn when it lights the dark, o And thy hair whose hue
beareth night-tide's blee,
And thy form like the branch which in grace inclines o To Zephyr's2 breath
blowing fain and free,
By the glance of thine eyes like the fawn's soft gaze, o When she views pursuer
of high degree,
1 Arab. " Khal'a al-'izar ": lit. = stripping off jaws or side-beard.
z Arab. " Shimal " =the north wind.
Ardashir and Hay at al-Nufus. 249
And thy waist down borne by the weight of hips, o These so heavy and that
lacking gravity,
By the wine of thy lip-dew, the sweetest of drink, o Fresh water and musk in
its purity,
0 gazelle of the tribe, ease my soul of grief, o And grant me thy phantom in
sleep to see I
Now when she heard his verses in praise of her, she turned back
to him and embracing him, with a heart on fire for the anguish
of severance, fire which naught save kisses and embraces might
quench, cried, " Sooth the byword saith, Patience is for a lover
and not the lack thereof. There is no help for it but I contrive a
means for our reunion." Then she farewelled him and fared
forth, knowing not where she set her feet, for stress of her love ;
nor did she stay her steps till she found herself in her own
chamber. When she was gone, passion and love-longing re-
doubled upon the young Prince and the delight of sleep was
forbidden him, and the Princess in her turn tasted not food and
her patience failed and she sickened for desire. As soon as
dawned the day, she sent for the nurse, who came and found her
condition changed and she cried, " Question me not of my case;
for all I suffer is due to thy handiwork. Where is the beloved of
my heart ? " " O my lady, when d/'<J bf leave thee ? Hath he
been absent from thee more than this night ? " " Can I endure
absence from him an hour ? Come, find some means to bring us
together speedily, for my soul is like to flee my body.0 " O my
lady, have patience till I contrive thee some subtle device,
whereof none shall be ware." " By the Great God, except thou
bring him to me this very day, I will tell the King that thou hast
corrupted me, and he will cut off thy head ! " " I conjure thee,
by Allah, have patience with me, for this is a dangerous matter ! "
And the nurse humbled herself to her, till she granted her three
days' delay, saying, " O my nurse, the three days will be three
years to me ; and if the fourth day pass and thou bring him not,
1 will go about to slay thee." So the old woman left her and
returned to her lodging, where she abode till the morning of the
fourth day, when she summoned the tirewomen of the town and
sought of them fine dyes and rouge for the painting of a virgin
girl and adorning ; and they brought her cosmetics of the best.
Then she sent for the Prince and, opening her chest, brought out
a bundle containing a suit of woman's apparel, worth five thousand
dinars, and a head-kerchief fringed with all manner gems. Then
250 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
said she to him, " O my son, hast thou a mind to foregather with
Hayat al-Nufus ? "; and he replied, " Yes." So she took a pair of
tweezers and pulled out the hairs of his face and pencilled his
eyes with Kohl.1 Then she stripped him and painted him with
Henna2 from his nails to his shoulders and from his insteps to his
thighs and tattooed3 him about the body, till he was like red
roses upon alabaster slabs. After a little, she washed him and
dried him and bringing out a shift and a pair of petticoat-trousers
made him put them on. Then she clad him in the royal suit
aforesaid and, binding the kerchief about his head, veiled him
and taught him how to walk, saying, " Advance thy left and
draw back thy right." He did her bidding and forewent her, as
he were a Houri faring abroad from Paradise. Then said she
to him, "Fortify thy heart, for thou art going to the King's
palace, where there will without fail be guards and eunuchs at
the gate ; and if thou be startled at them and show doubt or
dread, they will suspect thee and examine thee, and we shall
1 An operation well described by Juvenal —
Ilia supercilium, modica fuligine tactum,
Obliqua producit acu, pingitque, trementes
Attolens oculos.
Sonnini (Travels in Egypt, chapt. xvi.) justly remarks that this pencilling the angles ol
the eyes with Kohl, which the old Levant trade called alquifoux or arquifoux, makes
them appear large and more oblong ; and I have noted that the modern Egyptian
(especially Coptic) eye, like that of the Sphinx and the old figures looks in profile as
if it were seen in full (Pilgrimage i. 214).
2 The same traveller notes a singular property in the Henna-flower that when smelt
closely it exhales a "very powerful spermatic odour," hence it became a favourite with
women as the tea-rose with us. He finds it on the nails of mummies, and identifies it
with the Kupros of the ancient Greeks (the moderns call it Kene or Kena) and the
BoVpvs -rijs Kvvrpov (Botrus cypri) of Solomon's Song (i. 14). The Hebr. is " Gopher,"
a well-known word which the A. V. translates by "a cluster of camphire (?) in the vine-
yards of En-gedi"; and a note on iv. 13 ineptly adds, "or, cypress." The Revised
Edit, amends it to " a cluster of henna- flowers." The Solomonic (?) description is very
correct ; the shrub affects vineyards, and about Bombay forms fine hedges which can be
smelt from a distance.
3 Hardly the equivalent of the Arab. " Kataba " (which includes true tattooing with
needles) and is applied to painting " patches" of blue or green colour, with sprigs and
arabesques upon the arms and especially the breasts of women. " Kataba " would also
be applied to striping the fingers with Henna which becomes a shining black under a
paste of honey, lime and sal-ammoniac. This "patching" is alluded to by Strabo and
Galen (Lane M. E. chapt ii.) ; and we may note that savages and barbarians can leave
nothing of beauty unadorned ; they seem to hate a plain surface like the Hindu silver-
smith, whose art is shown only in chasing.
Ardashir and Hay at al-Nufus. 251
both get into grievous trouble and haply lose our lives : where-
fore an thou feel thyself unable to this, tell me." He answered,
" In very sooth this thing hath no terrors for me, so be of good
cheer and keep thine eyes cool and clear/ ' Then she went out
preceding him till the twain came to the palace-gate, which was
full of eunuchs. She turned and looked at him, as much as to
say, " Art thou troubled or no ? " and finding him all unchanged,
went on. The chief eunuch glanced at the nurse and knew her
but, seeing a damsel following her, whose charms confounded
the reason, he said in his mind, "As for the old woman, she
is the nurse ; but as for the girl who is with her there is none
in our land resembleth her in favour or approacheth her in
fairness save the Princess Hayat al-Nufus, who is secluded and
never goeth out. Would I knew how she came into the streets
and would Heaven I wot whether or no 'twas by leave of the
King!" Then he rose to learn somewhat concerning her and
well nigh thirty castrates followed him ; which when the old
woman saw, her reason fled for fear and she said, " Verily, we
are Allah's and to Him we shall return ! Without recourse
we are dead folk this time." And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Nofo fo&en ft foas t&e &cben ??unta& anlr gRtfrtfi-tiJftii Xfgftt,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
the old nurse saw the head of the eunuchry and his assistants
making for her she was in exceeding fear and cried, " There is no
Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the
Great ! Verily we are God's and unto him we shall return ;
without recourse we be dead folk this time." When the head
eunuch heard her speak thus, fear gat hold upon him, by reason
of that which he knew of the Princess's violence and that her
father was ruled by her, and he said to himself, " Belike the King
hath commanded the nurse to carry his daughter forth upon
some occasion of hers, whereof she would have none know; and
if I oppose her, she will be wroth with me and will say: — This
eunuch fellow stopped me, that he might pry into my affairs.
So she will do her best to kill me, and I have no call to meddle
in this matter/' So saying, he turned back, and with him the
thirty assistants who drove the people from the door of the
252 A If Lay la h wa Laylak.
palace; whereupon the nurse entered and saluted the eunuchs
with her head, whilst all the thirty stood to do her honour and
returned her salam. She led in the Prince and he ceased not
following her from door to door, and the Protector protected
them, so that they passed all the guards, till they came to the
seventh door: it was that of the great pavilion, wherein was
the King's throne, and it communicated with the chambers of
his women and the saloons of the Harim, as well as with his
daughter's pavilion. So the old woman halted and said, " Here
we are, O my son, and glory be to Him who hath brought us
thus far in safety ! But, O my son, we cannot foregather with
the Princess except by night ; for night enveileth the fearful."
He replied, "True, but what is to be done ? " Quoth she, "Hide
thee in this black hole," showing him behind the door a dark and
deep cistern, with a cover thereto. So he entered the cistern,
and she went away and left him there till ended day, when she
returned and carried him into the palace, till they came to the
door of Hayat al-Nufus's apartment. The old woman knocked
and a little maid came out and said, " Who is at the door ? "
Said the nurse, " 'Tis I," whereupon the maid returned and
craved permission of her lady, who said, " Open to her and let
her come in with any who may accompany her." So they
entered and the nurse, casting a glance around, perceived that
the Princess had made ready the sitting-chamber and ranged
the lamps in row and lighted candles of wax in chandeliers of
gold and silver and spread the divans and estrades with carpets
and cushions. Moreover, she had set on trays of food and
fruits and confections and she had perfumed the place with
musk and aloes-wood and ambergris. She was seated among
the lamps and the tapers and the light of her face outshone the
lustre of them all. When she saw the old woman, she said to
her, "O nurse, where is the beloved of my heart?"; and the
other replied, " O my lady, I cannot find him nor have mine
eyes espied him ; but I have brought thee his own sister ; and
here she is." Cried the Princess, " Art thou Jinn-mad? What
need have I of his sister ? Say me, an a man's head irk him,
doth he bind up his hand ? " The old woman answered, " No,
by Allah, O my lady ! But look on her, and if she pleases
thee, let her be with thee." Then she uncovered the Prince's
face, whereupon Hayat al-Nufus knew him and running to him,
pressed him to her bosom, and he pressed her to his breast.
Ardashir and Hay at al-Nufus. 253
Then they both fell down in a swoon and lay without sense a
long while. The old woman sprinkled rose-water upon them
till they came to themselves, when she kissed him on the mouth
more than a thousand times and improvised these couplets : —
Sought me this heart's dear love at gloom of night ; o I rose in honour till he
sat forthright,
And said, " O aim of mine, O sole desire o In such night-visit hast
of guards no fright ? "
Replied he, " Yes, I feared much, but Love o Robbed me of all my
wits and reft my sprite."
We dipt with kisses and awhile clung we o For here 'twas safe ; nor
feared we watchman-wight :
Then rose we parting without doubtful deed o And shook out skirts
where none a stain could sight.
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to
say her permitted say.
fo&en (t foas tfie gbeben l^utrtrrefc anfc tEfn'ttg-fourt!) Nic$t,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
her lover visited Hayat al-Nufus in her palace, the twain embraced
and she improvised some happy couplets beseeming the occasion.
And when she had ended her extempore lines she said, " Is it
indeed true that I see thee in my abode and that thou art my
cup-mate and my familiar ? " Then passion grew on her and love
was grievous to her, so that her reason well-nigh fled for joy and
she improvised these couplets : —
With all my soul I'll ransom him who came to me in gloom o Of night, whilst
I had waited long to see his figure loom ;
And naught aroused me save his weeping voice of tender tone o And whispered
I, " Fair fall thy foot and welcome and well come ! "
His cheek I kissed a thousand times, and yet a thousand more ; * Then dipt
and clung about his breast enveiled in darkling room.
And cried, " Now verily I've won the aim of every wish * So praise and
prayers to Allah for this grace now best become."
Then slept we even as we would the goodliest of nights * Till morning came
to end our night and light up earth with bloom.
As soon as it was day, she made him enter a place in her apart-
ment unknown to any and he abode there till nightfall, when she
brought him out and they sat in converse and carouse. Presently
254 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
he said to her," I wish to return to my own country and tell my
father what hath passed between us, that he may equip his
Wazir to demand thee in marriage of thy sire." She replied, " O
my love, I fear, an thou return to thy country and kingdom, thou
wilt be distracted from me and forget the love of me ; or that
thy father will not further thy wishes in this matter and I shall
die. Meseems the better rede were that thou abide with me and
in my hand-grasp, I looking on thy face, and thou on mine, till
I devise some plan, whereby we may escape together some night
and flee to thy country ; for I have cut off my hopes from my own
people and I despair of them. He rejoined, " I hear and obey ; "
and they fell again to their carousal and conversing. He tarried
with her thus for some time till, one night, the wine was pleasant
to them and they lay not down nor did they sleep till break of
day. Now it chanced that one of the Kings sent her father a
present, and amongst other things, a necklace of union jewels,
nine-and-twenty grains, to whose price a King's treasures might
not suffice. Quoth Abd-al-Kadir, " This riviere beseemeth none
but my daughter Hayat al-Nufus ; " and, turning to an eunuch,
whose jaw-teeth the Princess had knocked out for reasons best
known to herself,1 he called to him and said, " Carry the necklace
to thy lady and say to her: — One of the Kings hath sent thy
father this, as a present, and its price may not be paid with
money ; put it on thy neck." The slave took the necklace,
saying in himself, " Allah Almighty make it the last thing she
shall put on in this world, for that she deprived me of the benefit
of my grinder-teeth ! " ; and repairing to the Princess's apart-
ment, found the door locked and the old woman asleep before the
threshold. He shook her, and she awoke in affright and asked,
"What dost thou want?"; to which he answered, " The King
hath sent me on an errand to his daughter." Quoth the nurse,
" The key is not here, go away, whilst I fetch it ; " but quoth
he, " I cannot go back to the King without having done his
1 A violent temper, accompanied with votes de fait and personal violence, is by
no means rare amongst Eastern princesses ; and terrible tales are told in Persia con-
cerning the daughters of Fath AH Shah. Few men and no woman can resist the temp-
tations of absolute command. The daughter of a certain Dictator all-powerful in the
Argentine Republic was once seen on horseback with a white bridle of peculiar
leather ; it was made of the skin of a man who had boasted of her favours. The slave-
girls suffer first from these masterful young persons and then it is the turn of the
eunuchry.
Ardashir and Hay at al-Nufus
commandment." So she went away, as if to fetch the key ; but
fear overtook her and she sought safety in flight. Then the
eunuch awaited her awhile ; then, finding she did not return, he
feared that the King would be angry at his delay ; so he rattled
at the door and shook it, whereupon the bolt gave way and the
leaf opened. He entered and passed on, till he came to the seventh
door and walking in to the Princess's chamber found the place
splendidly furnished and saw candles and flagons there. At this
spectacle he marvelled and going close up to the bed, which was
curtained by a hanging of silk, embroidered with a net-work of
jewels, drew back the curtain from before the Princess and saw
her sleeping with her arms about the neck of a young man hand-
somer than herself ; whereat he magnified Allah Almighty, who
had created such a youth of vile water, and said, " How goodly
be this fashion for one who hateth men ! How came she by this
fellow ? Methinks 'twas on his account that she knocked out
my back teeth ! " Then he drew the curtain and made for the
door ; but the King's daughter awoke in affright and seeing the
eunuch, whose name was Kafiir, called to him. He made her no
answer : so she came down from the bed on the estrade ; and
catching hold of his skirt laid it on her head and kissed his feet,
saying, " Veil what Allah veileth ! " Quoth he, " May Allah not
veil thee nor him who would veil thee ! Thou didst knock out
my grinders and saidst to me : — Let none make mention to me
aught of men and their ways ! " So saying, he disengaged him-
self from her grasp and running out, locked the door on them
and set another eunuch to guard it. Then he went in to the King
who said to htm " Hast thou given the necklace to Hayat al-
Nufus ? " The eunuch replied, " By Allah, thou deservest
altogether a better fate ; " and the King asked, " What hath
happened ? Tell me quickly ; " whereto he answered, " I will not
tell thee, save in private and between our eyes," but the King
retorted, saying, " Tell me at once and in public." Cried the
eunuch, "Then grant me immunity." So the King threw him
the kerchief of immunity and he said, " O King, I went into the
Princess Hayat al-Nufus and found her asleep in a carpeted
chamber and on her bosom was a young man. So I locked the
door upon the two and came back to thee." When the King
heard these words he started up and taking a sword in his
hand, cried out to the Rais of the eunuchs, saying, "Take thy
lads and go to the Princess's chamber and bring me her and
A If Laylak wa Laylah.
him who is with her as they twain lie on the bed ; but cover
them both up." And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased saying her permitted say.
JSoto fofjen ft foa* t&e Sbeben f^unfcrelr ana ®{rirtg*6ft!) JStg&t,
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
the King commanded the head eunuch to take his lads and to
fetch and set before him Hayat al-Nufus and him who was with
her, the chief and his men entered the Princess's apartment
where he found her standing up, dissolved in railing tears, and
the Prince by her side ; so he said to them, " Lie down on the
bed, as thou wast and let him do likewise." The King's daughter
feared for her lover1 and said to him, " This is no time for
resistance." So they both lay down and the eunuchs covered
them up and carried the twain into the King's presence. There-
upon Abd al-Kadir pulled off the coverings and the Princess
sprang to her feet. He looked at her and would have smitten
her neck : but the Prince threw himself on the father's breast,
saying, " The fault was not hers but mine only : kill me before
thou killest her." The King made at him, to cut him down, but
Hayat al-Nufus cast herself on her father and said, " Kill me
not him ; for he is the son of a great King, lord of all the land
in its length and breadth." When the King heard this, he turned
to the Chief Wazir, who was a gathering-place of all that is evil,
and said to him, " What sayst thou of this matter, O Minister ? "
Quoth his Wazir, " What I say is that all who find themselves in
such case as this have need of lying, and there is nothing for it
but to cut off both their heads, after torturing them with all
manner of tortures." Hereupon the King called his sworder of
vengeance, who came with his lads, and said to him, " Take this
gallows bird and strike off his head and after do the like with
this harlot and burn their bodies, and consult me not about them
a second time." So the headsmen put his hand to her back, to
take her ; but the King cried out at him and cast at him some-
what he hent in hand, which had well-nigh killed him, saying,
" O dog, how durst thou show ruth to those with whom I am
wroth ? Put thy hand to her hair and drag her along by it, so that
1 A neat touch j she was too thorough-bred to care for herself first*
Ardashir and Hay at al-Nufus. 257
she may fall on her face." Accordingly he haled her by her hair
and the Prince in like manner to the place of blood, where he tore
off a piece of his skirt and therewith bound the Prince's eyes
putting the Princess last, in the hope that some one would inter-
cede for her. Then, having made ready the Prince he swung his
sharp sword three times (whilst all the troops wept and prayed
Allah to send them deliverance by some intercessor), and raised
his hand to cut off Ardashir's head when, behold, there arose a
cloud of dust, that spread and flew till it veiled the view. Now
the cause thereof was that when the young Prince had delayed
beyond measure, the King, his sire, had levied a mighty host and
had marched with it in person to get tidings of his son. Such
was his case; but as regards King Abd al-Kadir, when he saw
this, he said, " O wights, what is the meaning of yonder dust that
dimmeth sights ? " The Grand Wazir sprang up and went out to
reconnoitre and found behind the cloud men like locusts, of whom
no count could be made nor aught avail of aid, filling the hills and
plains and valleys. So he returned with the report to the King,
who said to him, " Go down and learn for us what may be this
host and the cause of its marching upon our country. Ask also
of their commander and salute him for me and enquire the reason
of his coming. An he came in quest of aught, we will aid him,
and if he have a blood-feud with one of the Kings, we will ride
with him ; or, if he desire a gift, we will handsel him ; for this is
indeed a numerous host and a power uttermost, and we fear for
our land from its mischief/' So the Minister went forth and
walked among the tents and troopers and body-guards, and ceased
not faring on from the first of the day till near sundown, when he
came to the warders with gilded swords in tents star-studded.
Passing these, he made his way through Emirs and Wazirs and
Nabobs and Chamberlains, to the pavilion of the Sultan, and found
him a mighty King. When the King's officers saw him, they
cried out to him, saying, " Kiss ground ! Kiss ground ! "* He did
so and would have risen, but they cried out at him a second and a
third time. So he kissed the earth again and again and raised his
head and would have stood up, but fell down at full length for excess
of awe. When at last he was set between the hands of the King
he said to him, " Allah prolong thy days and increase thy sovranty
and exalt thy rank, O thou auspicious King ! And furthermore,
* Here the ground or earth is really kissed.
VOL. VII. B
258 Alf Laylah wa
of a truth, King Abd al-Kadir saluteth thee and kisseth the earth
before thee and asketh on what weighty business thou art come.
An thou seek to avenge thee for blood on any King, he will take
horse in thy service ; or, an thou come in quest of aught, wherein
it is in his power to help thee, he standeth up at thy service on
account thereof." So Ardashir's father replied to the Wazir,
saying, " O messenger, return to thy lord and tell him that the
most mighty King Sayf al-A'azam Shah, Lord of Shiraz, had a
son who hath been long absent from him and news of him have
not come and all traces of him have been cut off. An he be in
this city, he will take him and depart from you ; but, if aught have
befallen him or any mischief have ensued to him from you, his
father will lay waste your land and make spoil of your goods and
slay your men and seize your women. Return, therefore, to thy
lord in haste and tell him this, ere evil befal him." Answered the
Minister, " To hear is to obey ! " and turned to go away, when the
Chamberlains cried out to him, saying, " Kiss ground ! Kiss
ground ! " So he kissed the ground a score of times and rose
not till his life-breath was in his nostrils.1 Then he left the King's
high court and returned to the city, full of anxious thought con-
cerning the affair of this King and the multitude of his troops,
and going in to King Abd al-Kadir, pale with fear and trembling
in his side-muscles, acquainted him with that had befallen him ;
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say
her permitted say.
Nofo fojcn it foas tje Sbeben f^uirtrefc an&
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Wazir
returned from the court of the Great King, pale with fear and
with side-muscles quivering for dread exceeding ; and acquainted
his lord with that had befallen him. Hereat disquietude and
terror for himself and for his people laid hold upon him and he
said to the Minister, " O Wazir, and who is this King's son ? "
Replied the other, " 'Tis even he whom thou badest put to death,
but praised be Allah who hastened not his slaughter ! Else had
his father wasted our lands and spoiled our good." Quoth the
King " See now thy corrupt judgment, in that thou didst counsel
1 Corresponding with our phrase, " His heart was in his mouth'"
Ardashir and Hayat al-Nufus. 259
us to slay him ! Where is the young man, the son of yonder
magnanimous King ? " And quoth the Wazir, " O mighty King,
thou didst command him be put to death." When the King heard
this, he was clean distraught and cried out from his heart's core
and in-most of head, saying, " Woe to you ! Fetch me the Heads-
man forthright, lest death fall on him ! " So they fetched the
Sworder and he said, " O King of the Age, I have smitten off his
head even as thou badest me." Cried Abd al-Kadir " O dog, an
this be true, I will assuredly send thee after him." The Heads-
man replied, " O King, thou didst command me to slay him with-
out consulting thee a second time." Said the King, " I was in my
wrath ; but speak the truth, ere thou lose thy life ;" and said the
Sworder, " O King, he is yet in the chains of life." At this Abd
al-Kadir rejoiced and his heart was set at rest ; then he called for
Ardashir, and when he came, he stood up to receive him and kissed
his mouth, saying, " O my son, I ask pardon of Allah Almighty
for the wrong I have done thee, and say thou not aught that may
lower my credit with thy sire, the Great King." The Prince asked
" O King of the Age, and where is my father ? " and the other
answered, " He is come hither on thine account." Thereupon
quoth Ardashir, " By thy worship, I will not stir from before thee
till I have cleared my honour and the honour of thy daughter
from that which thou laidest to our charge ; for she is a pure
virgin. Send for the midwives and let them examine her before
thee. An they find her maidenhead gone, I give thee leave to
shed my blood ; and if they find her a clean maid, her innocence
of dishonour and mine also will be made manifest" So he sum-
moned the midwives, who examined the Princess and found her a
pure virgin and so told the King, seeking largesse of him. He
gave them what they sought, putting off his royal robes to bestow
on them, and in like manner he was bountiful to all who were in
the Harim. And they brought forth the scent-cups and perfumed
all the Lords of estate and Grandees ; and not one but rejoiced
with exceeding joy. Then the King threw his arms about Arda-
shir's neck and entreated him with all worship and honour, bidding
his chief eunuchs bear him to the bath. When he came out, he
cast over his shoulders a costly robe and crowned him with a
coronet of jewels ; he also girt him with a girdle of silk, purfled
with red gold and set with pearls and gems, and mounted him on
one of his noblest mares, with selle and trappings of gold inlaid
with pearls and jewels. Then he bade his Grandees and Captains
260 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
mount on his service and escort him to his father's presence ; and
charged him tell his sire that King Abd al-Kadir was at his disposal,
hearkening to and obeying him in whatso he should bid or forbid.
" I will not fail of this," answered Ardashir and farewelling him,
repaired to his father who, at sight of him, was transported for
delight and springing up, advanced to meet him and embraced
him, whilst joy and gladness spread among all the host of the
Great King. Then came the Wazirs and Chamberlains and
Captains and guards and kissed the ground before the Prince and
rejoiced in his coming: and it was a great day with them for
enjoyment, for the King's son gave leave to those of King Abd
al-Kadir's officers who had accompanied him and others of the
townsfolk, to view the ordinance of his father's host, without let
or stay, so they might know the multitude of the Great King's
troops and the might of his empire. And all who had seen him
selling stuffs in the linendrapers' bazar marvelled how his soul
could have consented thereto, considering the nobility of his spirit
and the loftiness of his dignity ; but it was his love and inclination
to the King's daughter that to this had constrained him, Mean-
while, news of the multitude of her lover's troops came to Hayat
al-Nufus, who was still jailed by her sire's commandment, till they
knew what he should order respecting her, whether pardon and
release pr death and burning ; and she looked down from the
terrace-roof of the palace and, turning towards the mountains, saw
even these covered with armed men. When she beheld all those
warriors and knew that they were the army of Ardashir's father,
she feared lest he should be diverted from her by his sire and
forget her and depart from her, whereupon her father would slay
her, So she called a handmaid that was with her in her apartment
by way of service, and said to her, " Go to Ardashir, son of the
Great King, and fear not. When thou comest into his presence,
kiss the ground before him and tell him what thou art and say to
him : — My lady saluteth thee and would have thee to know that
she is a prisoner in her father's palace, awaiting his sentence,
whether he be minded to pardon her or put her to death, and she
beseecheth thee not to forget her or forsake her ; for to-day thou
art all-powerful ; and, in whatso thou commandest, no man dare
cross thee. Wherefore, an it seem good to thee to rescue her from
her sire and take her with thee, it were of thy bounty, for indeed
she endureth all these trials for thy sake. But, an this seem not
good to thee, for that thy desire of her is at an end, still speak to
Ardashir and Hay at al-Nufus. 261
thy sire, so haply he may intercede for her with her father and he
depart not, till he have made him set her free and taken surety
from and made covenant with him, that he will not go about to
put her to death nor work her aught of harm. This is her last
word to thee, may Allah not desolate her of thee, and so The
Peace!"1 And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased saying her permitted say.
ttfofo fo&en it toas t&e Sbebcn f^unteto anb ®IjittB=sebenti)
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
bondmaid sent by Hayat al-Nufus made her way to Ardashir and
delivered him her lady's message, which when he heard, he wept
with sore weeping and said to her, " Know that Hayat al-Nufus
is my mistress and that I am her slave and the captive of her love.
I have not forgotten what was between us nor the bitterness of
the parting day ; so do thou say to her, after thou hast kissed her
feet, that I will speak with my father of her, and he shall send his
Wazir, who sought her aforetime in marriage for me, to demand
her hand once more of her sire, for he dare not refuse. So, if he
send to her to consult her, let her make no opposition ; for I will
not return to my country without her." Then the handmaid
returned to Hayat al-Nufus ; and, kissing her hands, delivered to
her the message, which when she heard, she wept for very joy and
returned thanks to Almighty Allah. Such was her case ; but as
regards Ardashir, he was alone with his father that night and the
Great King questioned him of his case, whereupon he told him all
that had befallen him, first and last. Then quoth the King,
"What wilt thou have me do for thee, O my son? An thou
desire Abd al-Kadir's ruin, I will lay waste his lands and spoil his
hoards and dishonour his house." Replied Ardashir, " I do not
desire that, O my father, for he hath done nothing to me deserving
thereof; but I wish for union with her; wherefore I beseech thee
of thy favour to make ready a present for her father, (but let
it be a magnificent gift !) and send it to him by thy Minister,
the man of just judgment." Quoth the King, " I hear and
and sending for the treasures he had laid up from
1 Very artful is the contrast of the love-lorn Princess's humility with her furious
behaviour, in the pride of her purity, while she was yet a virginette and fancy free.
262 A If Lay la k wa Laylah.
time past, brought out all manner precious things and showed
them to his son, who was pleased with them. Then he called
his Wazir and bade him bear the present with him 1 to King Abd
al-Kadir and demand his daughter in marriage for Ardashir,
saying, " Accept the present and return him a reply." Now from
the time of Ardashir's departure, King Abd al-Kadir had been
troubled and ceased not to be heavy at heart, fearing the laying
waste of his reign and the spoiling of his realm ; when behold,
the Wazir came in to him and saluting him, kissed ground before
him. He rose up standing and received him with honour ; but
the Minister made haste to fall at his feet and kissing them cried,
" Pardon, O King of the Age ! The like of thee should not rise
to the like of me, for I am the least of servants' slaves. Know, O
King, that Prince Ardashir hath acquainted his father with some
of the favours and kindnesses thou hast done him, wherefore he
thanketh thee and sendeth thee in company of thy servant who
standeth before thee, a present, saluting thee and wishing thee
especial blessings and prosperities." Abd al-Kadir could not
believe what he heard of the excess of his fear, till the Wazir
laid the present before him, when he saw it to be such gift as
no money could purchase nor could one of the Kings of the
earth avail to the like thereof; wherefore he was belittled in his
own eyes and springing to his feet, praised Almighty Allah and
glorified Him and thanked the Prince. Then said the Minister
to him, "O noble King, give ear to my word and know that
the Great King sendeth to thee, desiring thine alliance, and I
come to thee seeking and craving the hand of thy daughter, the
chaste dame and treasured gem Hayat al-Nufus, in wedlock for
his son Ardashir, wherefore, if thou consent to this proposal and
accept of him, do thou agree with me for her marriage-portion/*
Abd al-Kadir hearing these words replied, "I hear and obey.
For my part, I make no objection, and nothing can be more
pleasurable to me ; but the girl is of full age and reason and her
affair is in her own hand. So be assured that I will refer it to
her and she shall chose for herself." Then he turned to the chief
eunuch and bade him go and acquaint the Princess with the
event. So he repaired to the Harim and, kissing the Princess's
hands, acquainted her with the Great King's offer adding, " What
1 Arab. " Suhbat-hu " lit. = in company with him, a popular idiom in Egypt and
Syria. It often occurs in the Bresl. Edit
Ardashir and Hay at al-Nufus. 263
sayest thou in answer ? " " I hear and I obey/' replied she.
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say
her permitted say.
Nofo fofjm ft te rt)e Jkeben l^untaU arrtr <JJ{nrtg=£t!$tl) Nfg&t,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
chief eunuch of the Harim having informed the Princess how she
had been demanded in marriage by the Great King and having
heard her reply, " I hear and I obey," returned therewith to the
King and gave him this answer, whereat he rejoiced with exceeding
joy and, calling for a costly robe of honour, threw it over the
Wazir's shoulders. Furthermore, he ordered him ten thousand
dinars and bade him carry the answer to the Great King and
crave leave for him to pay him a visit. " Hearing and obeying,"
answered the Minister; and, returning to his master, delivered him
the reply and Abd al-Kadir's message, and repeated all their talk,
whereat he rejoiced greatly and Ardashir was transported for
delight and his breast broadened and he was a most happy man.
King Sayf al-A'azam also gave King Abd al-Kadir leave to come
forth to visit him ; so, on the morrow, he took horse and rode to
the camp of the Great King, who came to meet him and saluting
him, seated him in the place of honour, and gave him welcome ;
and they two sat whilst Ardashir stood before them. Then arose
an orator of the King Abd al-Kadir's court and pronounced an
eloquent discourse, giving the Prince joy of the attainment of his
desire and of his marriage with the Princess, a Queen among
King's daughters. When he sat down the Great King caused
bring a chest full of pearls and gems, together with fifty thousand
dinars, and said to King Abd al-Kadir, " I am my son's deputy in
all that concerneth this matter." So Abd al-Kadir acknowledged
receipt of the marriage-portion and amongst the rest, fifty thousand
dinars for the nuptial festivities ; after which they fetched the
Kazis and the witnesses, who wrote out the contract of marriage
between the Prince and Princess, and it was a notable day, wherein
all lovers made merry and all haters and enviers were mortified.
They spread the marriage-feasts and banquets and lastly Ardashir
went in unto the Princess and found her a jewel which had been
hidden, an union pearl unthridden and a filly that none but he
had ridden, so he notified this to his sire. Then King Sayf al-
264 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
A'azam asked his SOD, " Hast thou any wish thou wouldst have
fulfilled ere we depart?" ; and he answered, "Yes, O King, know
that I would fain take my wreak of the Wazir who entreated us
on evil wise and the eunuch who forged a lie against us." So the
King sent forthright to Abd al-Kadir, demanding of him the
Minister and the castrate, whereupon he despatched them both
to him and he commanded to hang them over the city gate.
After this, they abode a little while and then sought of Abd
al-Kadir leave for his daughter to equip her for departure. So
he equipped her and mounted her in a Takhtrawan, a travelling
litter of red gold, inlaid with pearls and gems and drawn by noble
steeds. She carried with her all her waiting-women and eunuchs,
as well as the nurse, who had returned, after her flight, and re-
sumed her office. Then King Sayf al-A'azam and his son mounted
and Abd al-Kadir mounted also with all the lords of his land, to
take leave of his son-in-law and daughter ; and it was a day to be
reckoned of the goodliest of days. After they had gone some
distance, the Great King conjured Abd al-Kadir to turn back;
so he farewelled him and his son, after he had strained him to his
breast and kissed him between the eyes and thanked him for his
grace and favours and commended his daughter to his care. Then
he went in to the Princess and embraced her ; and she kissed his
hands and they wept in the standing-place of parting. After this
he returned to his capital and Ardashir and his company fared
on, till they reached Shiraz, where they celebrated the marriage-
festivities anew. And they abode in all comfort and solace and
joyance of life, till there came to them the Destroyer of delights
and Severer of societies; the Depopulator of palaces and the
Garnerer of graveyards. And men also relate the tale of
JULNAR THE SEA-BORN AND HER SON KING
BADR BASIM OF PERSIA.
THERE was once in days of yore and in ages and times long gone
before, in Ajam-land, a King Shahriman1 hight, whose abiding-
place was Khordsan. He owned an hundred concubines, but by
1 In the Mac. Edit. " Shahzamdn," a corruption of -Shah Zaman =. King of the Age.
(See vol. i. 2.)
Julnar the Sea-born and her Son. 265
none of them had he been blessed with boon of child, male or
female, all the days of his life. One day, among the days, he
bethought him of this and fell lamenting for that the most part
of his existence was past and he had not been vouchsafed a son,
to inherit the kingdom after him, even as he had inherited it from
his fathers and forebears ; by reason whereof there betided him
sore cark and care and chagrin exceeding. As he sat thus one
of his Mamelukes came in to him and said, " O my lord, at the
door is a slave-girl with her merchant, and fairer than she eye
hath never seen." Quoth the King, " Hither to me with merchant
and maid ! " ; and both came in to him. Now when Shahriman
beheld the girl, he saw that she was like a Rudaynian lance,1 and
she was wrapped in a veil of gold-purfled silk. The merchant
uncovered her face, whereupon the place was illumined by her
beauty and her seven tresses hung down to her anklets like
horses' tails. She had Nature-kohl'd eyes, heavy hips and thighs
and waist of slenderest guise ; her sight healed all maladies
and quenched the fire of sighs, for she was even as the poet
cries : —
I love her madly for she is perfect fair, o Complete in gravity and
gracious way ;
Nor overtall nor overshort, the while o Too full for trousers are
those hips that sway :
Her shape is midmost 'twixt o'er small and tall ; o Nor long to blame nor little
to gainsay :
O'erfall her anklets tresses black as night o Yet in her face resplends
eternal day.
The King seeing her marvelled at her beauty and loveliness, her
symmetry and perfect grace and said to the merchant, " O Shaykh,
how much for this maiden ? " Replied the merchant, " O my
lord, I bought her for two thousand dinars of the merchant who
owned her before myself, since when I have travelled with her
three years and she hath cost me, up to the time of my coming
hither, other three thousand gold pieces ; but she is a gift from me
to thee." The King robed him with a splendid robe of honour
and ordered him ten thousand ducats, whereupon he kissed his
hands, thanking him for his bounty and beneficence, and went his
ways. Then the King committed the damsel to the tire-women,
1 For a note on this subject see vol. ii. I,
266 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
saying, " Amend ye the case of this maiden ! and adorn her and
furnish her a bower and set her therein." And he bade his
chamberlains carry her everything she needed and shut all the
doors upon her. Now his capital wherein he dwelt, was called the
White City and was seated on the sea-shore ; so they lodged her
in a chamber, whose latticed casements overlooked the main.
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
STofo fofKit ft toas tfi* &eben f^unflrrtr an& CfjfrtB^ntntJ
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the King
after taking the maiden, committed her to the tire-women bidding
them amend her case and set her in a bower, and ordered his
chamberlains to shut all the doors upon her when they had lodged
her in a chamber whose latticed casements overlooked the main.
Then Shahriman went in to her ; but she spake not to him neither
took any note of him.2 Quoth he, " 'Twould seem she hath been
with folk who have not taught her manners." Then he looked at
the damsel and saw her surpassing beauty and loveliness and
symmetry and perfect grace, with a face like the rondure of the
moon at its full or the sun shining in the sheeny sky. So he
marvelled at her charms of favour and figure and he praised Allah
the Creator (magnified be His might !), after which he walked up
to her and sat him down by her side ; then he pressed her to his
bosom and seating her on his thighs, sucked the dew of her lips,
which he found sweeter than honey. Presently he called for trays
spread with richest viands of all kinds and ate and fed her by
mouthfuls, till she had enough ; yet she spoke not one word. The
King began to talk to her and asked her of her name ; but she
abode still silent and uttered not a syllable nor made him any
answer, neither ceased to hang down her head groundwards ; and
it was but the excess of her beauty and loveliness and the amorous
1 i.t. bathe her and apply cosmetics to remove all traces of travel.
2 These pretentious and curious displays of coquetry are not uncommon in handsome
slave-girls when newly bought ; and it is a kind of pundonor to humour them. They
may also refuse their favours and a master who took possession of their persons by brute
force would be blamed by his friends, men and women. Even the most despotic of
despots, Fath Ali Shah of Persia, put up with refusals from his slave-girls and did not, as
would the mean-minded, marry them to the grooms or cooks of the palace.
Julnar the Sea-born and her Son. 267
grace that saved her from the royal wrath. Quoth he to himself,
" Glory be to God, the Creator of this girl ! How charming she
is, save that she speaketh not ! But perfection belongeth only to
Allah the Most High." And he asked the slave-girls whether she
had spoken, and they said, " From the time of her coming until
now she hath not uttered a word nor have we heard her address
us." Then he summoned some of his women and concubines and
bade them sing to her and make merry with her, so haply she
might speak. Accordingly they played before her all manner
instruments of music and sports and what not and sang, till the
whole company was moved to mirth, except the damsel, who
looked at them in silence, but neither laughed nor spoke. The
King's breast was straitened ; thereupon he dismissed the women
and abode alone with that damsel : after which he doffed his
clothes and disrobing her with his own hand, looked upon her
body and saw it as it were a silvern ingot. So he loved her with
exceeding love and falling upon her, took her maidenhead and
found her a pure virgin ; whereat he rejoiced with excessive joy
and said in himself, " By Allah, 'tis a wonder that a girl so fair of
form and face should have been left by the merchants a clean maid
as she is ! "! Then he devoted himself altogether to her, heeding
none other and forsaking all his concubines and favourites, and
tarried with her a whole year as it were a single day. Still she
spoke not till, one morning he said to her (and indeed the love of
her and longing waxed upon him), "O desire of souls, verily
passion for thee is great with me, and I have forsaken for thy sake
all my slave-girls and concubines and women and favourites and I
have made thee my portion of the world and had patience with
thee a whole year ; and now I beseech Almighty Allah, of His
favour, to soften thy heart to me, so thou mayst speak to me. Or,
an thou be dumb, tell me by a sign, that I may give up hope of
thy speech. I pray the Lord (extolled be He !) to vouchsafe me
by thee a son child, who shall inherit the kingdom after me ; for I
am old and lone and have none to be my heir. Wherefore, Allah
upon thee, an thou love me, return me a reply." The damsel
bowed her head awhile in thought, and presently raising it, smiled
in his face ; whereat it seemed to him as if lightning filled the
chamber. Then she said, " O magnanimous liege lord, and
1 Such continence is rarely shown by the young Jallabs or slave-traders ; when older
they learn how much money is lost with the chattel's virginity.
268 A If Laylah wa Lay la ft.
valorous lion, Allah hath answered thy prayer, for I am with
child by thee and the time of my delivery is near at hand, though
I know not if the unborn babe be male or female.1 But, had I not
conceived by thee, I had not spoken to thee one word." When
the King heard her speech, his face shone with joy and gladness
and he kissed her head and hands for excess of delight, saying,
" Alhamdolillah— laud to Lord — who hath vouchsafed me the
things I desired ! ; first, thy speech, and secondly, thy tidings that
thou art with child by me/' Then he rose up and went forth from
her and, seating himself on the throne of his kingship, in an
ecstasy of happiness, bade his Wazir distribute to the poor and
needy and widows and others an hundred thousand dinars, by way
of thank-offering to Allah Most High and alms on his own
account. The Minister did as bidden by the King who, returning
to the damsel, sat with her and embraced and pressed her to his
breast, saying, " O my lady, my queen, whose slave I am, prithee
what was the cause of this thy silence ? Thou hast been with me
a whole year, night and day, waking and sleeping, yet hast not
spoken to me till this day." She replied, " Hearken, O King of
the Age, and know that I am a wretched exile, broken-hearted and
far-parted from my mother and my family and my brother." When
the King heard her words, he knew her desire and said, " As for
thy saying that thou art wretched, there is for such speech no
ground, inasmuch as my kingdom and good and all I possess are
at thy service and I also am become thy bondman ; but, as for thy
saying : — I am parted from my mother and brother and family, tell
me where they are and I will send and fetch them to thee." There-
upon she answered, " Know, then, O auspicious King, that I am called
Julnar2 the Sea-born and that my father was of the Kings of the
1 Midwives in the East, as in the less civilised parts of the West, have many nostrums
for divining the sex of the unborn child.
2 Arabic (which has no written "g")from Pers. Gulnar (Gul-i-anar) pomegranate-
flower, the " Gulnare" of Byron who learnt his Orientalism at the Mekhitarist (Armenian)
Convent, Venice. I regret to see the little honour now paid to the gallant poet in the
land where he should be honoured the most. The systematic depreciation was begun by
the late Mr. Thackeray, perhaps the last man to value the noble independence of Byron's
spirit j and it has been perpetuated, I regret to see, by better judges. These critics
seem wholly to ignore the fact that Byron founded a school which covered Europe from
Russia to Spain, from Norway to Sicily, and which from England passed over to the two
Americas. This exceptional success, which has not yet fallen even to Shakespeare's lot,
was due to genius only, for the poet almost ignored study and poetic art. His great mis-
fortune was being born in England under theGeorgium Sidus. Any Continental people
would have regarded him as one of the prime glories of his race.
Julnar the Sea-born and her Son. 269
Main. He died and left us his reign, but while we were yet
unsettled, behold, one of the other Kings arose against us and took
the realm from our hands. I have a brother called Salih, and my
mother also is a woman of the sea ; but I fell out with my brother
" The Pious " and swore that I would throw myself into the hands
of a man of the folk of the land. So I came forth of the sea and
sat down on the edge of an island in the moonshine,1 where a
passer-by found me and, carrying me to his house, besought me of
love-liesse ; but I smote him on the head, so that he all but died ;
whereupon he carried me forth and sold me to the merchant from
whom thou hadst me, and this was a good man and a virtuous ;
pious, loyal and generous. Were it not that thy heart loved me
and that thou promotedest me over all thy concubines, I had not
remained with thee a single hour, but had cast myself from this
window into the sea and gone to my mother and family ; but I was
ashamed to fare themwards, being with child by thee ; for they
would have deemed evilly of me and would not have credited me,
even although I swore to them, an I told them that a King had
bought me with his gold and made me his portion of the world
and preferred me over all his wives and every thing that his right
hand possessed. This then is my story and — the Peace ! " And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
fo&en ft foas tje Sbeben f^un&retr anfc JporttetJ Nffijt,
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Julnar2 the Sea-born, answering the question of King Shahriman,
told him her past from first to last, the King thanked her and
kissed her between the eyes, saying, " By Allah, O my lady and
light of mine eyes, I cannot bear to be parted from thee one hour ;
and given thou leave me, I shall die forthright What then is to
be done ? " Replied she, " O my lord, the time of my delivery
1 Arab. " Fi al-Kamar," which Lane renders "in the moonlight." It seems to me
that the allusion is to the Comorin Islands ; but the sequel speaks simply of an island.
2 The Mac.Edit. misprints Julnar as Julnaz (so the Bui. Edit. ii. 233), and Lane's Jullanar
is an Egyptian vulgarism. He is right in suspecting the " White City" to be imaginary;
but its sea has no apparent connection with the Caspian. The mermen and mermaids
appear to him to be of an inferior order of the Jinn, termed Al-Ghawwasah, the Divers,
who fly through air and are made of fire which at times issues from their mouths.
270 A If Laylah wa Lay tat
is at hand and my family needs must be present, that they may
tend me; for the women of the land know not the manner of
child-bearing of the women of the sea, nor do the daughters of
the ocean know the manner of the daughters of the earth ; and
when my people come, Wiall be reconciled to them and they will
be reconciled to me." §uoth the King, " How do the people of
the sea walk therein, without being wetted ? "; and quoth she, " O
King of the Age, we walk in the waters with our eyes open, as do
ye on the ground, by the blessing of the names graven upon the
seal-ring of Solomon David- son (on whom be peace!). But, O
King, when my kith and kin come, I will tell them how thou
boughtest me with thy gold, and hast entreated me with kindness
and benevolence. It behoveth that thou confirm my words to
them and that they witness thine estate with their own eyes and
they learn that thou art a King, son of a King." He rejoined, " O
my lady, do what seemeth good to thee and what pleaseth thee ;
and I will consent to thee in all thou wouldst do." The damsel con-
tinued, " Yes, we walk in the sea and see what is therein and behold
the sun, moon, stars and sky, as it were on the surface of earth ;
and this irketh us naught. Know also that there be many peoples
in the main and various forms and creatures of all kinds that are
on the land, and that all that is on the land compared with that
which is in the main is but a very small matter." And the King
marvelled at her words. Then she pulled out from her bosom
two bits of Comorin lign-aloes and, kindling fire in a chafing-dish,
chose somewhat of them and threw it in, then she whistled a loud
whistle and spake words none understood. Thereupon arose a
great smoke and she said to the King, who was looking on, " O
my lord, arise and hide thyself in a closet, that I may show thee
my brother and mother and family, whilst they see thee not ; for
I design to bring them hither, and thou shalt presently espy a
wondrous thing and shalt marvel at the several creatures and
strange shapes which Almighty Allah hath created." So he arose
without stay or delay and entering a closet, fell a-watching what
she should do. She continued her fumigations and conjurations
till the sea foamed and frothed turbid and there rose from it a
handsome young man of a bright favour, as he were the moon at
its full, with brow flower-white, cheeks of ruddy light and teeth
like the marguerite. He was the likest of all creatures to his
sister and the tongue of the case spoke in his praise these two
couplets : —
Julnar the Sea-born and her Son. 271
The full moon groweth perfect once a month o But thy face each day we see
perfected.
And the full moon dwelleth in single sign, o But to thee all hearts be a
dwelling stead.
After him there came forth of the sea an ancient dame with hair
speckled gray and five maidens, as they were moons, bearing a
likeness to the damsel hight Julnar. The King looked upon them
as they all walked upon the face of the water, till they drew near the
window and saw Julnar, whereupon they knew her and went in to
her. She rose to them and met them with joy and gladness, and
they embraced her and wept with sore weeping. Then said they
to her, " O Julnar, how couldst thou leave us four years, and we
unknowing of thine abiding place ? By Allah the world hath
been straitened upon us for stress of severance from thee, and we
have had no delight of food or drink ; no, not for one day, but
have wept with sore weeping night and day for the excess of our
longing after thee !" Then she fell to kissing the hands of the
youth her brother and her mother and cousins, and they sat with
her awhile, questioning her of her case and of what had betided
her, as well as of her present estate. " Know/' replied she, " that,
when I left you, I issued from the sea and sat down on the shore
of an island, where a man found me and sold me to a merchant,
who brought me to this city and sold me for ten thousand dinars
to the King of the country, who entreated me with honour and
forsook all his concubines and women and favourites for my sake
and was distracted by me from all he had and all that was in his
city." Quoth her brother, " Praised be Allah, who hath reunited us
with thee ! But now, O my sister, 'tis my purpose that thou arise
and go with us to our country and people " When the King
heard these words, his wits fled him for fear lest the damsel accept
her brother's words and he himself avail not to stay her, albeit he
loved her passionately, and he became distracted with fear of
losing her. But Julnar answered, " By Allah, O my brother, the
mortal who bought me is lord of this city and he is a mighty King
and a wise man, good and generous with extreme generosity.
Moreover, he is a personage of great worth and wealth and hath
neither son nor daughter. He hath entreated me with honour and
done me all manner of favour and kindness ; nor, from the day of
his buying me to this time have I heard from him an ill word to
hurt my heart ; but he hath never ceased to use me courteously ;
doing nothing save with my counsel, and I am in the best of case
272 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
with him and in the perfection of fair fortune. Furthermore, were
I to leave him, he would perish ; for he cannot endure to be parted
from me an hour ; and if I left him, I also should die, for the
excess of the love I bear him, by reason of his great goodness to
me during the time of my sojourn v/ith him ; for, were my father
alive, my estate with him would not be like my estate with this
great and glorious and puissant potentate. And verily, ye see
me with child by him and praise be to Allah, who hath made me
a daughter of the Kings of the sea, and my husband the mightest
of the Kings of the land, and Allah, in very sooth, he hath com-
pensated me for whatso I lost. And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Nofo fofcen it teas t&e Sfceben f^un&refc anfc jforti}=first Ntgjt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Julnar the
Sea-born told her brother all her tale, adding " Allah hath not cut
me off, but hath compensated me for whatso I lost. Now this
King hath no issue, male or female, so I pray the Almighty to
vouchsafe me a son who shall inherit of this mighty sovran that
which the Lord hath bestowed upon him of lands and palaces and
possessions." Now when her brother and the daughters of her
uncle heard this her speech, their eyes were cooled thereby and
they said, " O Julnar, thou knowest thy value with us and thou
wottest the affection we bear thee and thou art certified that thou
art to us the dearest of all creatures and thou art assured that we
seek but ease for thee, without travail or trouble. Wherefore, an
thou be in unease, arise and go with us to our land and our folk ;
but, an thou be at thine ease here, in honour and happiness, this
is our wish and our will ; for we desire naught save thy welfare in
any case."1 Quoth she, " By Allah, I am here in the utmost ease
and solace and honour and grace ! " When the King heard what
she said, he joyed with a heart set at rest and thanked her silently
for this ; the love of her redoubled on him and entered his heart-
core and he knew that she loved him as he loved her and that she
desired to abide with him, that she might see his child by her.
Then Julnar bade her women lay the tables and set on all sorts
of viands, which had been cooked in kitchen under her own eyes,
1 Arab. " 'Ala Kulli hal," a popular phrase, like the Anglo-American "anyhow"
Julnar the Sea-born and her Son. 2/3
and fruits and sweetmeats, whereof she ate, she and her kinsfolk.
But, presently, they said to her, " O Julnar, thy lord is a stranger
to us, and we have entered his house, without his leave or weeting.
Thou hast extolled to us his excellence and eke thou hast set
before us of his victual whereof we have eaten ; yet have we not
companied with him nor seen him, neither hath he seen us nor
come to our presence and eaten with us, so there might be between
us bread and salt." And they all left eating and were wroth with
her, and fire issued from their mouths, as from cressets ; which
when the King saw, his wits fled for excess of fear of them. But
Julnar arose and soothed them and going to the closet where was
the King her lord, said to him, " O my lord, hast thou seen and
heard how I praised thee and extolled thee to my people and hast
thou noted what they said to me of their desire to carry me away
with them?" Quoth he, "I both heard and saw: May the
Almighty abundantly requite thee for me ! By Allah, I knew not
the full measure of thy fondness until this blessed hour, and now
I doubt not of thy love to me ! " Quoth she, " O my lord, is the
reward of kindness aught but kindness ? Verily, thou hast dealt
generously with me and hast entreated me with worship and I have
seen that thou lovest me with the utmost love, and thou hast done
me all manner of honour and kindness and preferred me above all
thou lovest and desirest, So how should my heart be content to
leave thee and depart from thee, and how should I do thus after
all thy goodness to me ? But now I desire of thy courtesy that
thou come and salute my family, so thou mayst see them and they
thee and pure love and friendship may be between you ; for know,
O King of the Age, that my brother and mother and cousins love
thee with exceeding love, by reason of my praises of thee to
them, and they say : — We will not depart from thee nor go to
our homes till we have foregathered with the King and saluted
him. For indeed they desire to see thee and make acquaintance
with thee." The King replied, " To hear is to obey, for this is my
very own wish." So saying, he rose and went in to them and
saluted them with the goodliest salutation ; and they sprang up to
him and received him with the utmost worship, after which he sat
down in the palace and ate with them ; and he entertained them
thus for the space of thirty days. Then, being desirous of returning
home, they took leave of the King and Queen and departed with
due permission to their own land, after he had done them all pos-
sible honour Awhile after this, Julnar completed the days of her
VOL. VII. S
274 Alf Laylah wa Lay I ah.
pregnancy and the time of her delivery being come, she bore a
boy, as he were the moon at its full ; whereat the utmost joy
betided the King, for that he had never in his life been vouchsafed
son or daughter. So they held high festival and decorated the
city seven days, in the extreme of joy and jollity : and on the
seventh day came Queen Julnar's mother, Farashah Hight,1 and
brother and cousins, whenas they knew of her delivery. — —-And
Shahrazad perceived the light of day and ceased to say her per-
mitted say.
to&en it foas tfje §>ebw ^untKefc anU jfortp-seconb
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Julnar
was brought to bed and was visited by her people, the King
received them with joy at their coming and said to them, " I said
that I would not give my son a name till you should come and
name him of your knowledge." So they named him Badr Basim,2
and all agreed upon this name. Then they showed the child to
his uncle Salih, who took him in his arms and arising began to
walk about the chamber with him in all directions right and left.
Presently he carried him forth of the palace and going down to-
the salt sea, fared on with him, till he was hidden from the King's
sight Now when Shahriman saw him take his son and disappear
with him in the depth of the sea, he gave the child up for lost and
fel to weeping and wailing ; but Julnar said to him, " O King of
the Age, fear not, neither grieve for thy son, for I love my child
more than thou and he is with my brother ; so reck thou not of
the sea neither fear for him drowning. Had my brother known
that aught of harm would betide the little one, he had not done
this deed ; and he will presently bring thee thy son safe, Inshallah
— an it please the Almighty." Nor was an hour past before the
sea became turbid and troubled and King Salih came forth and
flew from the sea till he came up to them with the child lying
quiet and showing a face like the moon on the night of fulness.
Then, looking at the King he said, " Haply thou fearedst harm for
thy son, whenas I plunged into the sea with him ? " Replied the
father, " Yes, O my lord, I did indeed fear for him and thought he
In the text the name does not appear till near the end of the tale.
i.e. Full moon smiling.
Julnar the Sea-born and her Son. 275
would never be saved therefrom." Rejoined Salih, " O King of
the land, we pencilled his eyes with an eye-powder we know of
and recited over him the names graven upon the seal-ring of
Solomon David-son (on whom be the Peace !), for this is what we
use to do with children newly born among us ; and now thou
needst not fear for him drowning or suffocation in all the oceans
of the world, if he should go down into them ; for, even as ye walk
on the land, so walk we in the sea." Then he pulled out of his
pocket a casket, graven and sealed and, breaking open the seals,
emptied it ; whereupon there fell from it strings of all manner
jacinths and other jewels, besides three hundred bugles of emerald
and other three hundred hollow gems, as big as ostrich eggs,
whose light dimmed that of sun and moon. Quoth Salih, " O
King of the Age, these jewels and jacinths are a present from me
to thee. We never yet brought thee a gift, for that we knew not
Julnar's abiding-place neither had we of her any tidings or trace ;
but now that we see thee to be united with her and we are all
become one thing, we have brought thee this present ; and every
little while we will bring thee the like thereof, Inshallah ! for that
these jewels and jacinths are more plentiful with us than pebbles
on the beach and we know the good and the bad of them and their
whereabouts and the way to them, and they are easy to us."
When the King saw the jewels, his wits were bewildered and his
sense was astounded and he said, " By Allah, one single gem of
these jewels is worth my realm ! " Then he thanked for his bounty
Salih the Sea-born and, looking towards Queen Julnar, said, " I
am abashed before thy brother, for that he hath dealt munificently
by me and bestowed on me this splendid gift, which the folk of
the land were unable to present." So she thanked her brother
for his deed and he said, " O King of the Age, thou hast the prior
claim on us and it behoves us to thank thee, for thou hast entreated
our sister with kindness and we have entered thy dwelling and
eaten of thy victual ; and the poet saith 1 : —
Had / wept b ;fore she did in my passion for Saada, I had healed my soul
before repentance came.
But she wept before 7 did : her tears drew mine ; and I said, The merit
belongs to the precedent.
" And " (resumed Salih the Pious) " if we stood on our faces in thy
1 These lines have occurred in vol. iii. 264, so I quote Lane ii. 499,
276 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
service, O King of the Age, a thousand years, yet had we not the
might to requite thee, and this were but a scantling of thy due."
The King thanked him with heartiest thanks and the Merman and
Merwomen abode with him forty days' space, at the end of which
Salih arose and kissed the ground before his brother-in-law, who
asked " What wantest thou, O Salih ? " He answered, " O King
of the Age, indeed thou hast done us overabundant favours, and
we crave of thy bounties that thou deal charitably with us and
grant us permission to depart ; for we yearn after our people and
country and kinsfolk and our homes ; so will we never forsake thy
service nor that of my sister and my nephew ; and by Allah, O King
of the Age, 'tis not pleasant to my heart to part from thee ; but how
shall we do, seeing that we have been reared in the sea and that
the sojourn of the shore liketh us not?" When the King heard
these words he rose to his feet and farewelled Salih the Sea-born
and his mother and his cousins, and all wept together, because of
parting and presently they said to him, " Anon we will be with
thee again, nor will we forsake thee, but will visit thee every few
days." Then they flew off and descending into the sea, disap-
peared from sight. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased saying her permitted say.
Nofo fo&en it toas t&e &ebm l^untetr anfc JportB-tlu'ttr Ni'gftt,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
relations of Julnar the Sea-born farewelled the King and her,
weeping together because of parting ; then they flew off and de-
scending into the depths disappeared from sight. After this King
Shahriman showed the more kindness to Julnar and honoured her
with increase of honour ; and the little one grew up and flourished,
whilst his maternal uncle and grandam and cousins visited the
King every few days and abode with him a month or two months
at a time. The boy ceased not to increase in beauty and loveli-
ness with increase of years, till he attained the age of fifteen and
was unique in his perfection and symmetry. He learnt writing
and Koran- reading; history, syntax and lexicography; archery,
spearplay and horsemanship and what not else behoveth the sons
of Kings ; nor was there one of the children of the folk of the
city, men or women, but would talk of the youth's charms, for he
Julnar the Sea-born and her Son. 277
was of surpassing beauty and perfection, even such an one as is
praised in the saying of the poet : ! " —
The whiskers write upon his cheek, with ambergris on oearl, Two lines, as
'twere with jet upon an apple, line for line.
Death harbours in his languid eye and slays with every glance, And in his
cheek is drunkenness, and not in any wine.
And in that of another : —
Upsprings from table of his lovely cheek 2 * A growth like broidery my
wonder is :
As 'twere a lamp that burns through night hung up * Beneath the gloom 8 in
chains of ambergris.
And indeed the King loved him with exceeding love, and sum-
moning his Wazir and Emirs and the Chief Officers of state and
Grandees of his realm, required of them a binding oath that they
would make Badr Basim King over them after his sire ; and they
sware the oath gladly, for the sovran was liberal to the lieges
pleasant in parley and a very compend of goodness, saying naught
but that wherein was advantage for the people. On the morrow
Shahriman mounted, with all his troops and Emirs and Lords, and
went forth into the city and returned. When they drew near the
palace, the King dismounted, to wait upon his son who abode on
horseback, and he and all the Emirs and Grandees bore the saddle-
cloth of honour before him, each and every of them bearing it in
his turn, till they came to the vestibule of the palace, where the
Prince alighted and his father and the Emirs embraced him and
seated him on the throne of Kingship, whilst they (including his
sire) stood before him. Then Badr Basim judged the people,
deposing the unjust and promoting the just and continued so
doing till near upon noon, when he descended from the throne
and went in to his mother, Julnar the Sea-born, with the crown
upon his head, as he were the moon. When she saw him, with
the King standing before him, she rose and kissing him, gave him
joy of the Sultanate and wished him and his sire length of life
and victory over their foes. He sat with her and rested till the
hour of mid-afternoon prayer, when he took horse and repaired,
1 These lines occurred in vol. ii. 301. I quote Mr. Payne.
2 Arab. "Khadd" = cheek from the eye-orbit to the place where the beard grows j
also applied to the side of a rough highland, the side-planks of a litter, etc. etc.
3 The black hair of youth.
A If Laylah wa Laylah.
with the Emirs before him, to the Maydan-plain, where he played at
arms with his father and his lords, till night-fall, when he returned
to the palace, preceded by all the folk. He rode forth thus every
day to the tilting-ground, returning to sit and judge the people
and do justice between carl and churl ; and thus he continued
doing a whole year<j at the end of which he began to ride out
a-hunting and a-chasing and to go round about in the cities and
countries under his rule, proclaiming security and satisfaction and
doing after the fashion of Kings ; and he was unique among the
people of his day for glory and valour and just dealing among the
subjects. And it chanced that one day the old King fell sick
and his fluttering heart forebode him of translation to the Mansion
of Eternity. His sickness grew upon him till he was nigh upon
death, when he called his son and commended his mother and
subjects to his care and caused all the Emirs and Grandees
once more swear allegiance to the Prince and assured himself of
them by strongest oaths ; after which he lingered a few days and
departed to the mercy of Almighty Allah. His son and widow
and all the Emirs and Wazirs and Lords mourned over him, and
they built him a tomb and buried him therein. They ceased not
ceremonially to mourn for him a whole month, till Salih and his
mother and cousins arrived and condoled with their grieving for
the King and said, " O Julnar, though the King be dead, yet hath
he left this noble and peerless youth, and not dead is whoso
leaveth the like of him, the rending lion and the shining moon ;"
-- And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say
her permitted say.
fojen it foas t&e
f^un&reDf an& jportg-fouttf)
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Salih
brother of Julnar and her mother and cousins said to her, " Albeit
the King be dead, yet hath he left behind him as successor this
noble and peerless youth, the rending lion and the shining moon."
Thereupon the Grandees and notables of the Empire went in to
King Badr Basim and said to him, " O King, there is no harm in
mourning for the late sovran : but over-mourning beseemeth none
save women ; wherefore occupy thou not thy heart and our hearts
with mourning for thy sire; inasmuch as he hath left thee behind him,
and whoso leaveth the like of thee is not dead." Then they com-
forted him and diverted him and lastly carried him to the bath.
Julnar the Sea-born and her Son.. 279
When he came out of the Hammam, he donned a rich robe, pur-
fled with gold and embroidered with jewels and jacinths ; and,
setting the royal crown on his head, sat down on his throne of
kingship and ordered the affairs of the folk, doing equal justice
between strong and weak, and exacting from the prince the dues
of the pauper ; wherefore the people loved him with exceeding
love. Thus he continued doing for a full year, whilst, every now
and then, his kinsfolk of the sea visited him, and his life was
pleasant and his eye was cooled. Now it came to pass that his
uncle Salih went in one night of the nights to Julnar and saluted
her ; whereupon she rose and embracing him seated him by her
side and asked him, " O my brother, how art thou and my mother
and my cousins.'* He answered, " O my sister, they are well and
glad and in good case, lacking naught save a sight of thy face/'
Then she set somewhat of food before him and he ate, after which
talk ensued between the twain and they spake of King Badr Basim
and his beauty and loveliness, his symmetry and skill in cavalarice
and cleverness and good breeding. Now Badr was propped upon
his elbow hard by them ; and, hearing his mother and uncle
speak of him, he feigned sleep and listened to their talk.1
Presently Salih said to his sister, " Thy son is now seventeen years
old and is unmarried, and I fear least mishap befal him and he
have no son ; wherefore it is my desire to marry him to a Princess
of the princesses of the sea, who shall be a match for him in beauty
and loveliness." Quoth Julnar, " Name them to me for I know
them all." So Salih proceeded to enumerate them to her, one by
one, but to each she said, " I like not this one for my son ; I will
not marry him but to one who is his equal in beauty and loveliness
and wit and piety and good breeding and magnanimity and
dominion and rank and lineage." 2 Quoth Salih, " I know none
other of the daughters of the Kings of the sea, for I have
numbered to thee more than an hundred girls and not one of
them pleaseth thee : but see, O my sister, whether thy son be
asleep or no." So she felt Badr and finding on him the signs of
slumber said to Salih, " He is asleep ; what hast thou to say and
1 This manner of listening is not held dishonourable amongst Arabs or Easterns
generally ; who, however, hear as little good of themselves as westerns declare in
proverb.
2 Arab. " Hasab wa nasab," before explained as inherited degree and acquired
dignity. See vol. iv. 171
280 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
what is thine object in making sure his sleeping?" Replied he,
"O my sister, know that I have bethought me of a Mermaid of
the mermaids who befitteth thy son ; but I fear to name her, lest
he be awake and his heart be taken with her love and maybe we
shall be unable to win to her ; so should he and we and the
Grandees of the realm be wearied in vain and trouble betide us
through this ; for, as saith the poet : —
Love, at first sight, is a spurt of spray ; » » But a spreading sea when it
gaineth sway.
When she heard these words, she cried, "Tell me the condition of
this girl, and her name for I know all the damsels of the sea,
Kings' daughters and others ; and, if I judge her worthy of him, I
will demand her in marriage for him of her father} though I spend
on her whatso my hand possesseth. So recount to me all anent
her and fear naught, for my son sleepeth." Quoth Salih, " I fear
lest he be awake ; and the poet saith : —
I loved him, soon as his praise I heard , o For ear oft loveth ere eye survey
But Julnar said, " Speak out and be brief and fear not, O my
brother." So he said, " By Allah, O my sister, none is worthy of
thy son save the Princess Jauharah, daughter of King Al-Samandal,2
for that she is like unto him in beauty and loveliness and brilliancy
and perfection ; nor is there found, in sea or on land, a sweeter or
pleasanter of gifts than she ; for she is prime in comeliness and
seemlihead of face and symmetrical shape of perfect grace ; her
cheek is ruddy dight, her brow flower white, her teeth gem-bright,
her eyes blackest black and whitest white, her hips of heavy
weight, her waist slight and her favour exquisite. When she
turneth she shameth the wild cattle3 and the gazelles and when
she walketh, she breedeth envy in the willow branch : when she
unveileth her face outshineth sun and moon and all who look upon
her she enslaveth soon : sweet-lipped and soft-sided indeed is she."
1 Arab. Mujajat = spittle running from the mouth: hence Lane, "is like running
saliva," which, in poetry is not pretty.
1 Arab, and Heb. Salmandra from Pers. Satnandal ( — dar— duk — dun, etc), a Sala-
mander, a mouse which lives in fire, some say a bird in India and China and others
confuse with the chameleon (Bochart Hiero. Part ii. chapt. vi).
3 Arab. •« Maha " one of the four kinds of wild cows or bovine antelopes, bubalus,
Antelope defassa, A. leucoryx, etc.
Julnar the Sea-born and her Son. 281
Now when Julnar heard what Salih said, she replied, " Thou
sayest sooth, O my brother ! By Allah, I have seen her many and
many a time and she was my companion, when we were little ones ;
but now we have no knowledge of each other, for constraint of
distance ; nor have I set eyes on her for eighteen years. By Allah,
none is worthy of my son but she ! " Now Badr heard all they
said and mastered what had passed, first and last, of these praises
bestowed on Jauharah daughter of King Al-Samandal ; so he fell
in love with her on hearsay, pretending sleep the while, wherefore
fire was kindled in his heart on her account full sore and he was
drowned in a sea without bottom or shore. -- And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Nofo to&en ft toas tfce &cben l^untircti an& jpottp-fiftf)
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
King Badr Basim heard the words of his uncle Salih and his
mother Julnar, praising the daughter of King Al-Samandal, a
flame of fire burnt in his heart full sore and he was drowned in a
sea which hath nor bottom nor shore. Then Salih, looking at his
sister, exclaimed, " By Allah, O my sister, there is no greater fool
among the Kings of the sea than her father nor one more violent
of temper than he ! So name thou not the girl to thy son, till we
demand her in marriage of her father. If he favour us with his
assent, we will praise Allah Almighty ; and if he refuse us and will
not give her to thy son to wife, we will say no more about it and
seek another match." Answered Julnar, "Right is thy rede ; "
and they parleyed no more ; but Badr passed the night with a
heart on fire with passion for Princess Jauharah. However he
concealed his case and spake not of her to his mother or his uncle,
albeit he was on coals of fire for love of her. Now when it was
morning, the King and his uncle went to the Hammam-bath and
washed, after which they came forth and drank wine and the
servants set food before them, whereof they and Julnar ate their
sufficiency, and washed their hands. Then Salih rose and said to
his nephew and sister, '* With your leave, I would fain go to my
mother and my folk for I have been with you some days and their
hearts are troubled with awaiting me." But Badr Basim said to
him, " Tarry with us this day ; " and he consented. Then quoth
the King, " Come, O my uncle, let us go forth to the garden." So
282 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
they sallied forth and promenaded about the pastures and took
their solace awhile, after which King Badr lay down under a shady
tree, thinking to rest and sleep ; but he remembered his uncle's
description of the maiden and her beauty and loveliness and shed
railing tears, reciting these two couplets * : —
Were it said to me while the flame is burning within me, o And the fire blazing
in my heart and bowels,
Wouldst thou rather that thou shouldest behold them o Or a draught of pure
water ? — I would answer, Them.
Then he sighed and wept and lamented, reciting these verses
also : —
Who shall save me from love of a lovely gazelle, o Brighter browed than the
sunshine, my bonnibel !
My heart, erst free from her love, now burns o With fire for the maid of
Al-Samandal.
When Salih heard what his nephew said, he smote hand upon
hand and said, " There is no god but the God ! Mohammed is the
Apostle of God and there is no Majesty and there is no Might
save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great!" adding, "O my son,
heardest thou what passed between me and thy mother respecting
Princess Jauharah ? " Replied Badr Basim, " Yes, O my uncle,
and I fell in love with her by hearsay through what I heard you
say. Indeed, my heart cleaveth to her and I cannot live without
her." Rejoined his uncle, " O King, let us return to thy mother
and tell her how the case standeth and crave her leave that I may
take thee with me and seek the Princess in marriage of her sire ;
after which we will farewell her and I and thou will return.
Indeed, I fear to take thee and go without her leave, lest she be
wroth with me ; and verily the right would be on her side, for I
should be the cause of her separation from us. Moreover, the
city would be left without king and there would be none to
govern the citizens and look to their affairs ; so should the realm
be disordered against thee and the kingship depart from thy
hands." But Badr Basim, hearing these words, cried, " O my
uncle, if I return to my mother and consult her on such matter,
she will not suffer me to do this ; wherefore I will not return to
1 These lines have occurred in vol. iii. 279 ; so I quote Lane (iii, 274) by way of
variety ; although I do not like his " bowels."
Julnar the Sea-born and her Son. 283
my mother nor consult her." And he wept before him and
presently added, " I will go with thee and tell her not and after
will return." When Salih heard what his nephew said, he was
confused anent his case and said, " I crave help of the Almighty
in any event." Then, seeing that Badr Basim was resolved to go
with him, whether his mother would let him or no, he drew from
his finger a seal-ring, whereon were graven certain of the names
of Allah the Most High, and gave it to him, saying, " Put this on
thy finger, and thou shalt be safe from drowning and other perils
and from the mischief of sea-beasts and great fishes." So King
Badr Basim took the ring and set it on his finger. Then they
drove into the deep And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Nofo to&en it tea* t{je £>ebm f^un&reb anil jportg«sixti)
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Badr
Basim and his uncle, after diving into the deep, fared on till
they came to Salih's palace, where they found Badr Basim's
grandmother, the mother of his mother, seated with her kinsfolk ;
and, going in to them, kissed their hands. When the old Queen
saw Badr, she rose to him and embracing him, kissed him between
the eyes and said to him, " A blessed coming, O my son ! How
didst thou leave thy mother Julnar ? " He replied, " She is well
in health and fortune, and saluteth thee and her uncle's daughters.
Then Salih related to his mother what had occurred between him
and his sister and how King Badr Basim had fallen in love with
the Princess Jauharah daughter of Al-Samandal by report and
told her the whole tale from beginning to end adding, " He hath
not come save to demand her in wedlock of her sire;" which
when the old Queen heard, she was wroth against her son with
exceeding wrath and sore troubled and concerned and said, " O
Salih, O my son, in very sooth thou diddest wrong to name the
Princess before thy nephew, knowing, as thou dost, that her father
is stupid and violent, little of wit and tyrannical of temper,
grudging his daughter to every suitor ; for all the Monarchs of
the Main have sought her hand, but he rejected them all ; nay, he
would none of them, saying : — Ye are no match for her in beauty
or in loveliness or in aught else. Wherefore we fear to demand
her in wedlock of him, lest he reject us, even as he hath rejected
284 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
others ; and we are a folk of high spirit and should return broken-
hearted." Hearing these words Salih answered, " O my mother,
what is to do ? For King Badr Basim saith : — There is no help
but that I seek her in marriage of her sire, though I expend my
whole kingdom ; and he avoucheth that, an he take her not to
wife, he will die of love for her and longing." And Salih con-
tinued, "He is handsomer and goodlier than she ; his father was
King of all the Persians, whose King he now is, and none is worthy
of Jauharah save Badr Basim. Wherefore I purpose to carry her
father a gift of jacinths and jewels befitting his dignity, and
demand her of him in marriage. An he object to us that he is a
King, behold, our man also is a King and the son of a King ; or,
if he object to us her beauty, behold our man is more beautiful
than she ; or, again, if he object to us the vastness of his dominion,
behold our man's dominion is vaster than hers and her father's
and numbereth more troops and guards, for that his kingdom is
greater than that of Al-Samandal. Needs must I do my endeavour
to further the desire of my sister's son, though it relieve me of my
life ; because I was the cause of whatso hath betided ; and, even
as I plunged him into the ocean of her love, so will I go about
to marry him to her, and may Almighty Allah help me thereto ! "
Rejoined his mother, " Do as thou wilt, but beware of giving
her father rough words, whenas thou speakest with him ; for thou
knowest his stupidity and violence and I fear lest he do thee a
mischief, for he knoweth not respect for any." And Salih
answered, '" Hearkening and obedience." Then he sprang up
and taking two bags full of gems such as rubies and bugles of
emerald, noble ores and all manner jewels gave them to his
servants to carry and set out with his nephew for the palace of
Al-Samandal. When they came thither, he sought audience of
the King and being admitted to his presence, kissed ground
before him and saluted him with the goodliest Salam. The
King rose to him and honouring him with the utmost honour,
bade him be seated. So he sat down and presently the King
said to him, " A blessed coming : indeed thou has desolated us, O
Salih! But what bringeth thee to us? Tell me thine errand
that we may fulfil it to thee." Whereupon Salih arose and,
kissing the ground a second time, said, " O King of the age, my
errand is to Allah and the magnanimous liege lord and the valiant
lion, the report of whose good qualities the caravans far and near
have dispread and whose renown for benefits and beneficence and
Julnar the Sea-born and her Son. 28$
clemency and graciousness and liberality to all climes and
countries hath sped." Thereupon he opened the two bags and,
displaying their contents before Al-Samandal, said to him, "O
King of the Age, haply wilt thou accept my gift and by showing
favour to me heal my heart." And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
foljen it foa& tfje S>cbtn f^untat! anti
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Salih offered his gift to the King, saying, " My aim and end is
that the Sovran show favour to me and heal my heart by ac-
cepting my present," King Al-Samandal asked, " With what object
dost thou gift me with this gift ? Tell me thy tale and acquaint
me with thy requirement. An its accomplishment be in my power
I will straightway accomplish it to thee and spare thee toil and
trouble ; and if I be unable thereunto, Allah compelleth not any
soul aught beyond its power "l So Salih rose and kissing ground
three times, said, " O King of the Age, that which I desire thou
art indeed able to do ; it is in thy power and thou art master
thereof; and I impose not on the King a difficulty, nor am I Jinn-
demented, that I should crave of the King a thing whereto he
availeth not ; for one of the sages saith : — An thou wouldst be
complied with ask that which can be readily supplied. Wherefore,
that of which I am come in quest, the King (whom Allah preserve !)
is able to grant." The King replied, " Ask what thou wouldst
have, and state thy case and seek thy need." Then said Salih,2
" O King of the Age, know that I come as a suitor, seeking the
unique pearl and the hoarded jewel, the Princess Jauharah,
daughter of our lord the King ; wherefore, O King dis-
appoint thou not thy suitor." Now when the King heard
this, he laughed till he fell backwards, in mockery of him
and said, "O Salih, I had thought thee a man of worth and a
youth of sense, seeking naught save what was reasonable and
speaking not save advisedly. What then hath befallen thy
reason and urged thee to this monstrous matter and mighty hazard,
1 The last verse (286) of chapt. ii. The Cow: "compelleth" in the sense of
burdeneth."
8 Salih's speeches are euphuistic.
286 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
that thou seekest in marriage daughters of Kings, lords of cities
and climates ? Say me, art thou of a rank to aspire to this great
eminence and hath thy wit failed thee to this extreme pass that
thou affrontest me with this demand ? " Replied Salih, " Allah
amend the King ! I seek her not for myself (albeit, an I did, I
am her match and more than her match, for thou knowest that
my father was King of the Kings of the sea, for all thou art this
day our King), but I seek her for King Badr Basim, lord of the
lands of the Persians and son of King Shahriman, whose puissance
thou knowest. An thou object that thou art a mighty great King,
King Badr is a greater ; and if thou object thy daughter's beauty,
King Badr is more beautiful than she and fairer of form and
more excellent of rank and lineage ; and he is the champion of the
people of his day. Wherefore, if thou grant my request, O King
of the Age thou wilt have set the thing in its stead ; but, if thou
deal arrogantly with us, thou wilt not use us justly nor travel with
us the 'road which is straight1/ Moreover, O King, thou knowest
that the Princess Jauharah, the daughter of our lord the King, must
needs be wedded and bedded, for the sage saith, a girl's lot is either
grace of marriage or the grave.2 Wherefore, an thou mean to
marry her, my sister's son is worthier of her than any other man."
Now when King Al-Samandal heard Salih's words, he was wroth
with exceeding wrath ; his reason well nigh fled and his soul
was like to depart his body for rage, and he cried, " O dog,
shall the like of thee dare to bespeak me thus and name my
daughter in the assemblies,3 saying that the son of thy sister
Julnar is a match for her ? Who art thou and who is this sister
of thine and who is her son and who was his father,4 that thou
durst say to me such say and address me with such address ?
What are ye all, in comparison with my daughter, but dogs ? "
And he cried out to his pages, saying, " Take yonder gallows-
bird's head ? " So they drew their swords and made for Salih,
but he fled and for the palace-gate sped ; and reaching the
entrance, he found of his cousins and kinsfolk and servants, more
than a thousand horse armed cap-a-pie in iron and close knitted
1 From the Fatihah.
2 A truly Eastern saying, which ignores the " old maids" of the West.
3 i.e. naming her before the lieges as if the speaker were her and his superior. It
would have been more polite not to have gone beyond " the unique pearl and the
hoarded jewel : " the offensive part of the speech was using the girl's name.
4 Meaning emphatically that one and all were nobodies.
Julnar the Sea-born and her Son. 287
mail-coats, hending in hand spears and naked swords glittering
white. And these when they saw Salih come running out of the
palace (they having been sent by his mother to his succour,)
questioned him and he told them what was to do ; whereupon
they knew that the King was a fool and violent-tempered to boot.
So they dismounted and baring their blades, went in to the King
Al-Samandal, whom they found seated upon the throne of his
Kingship, unaware of their coming and enraged against Salih
with furious rage ; and they beheld his eunuchs and pages and
officers unprepared. When the King saw them enter, drawn brand
in hand, he cried out to his people, saying " Woe to you ! Take
me the heads of these hounds ! " But ere an hour had sped
Al-Samandal's party were put to the route and relied upon flight,
and Salih and his kinsfolk seized upon the King and pinioned
him. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to
say her permitted say.
Nofo fofan ft foas tfce gbtfon f^utrtrrefc an*
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Salih and his kingfolk pinioned the King, Princess Jauharah
awoke and knew that her father was a captive and his guards
slain. So she fled forth the palace to a certain island, and
climbing up into a high tree, hid herself in its summit. Now
when the two parties came to blows, some of King Al-Samandal's
pages fled and Badr Basim meeting them, questioned them of
their case and they told him what had happened. But when he
heard that the King was a prisoner, Badr feared for himself and
fled, saying in his heart, " Verily, all this turmoil is on my account
and none is wanted but I." So he sought safety in flight,
security to sight, knowing not whither he went ; but destiny from
Eternity fore-ordained drave him to the very island where the
Princess had taken refuge, and he came to the very tree whereon
she sat and threw himself down, like a dead man, thinking to
lie and repose himself and knowing not there is no rest for the
pursued, for none knoweth what Fate hideth for him in the future.
As he lay down, he raised his eyes to the tree and they met the
eyes of the Princess. So he looked at her and seeing her to be
like the moon rising in the East, cried, " Glory to Him who
fashioned yonder perfect form, Him who is the Creator of all
288 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
things and who over all things is Almighty ! Glory to the Great
God, the Maker, the Shaper and Fashioner ! By Allah, if
my presentiments be true, this is Jauharah, daughter of King
Al-Samandal ! Methinks that, when she heard of our coming to
blows with her father, she fled to this island and, happening upon
this tree, hid herself on its head ; but, if this be not the Princess
herself, 'tis one yet goodlier than she." Then he bethought him-
self of her case and said in himself, " I will arise and lay hands
on her and question her of her condition ; and. if she be indeed
the she, I will demand her in wedlock of herself and so win my
wish." So he stood up and said to her, " O end of all desire, who
art thou and who brought thee hither ? " She looked at Badr
Basim and seeing him to be as the full moon,1 when it shineth from
under the black cloud, slender of shape and sweet of smile,
answered, " O fair of fashion, I am Princess Jauharah, daughter
of King Al-Samandal, and I took refuge in this place, because
Salih and his host came to blows with my sire and slew his
troops and took him prisoner, with some of his men ; where-
fore I fled, fearing for my very life," presently adding, " And I
weet not what fortune hath done with my father." When King
Badr Basim heard these words he marvelled with exceeding
marvel at this strange chance and thought. " Doubtless I have
won my wish by the capture of her sire." Then he looked at
Jauharah and said to her, " Come down, O my lady ; for I am
slain for love of thee and thine eyes have captivated me. On
my account and thine are all these broils and battles; for thou
must know that I am King Badr Basim, Lord of the Persians
and Salih is my mother's brother and he it is who came to thy
sire to demand thee of him in marrfage. As for me, I have
quited my kingdom for thy sake, and our meeting here is the
rarest coincidence. So come down to me and let us twain fare
for thy father's palace, that I may beseech uncle Salih to release
him and I may make thee my lawful wife. When Jauharah heard his
words, she said in herself, " 'Twas on this miserable gallows bird's
account, then, that all this hath befallen and that my father
hath fallen prisoner and his chamberlains and suite have been
slain and I have been departed from my palace, a miserable exile
and have fled for refuge to this island. But, an I devise not
against him some device to defend myself from him, he will
1 Arab. Badr, the usual pun.
Julnar the Sea-born and her Son. 289
possess himself of me and take his will of me ; for he is in
love and for aught that he doeth a lover is not blamed." Then
she beguiled him with winning words and soft speeches, whilst
he knew not the perfidy against him she purposed, and asked
him, " O my lord and light of my eyes, say me, art thou indeed
King Badr Basim, son of Queen Julnar ? " And he answered,
" Yes, O my lady." And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased saying her permitted say.
fo&m ft teas t&e gbebw l^unfcreti an& jTottg-nmtS Nt'fi&t,
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Jauharah,
daughter of King Al-Samandal, asked the youth, "Art thou in
very soth King Badr Basim, son of Queen Julnar ? " And he
answered, " Yes, O my lady ! " Then she, " May Allah cut off my
father and gar his kingdom cease from him and heal not his heart
neither avert from him strangerhood, if he could desire a comelier
than thou or aught goodlier than these fair qualities of thine ! By
Allah, he is of little wit and judgment ! " presently adding, " But,
O King of the Age, punish him not for that he hath done ; more
by token that an thou love me a span, verily I love thee a cubit.
Indeed, I have fallen into the net of thy love and am become of
the number of thy slain. The love that was with thee hath trans-
ferred itself to me and there is left thereof with thee but a tithe of
that which is with me." So saying, she came down from the tree
and drawing near him strained him to her bosom and fell to kissing
him ; whereat passion and desire for her redoubled on him and
doubting not but she loved him, he trusted in her, and returned
her kisses and caresses. Presently he said to her, " By Allah, O
Princess, my uncle Salih set forth to me not a fortieth part of thy
charms ; no, nor a quarter-carat1 of the four-and-twenty." Then
Jauharah pressed him to her bosom and pronounced some unin-
telligible words ; then spat on his face, saying, " Quit this form of
man and take shape of bird, the handsomest of birds, white of
robe, with red bill and legs." Hardly had she spoken, when
1 Arab. Kirat (Kepariov) the bean of the Abrus precatorius, used as a weight in
Arabia and India and as a bead for decoration in Africa. It is equal to four Kamhahs
or wheat-grains and about 3 grs. avoir. ; and being the twenty-fourth of a miskal, it is
applied to that proportion of everything. Thus the Arabs say of a perfect man, "He is
of four-and-twenty Kirat " i.e. pure gold. See vol. iii. 239.
VOL. VII. T
290 A If Laylak wa Laylah.
King Badr Basim found himself transformed into a bird, the hand-
somest of birds, who shook himself and stood looking at her.
Now Jauharah had with her one of her slave-girls, by name Mar-
sfnah ; * so she called her and said to her, " By Allah, but that I
fear for the life of my father, who is his uncle's prisoner, I would
kill him ! Allah never requite him with good t How unlucky
was his coming to us ; for all this trouble is due to his hard-headed-
ness ! But do thou, O slave-girl, bear him to the Thirsty Island
and leave him there to die of thirst." So Marsinah carried him to
the island in question and would have returned and left him there ;
but she said in herself, " By Allah, the lord of such beauty and
loveliness deserveth not to die of thirst ! " So she went forth
from that island and brought him to another abounding in trees
and fruits and rills and, setting him down there, returned to her
mistress and told her, " I have left him on the Thirsty Island."
Such was the case with Badr Basim ; but as regards King Salih,
he sought for Jauharah after capturing the King and killing his
folk ; but, finding her not, returned to his palace and said to his
mother, " Where is my sister's son, King Badr Basim ? " " By
Allah, O my son," replied she, " I know nothing of him ! For
when it reached him that you and King Al-Samandal had come to
blows and that strife and slaughter had betided between you, he
was affrighted and fled." When Salih heard this, he grieved for
his nephew and said, " O my mother, by Allah, we have dealt negli-
gently by King Badr and I fear lest he perish or lest one of King
Al-Samandal's soldiers or his daughter Jauharah fall in with him.
So should we come to shame with his mother and no good betide
us from her, for that I took him without her leave." Then he
despatched guards and scouts throughout the sea and elsewhere to
seek for Badr ; but they could learn no tidings of him ; so they
returned and told King Salih, wherefore cark and care redoubled
on him and his breast was straitened for King Badr Basim. So
far concerning nephew and uncle, but as for Julnar the Sea-born,
after their departure she abode in expectation of them, but her
son returned not and she heard no report of him. So when many
days of fruitless waiting had gone by, she arose and going down
into the sea, repaired to her mother, who sighting her rose to her
and kissed her and embraced her, as did the Mermaids her cousins.
1 The (she) myrtle : Kazimirski (A. de Biberstein) Dictionnaire Arabe-Francais (Paris
Maisonneuve 1867) gives Marsin = Rose de Jericho: myrte.
Julnar the Sea-born and her Son. 291
Then she questioned her mother of King ,Badr Basim, and she
answered, saying, " O my daughter, of a truth he came hither with
his uncle, who took jacinths and jewels and carrying them to King
Al-Samandal, demanded his daughter in marriage for thy son ;
but he consented not and was violent against thy brother in words.
Now I had sent Salih nigh upon a thousand horse and a battle
befel between him and King Al-Samandal ; but Allah aided thy
brother against him, and he slew his guards and troops and took
himself prisoner. Meanwhile, tidings of this reached thy son, and
it would seem as if he feared for himself; wherefore he fled forth
from us, without our will, and returned not to us, nor have we
heard any news of him." Then Julnar enquired for King Salih,
and his mother said, " He is seated on the throne of his kingship,
in the stead of King Al-Samandal, and hath sent in all directions
to seek thy son and Princess Jauharah." When Julnar heard
the maternal words, she mourned for her son with sad mourning
and was highly incensed against her brother Salih for that he
had taken him and gone down with him into the sea without her
leave ; and she said, " O my mother, I fear for our realm ; as I
came to thee without letting any know ; and I dread tarrying
with thee, lest the state fall into disorder and the kingdom pass
from our hands. Wherefore I deem best to return and govern the
reign till it please Allah to order our son's affair for us. But look
ye forget him not neither neglect his case ; for should he come to
any harm, it would infallibly kill me, since I see not the world
save in him and delight but in his life." She replied, " With love
and gladness, O my daughter. Ask not what we suffer by reason
of his loss and absence." Then she sent to seek for her grandson,
whilst Julnar returned to her kingdom, weeping-eyed and heavy-
hearted, and indeed the gladness of the world was straitened upon
her. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to
say her permitted say.
Nofo toljen ft toas tfje Sbeben ^untrrclJ an& J^tftfetf)
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Queen
Julnar returned from her mother to her own realm, her breast was
straitened and she was in ill-case. So fared it with her ; but as
regards King Badr Basim, after Princess Jauharah had ensorcelled
him and had sent him with her handmaid to the Thirsty Island,
292 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
saying, " Leave him there to die of thirst," and Marsinah had set
him down in a green islet, he abode days and nights in the sem-
blance of a bird eating of its fruits and drinking of its waters and
knowing not whither to go nor how to fly ; till, one day, there
came a certain fowler to the island to catch somewhat wherewithal
to get his living. He espied King Badr Basim in his form of a
white-robed bird, with red bill and legs, captivating the sight and
bewildering the thought ; and, looking thereat, said in himself,
" Verily, yonder is a beautiful bird : never saw I its like in fairness
or form." So he cast his net over Badr and taking him, carried
him to the town, mentally resolved to sell him for a high price.
On his way one of the townsfolk accosted him and said, " For how
much this fowl, O fowler ?" Quoth the fowler, "What wilt thou
do with him an thou buy him ? " Answered the other, " I will
cut his throat and eat him ; " whereupon said the birder, " Who
could have the heart to kill this bird and eat him ? Verily, I
mean to present him to our King, who will give me more than
thou wouldest give me and will not kill him, but will divert him-
self by gazing upon his beauty and grace, for in all my life, since
I have been a fowler, I never saw his like among land game or
water fowl. The utmost thou wouldst give me for him, however
much thou covet him, would be a dirham, and, by Allah Almighty,
I will not sell him ! " Then he carried the bird up to the King's
palace and when the King saw it, its beauty and grace pleased him
and the red colour of its beak and legs. So he sent an eunuch to
buy it, who accosted the fowler and said to him, " Wilt thou sell
this bird ? " Answered he, " Nay, 'tis a gift from me to the King " *
So the eunuch carried the bird to the King and told him what the
man had said ; and he took it and gave the fowler ten dinars,
whereupon he kissed ground and fared forth. Then the eunuch
carried the bird to the palace and placing him in a fine cage, hung
him up after setting meat and drink by him. When the King
came down from the Divan, he said to the eunuch, " Where is the
bird ? Bring it to me, that I may look upon it ; for, by Allah, 'tis
beautiful ! " So the eunuch brought the cage and set it between
the hands of the King, who looked and seeing the food untouched,
said, " By Allah, I wis not what it will eat, that I may nourish it ! "
1 Needless to note that the fowler had a right to expect a return present worth double
or treble the price of his gift. Such is the universal practice of the East : in the West
the extortioner says, " I leave it to you, sir ! "
Julnar the Sea-born and her Son. 293
Then he called for food and they laid the tables and the King ate.
Now when the bird saw the flesh and meats and fruits and sweet-
meats, he ate of all that was upon the trays before the King,
whereat the Sovran and all the bystanders marvelled and the King
said to his attendants, eunuchs and Mamelukes, " In all my life I
never saw a bird eat as doth this bird ! " Then he sent an eunuch
to fetch his wife that she might enjoy looking upon the bird, and
he went in to summon her and said, " O my lady, the King desireth
thy presence, that thou mayst divert thyself with the sight of a
bird he hath bought. When we set on the food, it flew down from
its cage and perching on the table, ate of all that was thereon. So
arise, O my lady, and solace thee with the sight for it is goodly of
aspect and is a wonder of the wonders of the age." Hearing
these words she came in haste ; but, when she noted the bird, she
veiled her face and turned to fare away. The King rose up and
looking at her, asked, " Why dost thou veil thy face when there is
none in presence save the women and eunuchs who wait on thee
and thy husband ? " Answered she, " O King, this bird is no bird,
but a man like thyself." He rejoined, " Thou liest, this is too
much of a jest. How should he be other than a bird ? "; and she
" O King, by Allah, I do not jest with thee nor do I tell thee
aught but the truth ; for verily this bird is King Badr Basim, son
of King Shahriman, Lord of the land of the Persians, and his
mother is Julnar the Sea-born." And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
fo&en it foas flje &eben f^uirtrretr anfc JFift^firet Vfgftt,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
the King's wife said to the King, " Verily, this is no bird but a
man like thyself: he is King Badr Basim son of King Sharimair.
and his mother is Julnar the Sea-born," quoth the King, "And how
came he in this shape ? "; and quoth she, " Princess Jauharah,
daughter of King Al-Samandal, hath enchanted him : " and told
him all that had passed with King Badr Basim from first to last.1
The King marvelled exceedingly at his wife's words and conjured
her, on his life, to free Badr from his enchantment (for she was the
notablest enchantress of her age), and not leave him in torment,
1 And she does tell him all that the reader well knows.
294 A If Lay I ah wa Laylak.
saying, " May Almighty Allah cut off Jauharah's hand, for a fou
witch as she is ! How little is her faith and how great her craft
and perfidy ! " Said the Queen, " Do thou say to him : — O Badr
Basim, enter yonder closet ! " So the King bade him enter the
closet and he went in obediently. Then the Queen veiled her face
and taking in her hand a cup of water,1 entered the closet, where
she pronounced over the water certain incomprehensible words
ending with, " By the virtue of these mighty names and holy verses
and by the majesty of Allah Almighty, Creator of heaven and
earth, the Quickener of the dead and Appointer of the means of
daily bread and the terms determined, quit this thy form wherein
thou art and return to the shape in which the Lord created thee ! "
Hardly had she made an end of her words, when the bird
trembled once and became a man ; and the King saw before him
a handsome youth, than whom on earth's face was none goodlier.
But when King Badr Basim found himself thus restored to his
own form fie cried, " There is no god but the God and Mohammed
is the Apostle of God ! Glory be to the Creator of all creatures
and Provider of their provision, and Ordainer of their life-terms
preordained ! " Then he kissed the King's hand and wished him
long life, and the King kissed his head and said to him, " O Badr
Basim, tell me thy history from commencement to conclusion."
So he told him his whole tale, concealing naught ; and the King
marvelled thereat and said to him, " O Badr Basim, Allah hath
saved thee from the spell : but what hath thy judgment decided
arid what thinkest thou to do ? " Replied he, " O King of the
Age, I desire of thy bounty that thou equip me a ship with a
company of thy servants and all that is needful ; for 'tis long since
I have been absent and I dread lest the kingdom depart from me.
And I misdoubt me my mother is dead of grief for my loss ; and
this doubt is the stronger for that she knoweth not what is come
of me nor whether I am alive or dead. Wherefore, I beseech thee,
O King, to crown thy favours to me by granting me what I seek."
The King, after beholding the beauty and grace of Badr Basim
and listening to his sweet speech, said, " I hear and obey." So he
fitted him out a ship, to which he transported all that was needful
1 This was for sprinkling him, but the texts omit that operation. Arabic has distinct
terms for various forms of metamorphosis. "Naskh" is change from a lower to a
higher, as beast to man ; " Maskh " (the common expression) is the reverse ; " Raskh "
is from animate to inanimate (man to stone) and " Faskh •" is absolute wasting away to
corruption.
Julnar the Sea-born and her Son. 295
and which he manned with a company of his servants ; and Badr
Basim set sail in it, after having taken leave of the King. They
sailed over the sea ten successive days with a favouring wind ; but,
on the eleventh day, the ocean became troubled with exceeding
trouble, the ship rose and fell and the sailors were powerless to
govern her. So they drifted at the mercy of the waves, till the
craft neared a rock in mid-sea which fell upon her l and broke her
up and all on board were drowned, save King Badr Basim who got
astride one of the planks of the vessel, after having been nigh upon
destruction. The plank ceased not to be borne by the set of the
sea, whilst he knew not whither he went and had no means of
directing its motion, as the wind and waves wrought for three
whole days. But on the fourth the plank grounded with him on
the sea-shore where he sighted a white city, as it were a dove
passing white, builded upon a tongue of land that jutted out into
the deep and it was goodly of ordinance, with high towers and
lofty walls against which the waves beat. When Badr Basim saw
this, he rejoiced with exceeding joy, for he was well-nigh dead of
hunger and thirst, and dismounting from the plank, would have
gone up the beach to the city ; but there came down to him mules
and asses and horses, in number as the sea-sands and fell to
striking at him and staying him from landing. So he swam round
to the back of the city, where he waded to shore and entering the
place, found none therein and marvelled at this, saying, " Would
I knew to whom doth this city belong, wherein is no lord nor any
liege, and whence came these mules and asses and horses that
hindered me from landing ? " And he mused over his case. Then
he walked on at hazard till he espied an old man, a grocer.2 So
he saluted him and the other returned his salam and seeing him to
be a handsome young man, said to him, " O youth, whence comest
thou and what brought thee to this city?" Badr told him his
story ; at which the old man marvelled and said, " O my son, didst
thou see any on thy way ? " He replied, " Indeed, O my father,
I wondered in good sooth to sight a city void of folk." Quoth the
1 I render this improbable detail literally : it can only mean that the ship was dashed
against a rock.
2 Who was probably squatting on his shop-counter. The "Bakkal" (who must not
be confounded with the epicier), lit " vender of herbs " =r greengrocer, and according
to Richardson used incorrectly for Baddal (?) vendor of provisions,. Popularly it is
applied to a seller of oil, honey, butter and fruit, like the Ital. " Pizzicagnolo " =s
Salsamentarius, and in N. West Africa to an inn-keeper.
296 A If Laylah wa Laylah,
Shaykh, " O my son, come up into the shop, lest thou perish." So
Badr Basim went up into the shop and sat down ; whereupon the
old man set before him somewhat of food, saying, "O my son,
enter the inner shop ; glory be to Him who hath preserved thee
from yonder she-Sathanas ! " King Badr Basim was sore affrighted
at the grocer's words ; but he ate his fill and washed his hands ;
then glanced at his host and said to him, " O my lord, what is the
meaning of these words ? Verily thou hast made me fearful of
this city and its folk." Replied the old man, " Know, O my son,
that this is the City of the Magicians and its Queen is as she were
a she-Satan, a sorceress and a mighty enchantress, passing crafty
and perfidious exceedingly. All thou sawest of horses and mules
and asses were once sons of Adam like thee and me ; they were
also strangers, for whoever entereth this city, being a young man
like thyself, this miscreant witch taketh him and hometh him for
forty days, after which she enchanteth him, and he becometh a
mule or a horse or an ass, of those animals thou sawest on the
sea-shore. - And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say.
fojjnt ft foas $0 gbeben l^unbwb atrtr Jpiftg-stconU
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the old
grocer related to King Badr Basim the history of the enchantress
ending with, " All these people hath she spelled ; and, when it was
thy intent to land they feared lest thou be transmewed like them-
selves ; so they counselled thee by signs that said : — Land not, of
their solicitude for thee, fearing that haply she should do with thee
like as she had done with them. She possessed herself of this city
and seized it from its citizens by sorcery and her name is Queen
Lab, which being interpreted, meaneth in Arabic ' Almanac of the
Sun.' " * When Badr Basim heard what the old man said, he was
affrighted with sore affright and trembled like reed in wind saying
in himself, " Hardly do I feel me free from the affliction wherein I
was by reason of sorcery, when Destiny casteth me into yet sorrier
1 Here the Shaykh is mistaken: he should have said, "The Sun in old Persian."
" Almanac " simply makes nonsense of the Arabian Circe's name. In Arab, it is
"Takwim," whence the Span, and Port. "Tacuino:" in Heb. Hakamatha-Takuuali
= sapientia dispositionis astrorum (Asiat. Research, iii. 120).
Julnar the Sea-born and her Son. 297
case ! " And he fell a-musing over his condition and that which
had betided him. When the Shaykh looked at him and saw the
violence of his terror, he said to him, "O my son, come, sit at the
threshold of the shop and look upon yonder creatures and upon
their dress and complexion and that wherein they are by reason
of gramarye and dread not ; for the Queen and all in the city love
and tender me and will not vex my heart or trouble my mind."
So King Badr Basim came out and sat at the shop-door, looking
out upon the folk ; and there passed by him a world of creatures
without number. But when the people saw him, they accosted the
grocer and said to him, " O elder, is this thy captive and thy prey
gotten in these days ? " The old man replied, " He is my brother's
son, I heard that his father was dead ; so I sent for him and
brought him here that I might quench with him the fire of my
home-sickness." Quoth they, " Verily, he is a comely youth ; but
we fear for him from Queen Lab, lest she turn on thee with
treachery and take him from thee, for she loveth handsome young
men." Quoth the Shaykh, " The Queen will not gainsay my
commandment, for she loveth and tendereth me ; and when she
shall know that he is my brother's son, she will not molest him or
afflict me in him neither trouble my heart on his account." Then
King Badr Basim abode some months with the grocer, eating and
drinking, and the old man loved him with exceeding love. One
day, as he sat in the shop according to his custom, behold, there
came up a thousand eunuchs, with drawn swords and clad in
various kinds of raiment and girt with jewelled girdles : all rode
Arabian steeds and bore in baldrick Indian blades. They saluted
the grocer, as they passed his shop and were followed by a thousand
damsels like moons, clad in various raiments of silks and satins
fringed with gold and embroidered with jewels of sorts, and spears
were slung to their shoulders. In their midst rode a damsel
mounted on a Rabite mare, saddled with a saddle of gold set
with various kinds of jewels and jacinths; and they reached in a
body the Shaykh's shop. The damsels saluted him and passed
on, till, lo and behold ! up came Queen Lab, in great state, and
seeing King Badr Basim sitting in the shop, as he were the moon
at its full, was amazed at his beauty and loveliness and became
passionately enamoured of him, and distraught with desire of him,
So she alighted and sitting down by King Badr Basim said to the
old man, " Whence hadst thou this handsome one ? " ; and the
Shaykh replied, " He is my brother's son, and is lately come to
298 A If LaylaJi wa Laylah.
me." Quoth Lab, " Let him be with me this night, that I may
talk with him ; " and quoth the old man, " Wilt thou take him
from me and not enchant him ? " Said she, " Yes," and said he,
" Swear to me." ' So she sware to him that she would not do him
any hurt or ensorcell him, and bidding bring him a fine horse,
saddled and bridled with a golden bridle and decked with trappings
all of gold set with jewels, gave the old man a thousand dinars,
saying, " Use this." ! Then she took Badr Basim and carried him
off, as he were the full moon on its fourteenth night, whilst all
the folk, seeing his beauty, were grieved for him and said, " By
Allah, verily, this youth deserveth not to be bewitched by yonder
sorceress, the accursed ! " Now King Badr Basim heard all they
said, but was silent, committing his case to Allah Almighty, till
they came to And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased saying her permitted say.
Nofo fo&en it foas tjt &ebm ^utrtrreto anto JFtftp-tfn'ttr
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that King
Badr Basim ceased not faring with Queen Lab and her suite till
they came to her palace-gate, where the Emirs and eunuchs and
Lords of the realm took foot and she bade the Chamberlains
dismiss her Officers and Grandees, who kissed ground and went
away, whilst she entered the palace with Badr Basim and her
eunuchs and women. Here he found a place, whose like he had
never seen at all, for it was builded of gold and in its midst was a
great basin brimfull of water midmost a vast flower-garden, He
looked at the garden and saw it abounding in birds of various
kinds and colours, warbling in all manner tongues and voices,
pleasurable and plaintive. And everywhere he beheld great state
and dominion and said, " Glory be to God, who of His bounty and
long-suffering provideth those who serve other than Himself!"
The Queen sat down at a latticed window overlooking the garden
on a couch of ivory, whereon was a high bed, and King Badr
Basim seated himself by her side. She kissed him and pressing
him to her breast, bade her women bring a tray of food. So they
brought a tray of red gold, inlaid with pearls and jewels and
spread with all manner of viands and he and she ate, till they
1 i.e. for thy daily expenses.
Julnar the Sea-born and her Son. 299
were satisfied, and washed their hands ; after which the waiting-
women set on flagons of gold and silver and glass, together with
all kinds of flowers and dishes of dried fruits. Then the Queen
summoned the singing-women and there came ten maidens, as
they were moons, hending all manner of musical instruments.
Queen Lab crowned a cup and drinking it off, filled another and
passed it to King Badr Basim, who took it and drank ; and they
ceased not to drink till they had their sufficiency. Then she bade
the damsels sing, and they sang all manner modes till it seemed
to Badr Basim as if the palace danced with him for joy. His
sense was ecstasied and his breast broadened, and he forgot his
strangerhood and said in himself, " Verily, this Queen is young
and beautiful * and I will never leave her ; for her kingdom is
vaster than my kingdom and she is fairer than Princess Jauharah."
So he ceased not to drink with her till even-tide came, when they
lighted the lamps and waxen candles and diffused censer-
perfumes ; nor did they leave drinking, till they were both
drunken, and the singing-women sang the while. Then Queen
Lab, being in liquor, rose from her seat and lay down on a bed
and dismissing her women called to Badr Basim to come and
sleep by her side. So he lay with her, in all delight of life till
the morning. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say.
Koto fofjen (t toas t&e gbeben f^untrrefc anfc
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
Queen awoke she repaired to the Hammam-bath in the palace,
King Badr Basim being with her, and they bathed and were
purified ; after which she clad him in the finest of raiment and
called for the service of wine. So the waiting women brought
the drinking-gear and they drank. Presently, the Queen arose
and taking Badr Basim by the hand, sat down with him on chairs
and bade bring food, whereof they ate, and washed their hands.
Then the damsels fetched the drinking-gear and fruits and flowers
1 Un adolescent aime toutes lesfemmes. Man is by nature polygamic whereas woman as
a rule is monogamic and polyandrous only when tired of her lover. For the man, as
has been truly said, loves the woman, but the love of the woman is for the love of the
man.
3<x> Alf Laylah wa Laylak.
and confections, and they ceased not to eat and drink,1 whilst the
singing-girls sang various airs till the evening. They gave not
over eating and drinking and merry-making for a space of forty
days, when the Queen said to him, "O Badr Basim, say me
whether is the more pleasant, this place or the shop of thine uncle
the grocer ? " He replied, " By Allah, O Queen, this is the pleasanter,
for my uncle is but a beggarly man, who vendeth pot-herbs."
She laughed at his words and the twain lay together in the
pleasantest of case till the morning, when King Badr Basim
awoke from sleep and found not Queen Lab by his side, so he
said, " Would Heaven I knew where can she have gone ! " And
indeed he was troubled at her absence and perplexed about the
case, for she stayed away from him a great while and did not
return ; so he donned his dress and went seeking her but not
finding her, and he said to himself, " Haply, she is gone to the
flower-garden." Thereupon he went out into the garden and
came to a running rill beside which he saw a white she-bird and
on the stream-bank a tree full of birds of various colours, and he
stood and watched the birds without their seeing him. And
behold, a black bird flew down upon that white she-bird and fell
to billing her pigeon-fashion, then he leapt on her and trod her
three consecutive times, after which the bird changed and became
a woman. Badr looked at her and lo ! it was Queen Lab. So he
knew that the black bird was a man transmewed and that she was
enamoured of him and had transformed herself into a bird, that he
might enjoy her ; wherefore jealousy got hold upon him and he
was wroth with the Queen because of the black bird. Then he
returned to his place and lay down on the carpet-bed and after an
hour or so she came back to him and fell to kissing him and
jesting with him ; but being sore incensed against her he answered
her not a word. She saw what was to do with him and was
assured that he had witnessed what befel her when she was a
white bird and was trodden by the black bird ; yet she discovered
naught to him but concealed what ailed her. When he had done
her need, he said to her, " O Queen, I would have thee give me
leave to go to my uncle's shop, for I long after him and have not
1 I have already noted that the heroes and heroines of Eastern love-tales are always
bonnes fourchettes : they eat and drink hard enough to scandalise the sentimental amourist
of the West ; but it is understood that this abundant diet is necessary to qualify them for
the Herculean labours of the love night.
Julnar the Sea-born and her Son. 301
seen him these forty days." She replied, " Go to him but tarry
not from me, for I cannot brook to be parted from thee, nor can I
endure without thee an hour." He said, " I hear and I obey,"
and mounting, rode to the shop of the Shaykh, the grocer, who
welcomed him and rose to him and embracing him said to him,
" How hast thou fared with yonder idolatress ? " He replied, (( I
was well in health and happiness till this last night," and told him
what had passed in the garden with the black bird. Now when
the old man heard his words, he said. " Beware of her, for know
that the birds upon the trees were all young men and strangers,
whom she loved and enchanted and turned into birds. That
black bird thou sawest was one of her Mamelukes whom she loved
with exceeding love, till he cast his eyes upon one of her women.
wherefore she changed him into a black bird ; And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
iicifo fojen ft foas tje &cben 3^tm&re& antr
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Badr Basim acquainted the old grocer with all the doings of
Queen Lab and what he had seen of her proceedings, the Shaykh
gave him to know that all the birds upon the tree were young
men and strangers whom she had enchanted, and that the black
bird was one of her Mamelukes whom she had transmewed.
" And," continued the Shaykh, " whenas she lusteth after him she
transformeth herself into a she-bird that he may enjoy her, for she
still loveth him with passionate love. When she found that thou
knewest of her case, she plotted evil against thee, for she loveth
thee not wholly. But no harm shall betide thee from her, so long
as I protect thee ; therefore fear nothing ; for I am a Moslem, by
name Abdallah, and there is none in my day more magical than
I ; yet do I not make use of gramarye save upon constraint.
Many a time have I put to naught the sorceries of yonder
accursed and delivered folk from her, and I care not for her,
because she can do me no hurt : nay, she feareth me with ex-
ceeding fear, as do all in the city who, like her, are magicians and
serve the fire, not the Omnipotent Sire. So to-morrow, come
1 Here again a little excision is necessary ; the reader already knows all about it.
302 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
thou to me and tell me what she doth with thee ; for this very
night she will cast about to destroy thee, and I will tell thee how
thou shalt do with her, that thou mayst save thyself from her
malice." Then King Badr Basim farewelled the Shaykh and
returned to the Queen whom he found awaiting him. When she
saw him, she rose and seating him and welcoming him brought
him meat and drink and the two ate till they had enough and
washed their hands; after which she called for wine and they
drank till the night was well nigh half spent, when she plied him
with cup after cup till he was drunken and lost sense1 and wit.
When she saw him thus, she said to him, " I conjure thee by
Allah and by whatso thou worshippest, if I ask thee a question
wilt thou inform me rightly and answer me truly ? " And he being
drunken, answered, " Yes, O my lady." Quoth she, " O my lord
and light of mine eyes, when thou awokest last night and foundest
me not, thou soughtest me, till thou sawest me in the garden,
under the guise of a white she-bird, and also thou sawest the
black bird leap on me and tread me. Now I will tell the truth of
this matter. That black bird was one of my Mamelukes, whom I
loved with exceeding love ; but one day he cast his eyes upon a
certain of my slave-girls, wherefore jealousy gat hold upon me
and I transformed him by my spells into a black bird and her I
slew. But now I cannot endure without him a single hour ; so,
whenever I lust after him, I change myself into a she-bird and go
to him, that he may leap me and enjoy me, even as thou hast seen.
Art thou not therefore incensed against me, because of this, albeit,
by the virtue of Fire and Light, Shade and Heat, I love thee
more than ever and have made thee my portion of the world ? "
He answered (being drunken), " Thy conjecture of the cause of my
rage is correct, and it had no reason other than this." With this
she embraced him and kissed him and made great show of love to
him ; then she lay down to sleep and he by her side. Presently,
about midnight she rose from the carpet-bed and King Badr Basim
was awake ; but he feigned sleep and watched stealthily to see
what she would do. She took out of a red bag a something red,
which she planted a-middlemost the chamber, and it became a
stream, running like the sea ; after which she took a handful of
barley and strewing it on the ground, watered it with water from
1 Arab. " Hiss," prop, speaking a perception (as of sound or motion) as opposed to
" Hadas," a surmise or opinion without proof.
Julnar the Sea-born and her Son. 303
the river ; whereupon it became wheat in the ear, and she gathered
it and ground it into flour. Then she set it aside and returning to
bed, lay down by Badr Basim till morning when he arose and
washed his face and asked her leave to visit the Shaykh his uncle.
She gave him permission and he repaired to Abdallah and told
him what had passed. The old man laughed and said, " By Allah,
this miscreant witch plotteth mischief against thee ; but reck thou
not of her ever !" Then he gave him a pound of parched corn1
and said to him, " Take this with thee and know that, when she
seeth it, she will ask thee : — What is this and what wilt thou do
with it ? Do thou answer : — Abundance of good things is good ;
and eat of it. Then will she bring forth to thee parched grain of
her own and say to thee : — Eat of this Sawi'k ; and do thou feign
to her that thou eatest thereof, but eat of this instead, and beware
and have a care lest thou eat of hers even a grain ; for, an thou
eat so much as a grain thereof, her spells will have power over
thee and she will enchant thee and say to thee : — Leave this form
of a man. Whereupon thou wilt quit thine own shape for what
shape she will. But, an thou eat not thereof, her enchantments
will be null and void and no harm will betide thee therefrom ;
whereat she will be shamed with shame exceeding and say to
thee : — I did but jest with thee ! Then will she make a show of
love and fondness to thee ; but this will all be but hypocrisy in her
and craft. And do thou also make a show of love to her and
say to her: — O my lady and light of mine eyes, eat of this parched
barley and see how delicious it is. And if she eat thereof, though
it be but a grain, take water in thy hand and throw it in her face,
saying : — Quit this human form (for what form soever thou wilt
have her take). Then leave her and come to me and I will counsel
thee what to do." So Badr Basim took leave of him and returning
to the palace, went in to the Queen, who said to him, " Welcome
and well come and good cheer to thee ! " And she rose and kissed
him, saying, " Thou hast tarried long from me, O my lord," He
replied, " I have been with my uncle, and he gave me to eat of
this Sawik." Quoth she, " We have better than that." Then she
1 "Arab. "Sawik," the old and modern name for native frumenty, green grain
(mostly barley) toasted, pounded, mixed with dates or sugar and eaten on journeys
when cooking is impracticable. M. C. de Perceval (iii, 54), gives it a different and
now unknown name ; and Mr. Lane also applies it to "plisane." It named the "Day
of Sawaykah " (for which see Pilgrimage ii. 19), called by our popular authors the
" War of the Meal-sacks."
304 Alf Lay la k wa Laylah.
laid his parched Sawik in one plate and hers in another and said
to him, " Eat of this, for 'tis better than thine." So he feigned to
eat of it and when she thought he had done so, she took water in
her hand and sprinkled him therewith, saying, " Quit this form, O
thou gallows-bird, thou miserable, and take that of a mule one-
eyed and foul of favour." But he changed not; which when she
saw, she arose and wont up to him and kissed him between the
eyes, saying, " O my beloved, I did but jest with thee ; bear me no
malice because of this." Quoth he, " O my lady, I bear thee no
whit of malice ; nay, I am assured that thou lovest me : but eat
of this my parched barley." So she eat a mouthful of Abdallah's
Sawik ; but no sooner had it settled in her stomach than she was
convulsed ; and King Badr Basim took water in his palm and
threw it in her face, saying, " Quit this human form and take that
of a dapple mule." No sooner had he spoken than she found
herself changed into a she-mule, whereupon the tears rolled down
her cheeks and she fell to rubbing her muzzle against his feet.
Then he would have bridled her, but she would not take the bit ;
so he left her and, going to the grocer, told him what had passed.
Abdallah brought out for him a bridle and bade him rein her
forthwith. So he took it to the palace, and when she saw him,
she came up to him and he set the bit in her mouth and mounting
her, rode forth to find the Shaykh. But when the old man saw
her, he rose and said to her, " Almighty Allah confound thee, O
accursed woman ! " Then quoth he to Badr, " O my son, there is
no more tarrying for thee in this city ; so ride her and fare with
her whither thou wilt and beware lest thou commit the bridle ! to
any." King Badr thanked him and farewelling him, fare.d on three
days, without ceasing, till he drew near another city and there
met him an old man, gray-headed and comely, who said to him,
" Whence comest thou, O my son ? " Badr replied, " From the
city of this witch "; and the old man said, " Thou art my guest
to-night." He consented and went with him ; but by the way
behold, they met an old woman, who wept when she saw the mule,
1 Mr. Keightley (H. 122-24 Tales and Popular Fictions, a book now somewhat
obselete) remarks, "There is nothing said about the bridle in the account of the sale
{infra), but I am sure that in the original tale, Badr's misfortunes must have been owing
to his having parted with it. In Chaucer's Squier's Tale the bridle would also appear
to have been of some importance." He quotes a story from the Notti Piacevoli of
Straparola, the Milanese, published at Venice in 1550. And there is a popular story
of the kind in Germany.
Julnar the Sea-born and her Son. 3°5
and said, " There is no god but the God ! Verily, this mule re-
sembleth my son's she-mule, which is dead, and my heart acheth
for her ; so, Allah upon thee, O my lord, do thou sell her to me ! "
He replied, " By Allah, O my mother, I cannot sell her. But she
cried, " Allah upon thee, do not refuse my request, for my son will
surely be a dead man except I buy him this mule." And she im-
portuned him, till he exclaimed, " I will not sell her save for a
thousand dinars," saying in himself, "Whence should this old
woman get a thousand gold pieces ? " Thereupon she brought out
from her girdle a purse containing a thousand ducats, which when
King Badr Basim saw, he said, " O my mother, I did but jest
with thee ; I cannot sell her." But the old man looked at him and
said, " O my son, in this city none may lie, for whoso lieth they
put to death." So King Badr Basim lighted down from the mule.
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say
her permitted say.
Nofo to&cn it foas tje S*ben f^un&refc an* jpiftg-sfxtj
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Badr Basim dismounted from and delivered the mule to the old
woman, she drew the bit from her mouth and, taking water in her
hand, sprinkled the mule therewith, saying, " O my daughter, quit
this shape for that form wherein thou wast aforetime ! " Upon
this she was straightway restored to her original semblance and
the two women embraced and kissed each other. So King Badr
Basim knew that the old woman was Queen Lab's mother and
that he had been tricked and would have fled ; when, lo ! the old
woman whistled a loud whistle and her call was obeyed by an
Ifrit as he were a great mountain, whereat Badr was affrighted and
stood still. Then the old woman mounted on the Ifrit's back,
taking her daughter behind her and King Badr Basim before her,
and the Ifrit flew off with them ; nor was it a full hour ere they
were in the palace of Queen Lab, who sat down on the throne of
kingship and said to Badr, " Gallows-bird that thou art, now am
I come hither and have attained to that I desired and soon will I
show thee how I will do with thee and with yonder old man the
grocer ! How many favours have I shown him ! Yet he doth me
frowardness ; for thou hast not attained thine end but by means of
him." Then she took water and sprinkled him therewith, saying,
VOL VII U
A If Laylah wa Laylah.
" Quit the shape wherein thou art for the form of a foul-favoured
fowl, the foulest of all fowls ; and she set him in a cage and cut
off from him meat and drink ; but one of her women seeing this
cruelty, took compassion on him and gave him food and water
without her knowledge. One day, the damsel took her mistress at
unawares and going forth the palace, repaired to the old grocer, to
whom she told the whole case, saying, " Queen Lab is minded to
make an end of thy brother's son/' The Shaykh thanked her and
said, " There is no help but that I take the city from her and
make thee Queen thereof in her stead.'* Then he whistled a loud
whistle and there came forth to him an Ifrit with four wings, to
whom he said, " Take up this damsel and carry her to the city of
Julnar the Sea-born and her mother Farashah1 for they twain are
the most powerful magicians on face of earth." And he said to
the damsel, " When thou comest thither, tell them that King Badr
Basim is Queen Lab's captive." Then the Ifrit took up his load
and, flying off with her> in a little while set her down upon the
terrace roof of Queen Julnar's palace. So she descended and
going in to the Queen, kissed the earth and told her what had
passed to her son, first and last, whereupon Julnar rose to her and
entreated her with honour and thanked her. Then she let beat
the drums in the city and acquainted her lieges and the lords of
her realm with the good news that King Badr Basim was found ;
after which she and her mother Farashah and her brother Salih
assembled all the tribes of the Jinn and the troops of the main ;
for the Kings of the Jinn obeyed them since the taking of King
Al-Samandal. Presently they all flew up into the air and lighting-
down on the city of the sorceress, sacked the town and the palace
and slew all the Unbelievers therein in the twinkling of an eye.
Then said Julnar to the damsel, " Where is my son ? " And the
slave-girl brought her the cage and signing to the bird within,
cried, " This is thy son." So Julnar took him forth of the cage
and sprinkled him with water, saying Quit this shape for the
form wherein thou wast aforetime ; " nor had she made an end of
her speech ere he shook and became a man as before : whereupon
his mother, seeing him restored to human shape, embraced him
and he wept with sore weeping. On like wise did his uncle Salih
1 Here, for the first time we find the name of the mother who has often been men-
tioned in the story. Farashah is the fem. or singular form of " Farash," a butterfly, a
moth. Lane notes that his Shaykh gives it the very unusual sense of " a locust."
Jitlnar the Sea- born and her Son. 307
and his grandmother and the daughters of his uncle and fell to
kissing his hands and feet. Then Julnar sent for Shaykh
Abdallah and thanking him for his kind dealing with her son,
married him to the damsel, whom he had despatched to her with
news of him, and made him King of the city. Moreover, she
summoned those who survived of the citizens (and they were
Moslems), and made them swear fealty to him and take the oath
of loyalty, whereto they replied, " Hearkening and obedience ! "
Then she and her company farewelled him and returned to their
own capital. The townsfolk came out to meet them, with drums
beating, and decorated the place three days and held high festival,
of the greatness of their joy for the return of their King Badr
Basim. After this Badr said to his mother, "O my mother,
naught remains but that I marry and we be all united." She
replied, " Right is thy rede, O my son, but wait till we ask who
befitteth thee among the daughters of the Kings." And his grand-
mother Farashah, and the daughters of both his uncles said, " O
Badr Basim, we will help thee to win thy wish forthright." Then
each of them arose and fared forth questing in the lands, whilst
Julnar sent out her waiting women on the necks of Ifrits, bidding
them leave not a city nor a King's palace without noting all the
handsome girls that were therein. But, when King Badr Basim
saw the trouble they were taking in this matter, he said to Julnar,
"O my mother, leave this thing, for none will content me save
Jauharah, daughter of King Al-Samandal ; for that she is indeed
a jewel,1 according to her name." Replied Julnar, " I know that
which thou seekest ; " and bade forthright bring Al-Samandal the
King. As soon as he was present, she sent for Badr Basim and
acquainted him with the King's coming, whereupon he went in to-
him. Now when Al-Samandal was aware of his presence, he rose
to him and saluted him and bade him welcome ; and King Badr
Basim demanded of him his daughter Jauharah in marriage.
Quoth he, " She is thine handmaid and at thy service and dispo-
sition," and despatched some of his suite bidding them seek her
abode and, after telling her that her sire was in the hands of King
Badr Basim, to bring her forthright. So they flew up into the air
and disappeared and they returned after a while, with the Princess
who, as soon as she saw her father, went up to him and threw her
arms round his neck, Then looking at her he said, "O my
1 Punning upon Jauharah = " a jewel " a name which has an Hibernian smack.
A If Laylah wa Laylah.
daughter, know that I have given thee in wedlock to this mag-
nanimous Sovran, and valiant lion King Badr Basim, son of Queen
Julnar the Sea-born, for that he is the goodliest of the folk of his
day and most powerful and the most exalted of them in degree
and the noblest in rank ; he befitteth none but thee and thou none
but him." Answered she, " I may not gainsay thee, O my sire ;
do as thou wilt, for indeed chagrin and despite are at an end, and
I am one of his handmaids." So they summoned the Kazi and
the witnesses who drew up the marriage-contract between King
Badr Basim and the Princess Jauharah, and the citizens decorated
the city and beat the drums of rejoicing, and they released all who
were in the jails, whilst the King clothed the widows and the
orphans and bestowed robes of honour upon the Lords of the
Realm and Emirs and Grandees : and they made bride-feasts and
held high festival night and morn ten days, at the end of which
time they displayed the bride, in nine different dresses, before
King Badr Basim who bestowed an honourable robe upon King
Al-Samandal and sent him back to his country and people and
kinsfolk. And they ceased not from living the most delectable of
life and the most solaceful of days, eating and drinking and
enjoying every luxury, till there came to them the Destroyer of
delights and the Sunderer of Societies; and this is the end of
their story,1 may Allah have mercy on them all ! Moreover, O
auspicious King, a tale is also told anent
KING MOHAMMED BIN SABAIK AND THE
MERCHANT HASAN.
THERE was once, in days of yore and in ages and times long gone
before, a King of the Kings of the Persians, by name Mohammed
bin Sabaik, who ruled over Khordsan-land and used every year to
go on razzia into the countries of the Miscreants in Hind and
Sind and China and the lands of Mawarannahr beyond the Oxus
and other regions of the barbarians and what not else. He was a
1 In the old version "All the lovers of the Magic Queen resumed their pristine forms
as soon as she ceased to live ; " moreover, they were all sons of kings, princes, or per-
sons of high degree.
King Mohammed Bin Sabaik and the Merchant. 309
just King, a valiant and a generous, and loved table-talk1 and tales
and verses and anecdotes and histories and entertaining stories
and legends of the ancients. Whoso knew a rare recital and re-
lated it to him in such fashion as to please him he would bestow
on him a sumptuous robe of honour and clothe him from head to
foot and give him a thousand dinars, and mount him on a horse
saddled and bridled besides other great gifts ; and the man would
take all this and wend his way. Now it chanced that one day
there came an old man before him and related to him a rare
story, which pleased the King and made him marvel, so he ordered
him a magnificent present, amongst other things a thousand
dinars of Khorasan and a horse with its housings and trappings.
After this, the bruit of the King's munificence was blazed
abroad in all countries and there heard of him a man, Hasan
the Merchant hight, who was generous, open-handed and learned,
a scholar and an accomplished poet. Now that King had an
envious Wazir, a multum-in-parvo of ill, loving no man, rich nor
poor, and whoso came before the King and he gave him aught
he envied him and said, " Verily, this fashion annihilateth wealth
and ruineth the land ; and such is the custom of the King."
But this was naught save envy and despite in that Minister.
Presently the King heard talk of Hasan the Merchant and sending
for him, said to him as soon as he came into the presence, " O
Merchant Hasan, this Wazir of mine vexeth and thwarteth me
concerning the money I give to poets and boon-companions and
story-tellers and glee-men, and I would have thee tell me a goodly
history and a rare story, such as I have never before heard. An
it please me, I will give thee lands galore, with their forts, in
free tenure, in addition to thy fiefs and untaxed lands ; besides
which I will put my whole kingdom in thy hands and make
thee my Chief Wazir ; so shalt thou sit on my right hand and
rule my subjects. But, an thou bring me not that which I bid
thee, I will take all that is in thy hand and banish thee my
realm." Replied Hasan, " Hearkening and obedience to our lord
the King ! But thy slave beseecheth thee to have patience with
him a year ; than will he tell thee a tale, such as thou hast never
in thy life heard, neither hath other than thou heard its like, not
to say a better than it." Quoth the King, " I grant thee a
1 Arab. " Munddamah," = conversation over the cup (Lane), used somewhat in the
sense of '« Musdmarah" = talks by moonlight.
3IO A If Laylah wa Laylah.
whole year's delay." And he called for a costly robe of honour
wherein he robed Hasan, saying, " Keep thy house and mount not
horse, neither go nor come for a year's time, till thou bring me
that I seek of thee. An thou bring it, especial favour awaiteth
thee and thou mayst count upon that which I have promised
thee ; but, an thou bring it not, thou art not of us nor are we
of thee." And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
saying her permitted say.
JJofo foDen it foaa tfj* gbtben ^unbtefc anfc
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
King Mohammed son of Sabaik said to Hasan the Merchant,
"An thou bring me that I seek of thee, especial favour awaiteth
thee and thou mayest now rejoice in that which I have promised
thee ; but, an thou bring it not, thou art not of us nor are we of
thee." Hasan kissed ground before the King and went out from
the presence. Then he chose five of the best of his Mamelukes,
who could all write and read and were learned, intelligent, accom-
plished ; and he gave each of them five thousand dinars, saying,
' I reared you not save for the like of this day ; so do ye help
me to further the King's desire and deliver me from his
hand." Quoth they, " What wilt thou have us do ? Our lives be
thy ransom ! " Quoth he, " I wish you to go each to a different
country and seek out diligently the learned and erudite and
literate and the tellers of wondrous stories and marvellous histories
and do your endeavour to procure me the story of Sayf al-
Muliik. If ye find it with any one, pay him what price soever
he asketh for it although he demand a thousand dinars ; give
him what ye may and promise him the rest and bring me the story ;
for whoso happeneth on it and bringeth it to me, I will bestow
on him a costly robe of honour and largesse galore, and there
shall be to me none more worshipped than he." Then said he
to one of them, " Hie thou to Al-Hind and Al-Sind and all
their provinces and dependencies." To another, " Hie thou to the
home of the Persians and to China and her climates." To the
third, " Hie thou to the land of Khorasan with its districts." To
the fourth, " Hie thou to Mauritania and all its regions, districts,
provinces and quarters." And to the fifth, " Hie thou to Syria
and Egypt and their outliers." Moreover, he chose them out an
King Mohammed Bin Sabaik and the Merchant. 31 1
auspicious day and said to them, " Fare ye forth this day and
be diligent in the accomplishment of my need and be not sloth-
ful, though the case cost you your lives." So they farewelled
him and departed, each taking the direction prescribed to him.
Now, four of them were absent four months, and searched but
found nothing ; so they returned and told their master, whose
breast was straitened, that they had ransacked towns and cities
and countries for the thing he sought, but had happened upon
naught thereof. Meanwhile, the fifth servant journeyed till he
came to the land of Syria and entered Damascus, which he found
a pleasant city and a secure, abounding in trees and rills, leas and
fruiteries and birds chanting the praises of Allah the One, the All-
powerful of sway, Creator of Night and Day. Here he tarried
some time, asking for his master's desire, but none answered him
wherefore he was on the point of departing thence to another
place, when he met a young man running and stumbling over his
skirts. So he asked to him, " Wherefore runnest thou in such
eagerness and whither dost thou press ? " And he answered,
" There is an elder here, a man of learning, who every day at this
time taketh his seat on a stool1 and relateth tales and stones and
delectable anecdotes, whereof never heard any the like ; and I am
running to get me a place near him and fear I shall find no room,
because of the much folk." Quoth the Mameluke, " Take me
with thee ; " and quoth the youth, " Make haste in thy walking."
So he shut his door and hastened with him to the place of
recitation, where he saw an old man of bright favour seated on a
stool holding forth to the folk. He sat down near him and
addressed himself to hear his story, till the going down of the
sun, when the old man made an end of his tale and the people,
having heard it all, dispersed from about him ; whereupon the
Mamaluke accosted him and saluted him, and he returned his
salam and greeted him with the utmost worship and courtesy.
Then said the messenger to him, " O my lord Shaykh, thou art a
comely and reverend man, and thy discourse is goodly ; but I
would fain ask thee of somewhat." Replied the old man, "Ask
of what thou wilt!" Then said the Mameluke, " Hast thou the
story of Sayf al-Muluk and Badfa al-Jamal ? " Rejoined the
1 Arab. "Kursi," a word of many meanings; here it would allude to the square
crate-like seat of palm-fronds used by the Rawi or public reciter of tales when he is not
pacing about the coffee-house.
312 A If Laylah wa Laylak.
elder, "And who told thee of this story and informed the
thereof ? " Answered the messenger, " None told me of it, but I
am come from a far country, in quest of this tale, and I will pay
thee whatever thou askest for its price if thou have it and wilt, of
thy bounty and charity, impart it to me and make it an alms to
me, of the generosity of thy nature for, had I my life in my hand
and lavished it upon thee for this thing, yet were it pleasing to my
heart." Replied the old man, " Be of good cheer and keep thine
eye cool and clear : thou shalt have it ; but this is no story that
one telleth in the beaten highway, nor do I give it to every one."
Cried the other, " By Allah, O my lord, do not grudge it me, but
ask of me what price thou wilt." And the old man, " If thou
wish for the history give me an hundred dinars and thou shalt
have it ; but upon five conditions." Now when the Mameluke
knew that the old man had the story and was willing to sell it
to him, he joyed with exceeding joy and said, " I will give thee the
hundred dinars by way of price and ten to boot as a gratuity and
take it on the conditions of which thou speakest." Said the old man,
u Then go and fetch the gold pieces, and take that thou seekest."
So the messenger kissed his hands and joyful and happy returned
to his lodging, where he laid an hundred and ten dinars1 in a
purse he had by him. As soon as morning morrowed, he donned
his clothes and taking the dinars, repaired to the story-teller,
whom he found seated at the door of his house. So he saluted
him and the other returned his salam. Then he gave him the gold
and the old man took it and carrying the messenger into his house
made him sit down in a convenient place, when he set before
him inkcase and reed-pen and paper and giving him a book, said
to him, "Write out what thou seekest of the night-story2 of Sayf
al-Muluk from this book." Accordingly the Mameluke fell to work
and wrote till he had made an end of his copy, when he read it to
the old man, and he corrected it and presently said to him,
" Know, O my son, that my five conditions are as follows ; firstly,
that thou tell not this story in the beaten high road nor before
women and slave-girls nor to black slaves nor feather-heads ; nor
again to boys ; but read it only before Kings and Emirs and
Wazirs and men of learning, such as expounders of the Koran
1 Von Hammer remarks that this is precisely the sum paid in Egypt for a MS. copy of
The Nights.
2 Arab. "Samar," the origin of Musamarah, which see, vol. iv. 237.
King Mohammed Bin Sabaik and the Merchant. 313
and others." Thereupon the messenger accepted the conditions
and kissing the old man's hand, took leave of him, and fared forth.
- And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say
her permitted say.
Nofo fofjen ft to tfje gbeben pjutrtrrett antr Jpfftg^fflfttJ Nfgi)tt
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
the Mameluke of Hasan the Merchant had copied the tale out of
the book belonging to the old man of Damascus, and had accepted
his conditions and farewelled him, he fared forth on the same day,
glad and joyful, and journeyed on diligently, of the excess of his
contentment, for that he had gotten the story of Sayf al-Muluk,
till he came to his own country, when he despatched his servant
to bear the good news to his master and say to him, " Thy
Mameluke is come back in safety and hath won his will and his
aim." (Now of the term appointed between Hasan and the King
there wanted but ten days.) Then, after taking rest in his own
quarters he himself went in to the Merchant and told him all that
had befallen him and gave him the book containing the story of
Sayf al-Muluk and Badi'a al-Jamal, when Hasan joyed with
exceeding joy at the sight and bestowed on him all the clothes he
had on and gave him ten thoroughbred horses and the like
number of camels and mules and three negro chattels and two
white slaves. Then Hasan took the book and copied out the story
plainly in his own hand ; after which he presented himself before
the King and said to him, " O thou auspicious King, I have
brought thee a night-story and a rarely pleasant relation, whose
like none ever heard at all." When these words reached the
King's ear, he sent forthright for all the Emirs, who were men of
understanding, and all the learned doctors and folk of erudition
and culture and poets and wits ; and Hasan sat down and read the
history before the King, who marvelled thereat and approved it,
as did all who were present, and they showered gold and silver
and jewels upon the Merchant. Moreover, the King bestowed on
him a costly robe of honour of the richest of his raiment and gave
him a great city with its castles and outliers ; and he appointed
him one of his Chief Wazirs and seated him on his right hand.
Then he caused the scribes write the story in letters of gold and
lay it up in his privy treasures ; and whenever his breast was
A If Laylah wa Laylah.
straitened, he would summon Hasan and he would read him the
story,1 which was as follows : —
STORY OF PRINCE SA YF AL-MULUK AND THE
PRINCESS BADI'A AL-JAMAL.
THERE was once, in days of old and in ages and times long told,
a King in Egypt called Asim bin Safwan,2 who was a liberal and
beneficent sovran, venerable and majestic. He owned many cities
and sconces and fortresses and troops and warriors and had a
Wazir named Fdris bin Scilih,* and he and all his subjects
worshipped the sun and the fire, instead of the All-powerful Sire,
the Glorious, the Victorious. Now this King was become a very
old man, weakened and wasted with age and sickness and de-
crepitude ; for he had lived an hundred and fourscore years and
had no child, male or female, by reason whereof he was ever in
cark and care from morning to night and from night to morn. It
so happened that one day of the days, he was sitting on the throne
of his Kingship, with his Emirs and Wazirs and Captains and
Grandees in attendance on him, according to their custom, in their
several stations, and whenever there came in an Emir, who had
with him a son or two sons, or haply three who stood at the sides
of their sires the King envied him and said in himself, " Every
one of these is happy and rejoiceth in his children, whilst I, I
have no child, and to-morrow I die and leave my reign and
throne and lands and hoards, and strangers will take them and
none will bear me in memory nor will there remain any mention
of me in the world." Then he became drowned in the sea of
thought and for the much thronging of griefs and anxieties upon
his heart, like travellers faring for the well, he shed tears and
descending from his throne, sat down upon the floor,4 weeping
and humbling himself before the Lord. Now when the Wazir and
1 The pomp and circumstance, with which the tale is introduced to the reader showing
the importance attached to it. Lane, most injudiciously I think, transfers the Proemium
to a note in chapt. xxiv., thus converting an Arabian Night into an Arabian Note.
2 'Asim = defending (honour) or defended, son of Safwan = clear, cold (dry).
Trebutienii. 126, has Safran.
3 Faris = the rider, the Knight, son of Salih — the righteous, the pious, the just.
4 In sign of the deepest dejection, when a man would signify that he can fall no lower.
Sayf al-Muluk and Bad? a al-Jamdl. 315
notables of the realm and others who were present in the assembly
saw him do thus with his royal person, they feared for their lives
and let the poursuivants cry aloud to the lieges, saying, " Hie ye
to your homes and rest till the King recover from what aileth
him." So they went away, leaving none in the presence save the
Minister who, as soon as the King came to himself, kissed ground
between his hands and said, " O King of the Age and the time,
wherefore this weeping and wailing? Tell me who hath trans-
gressed against thee of the Kings or Castellans or Emirs or
Grandees, and inform me who hath thwarted thee, O my liege
lord, that we may all fall on him and tear his soul from his two
sides." But he spake not neither raised his head ; whereupon the
Minister kissed ground before him a second time and said to him,
"O Master,1 I am even as thy son and thy slave, nay, I have
reared thee ; yet know I not the cause of thy cark and chagrin and
of this thy case ; and who should know but I who should stand in
my stead between thy hands ? Tell me therefore why this weeping
and wherefore thine affliction." Nevertheless, the King neither
opened his mouth nor raised his head, but ceased not to weep and
cry with a loud crying and lament with exceeding lamentation
and ejaculate, " Alas ! " The Wazir took patience with him awhile,
after which he said to him, " Except thou tell me the cause of this
thine affliction, I will set this sword to my heart and will slay
myself before thine eyes, rather than see thee thus distressed."
Then King Asim raised his head and, wiping away his tears, said,
4t O Minister of good counsel and experience, leave me to my care
and my chagrin, for that which is in my heart of sorrow sufficeth
mei" But Paris said, " Tell me, O King, the cause of this thy
weeping, haply Allah will appoint thee relief at my hands.
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
ttfofo fojEtt it foas tje gbebw ff^unlw& antr JFfftg=nint!)
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
Wazir said to King Asim, " Tell me the cause of this thy weeping :
1 Arab. Ya Khawand (in Bresl. Edit. vol. iv. 191) and fern, form Khawandah
(p. 20) from Pers. Khawand or Khawandngar = superior, lord, master ; Khudawand
is still used in popular as in classical Persian, and is universally understood in
Hindostan.
A If Laylah wa Laylah.
haply Allah shall appoint thee relief at my hands." Replied the
King, " O Wazir, I weep not for monies nor horses nor kingdoms
nor aught else, but that I am become an old man, yea, very old
nigh upon an hundred and fourscore years of age, and I have not
been blessed with a child, male or female : so, when I die, they
will bury me and my trace will be effaced and my name cut off ;
the stranger will take my throne and reign and none will ever
make mention of my being." Rejoined the Minister Paris, "O
King of the Age, I am older than thou by an hundred years yet
have I never been blest with boon of child and cease not day
and night from cark and care and concern ; so how shall we do,
I and thou ? " Quoth Asim, " O Wazir, hast thou no device or
shift in this matter ? " and quoth the Minister, " Know, O King
that I have heard of a Sovran in the land of Saba 1 by name
Solomon David-son (upon the twain be the Peace !),2 who pre-
tendeth to prophetship and avoucheth that he hath a mighty Lord
who can do all things and whose kingdom is in the Heavens and
who hath dominion over all mankind and birds and beasts and
over the wind and the Jinn. Moreover, he kenneth the speech of
birds and the language of every other created thing; and withal,
he calleth all creatures to the worship of his Lord and discourseth
to them of their service. So let us send him a messenger in the
King's name and seek of him our need, beseeching him to put up
prayer to his Lord, that He vouchsafe each of us boon of issue.
If his Faith be soothfast and his Lord Omnipotent, He will
assuredly bless each of us with a child male or female, and if the
thing thus fall out, we will enter his faith and worship his Lord ;
else will we take patience and devise us another device." The
King cried, " This is well seen, and my breast is broadened by
this thy speech ; but where shall we find a messenger befitting
this grave matter, for that this Solomon is no Kinglet and the
approaching him is no light affair ? Indeed, I will send him none,
on the like of this matter, save thyself ; for thou art ancient and
versed in all manner affairs and the like of thee is the like of
myself; wherefore I desire that thou weary thyself and journey
to him and occupy thyself sedulously with accomplishing this
1 The Biblical Sheba, whence came the Queen of many Hebrew fables.
2 These would be the interjections of the writer or story-teller. The Mac. Edit, is
here a sketch which must be filled up by the Bresl. Edit. vol. iv 189-318: "Tale of
King Asim and his son Sayf al-Muluk with Badi'a al-Jamai."
Sayf al-Muluk and Bad? a ai-Jamal. 317
matter, so haply solace may be at thy hand." The Minister said,
" I hear and I obey ; but rise thou forthwith and seat thee upon
the throne, so the Emirs and Lords of the realm and officers and
the lieges may enter applying themselves to thy service, according
to their custom ; for they all went away from thee, troubled at
heart on thine account. Then will I go out and set forth on the
Sovran's errand." So the King arose forthright and sat down on
the throne of his kingship, whilst the Wazir went out and said to
the Chamberlain, " Bid the folk proceed to their service, as of their
wont." Accordingly the troops and Captains and Lords of the
land entered, after they had spread the tables and ate and drank
and withdrew as was their wont, after which the Wazir Faris
went forth from King Asim and, repairing to his own house,
equipped himself for travel and returned to the King, who opened
to him the treasuries and provided him with rarities and things
of price and rich stuffs and gear without compare, such as nor
Emir nor Wazir hath power to possess. Moreover, King Asim
charged him to accost Solomon with reverence, foregoing him
with the salam but not exceeding in speech; "and (continued
he) then do thou ask of him thy need, and if he say 'tis granted,
return to us in haste, for I shall be awaiting thee." Accordingly,
the Minister kissed hands and took the presents and setting out,
fared on night and day, till he came within fifteen days' journey
of Saba. Meanwhile Allah (extolled and exalted be He !) inspired
Solomon the son of David (the Peace be upon both !) and said
to hirn^ " O Solomon, the King of Egypt sendeth unto thee his
Chief Wazir, with a present of rarities and such and such things
of price ; so do thou also despatch thy Counsellor Asaf bin
Barkhiya to meet him with honour and with victual at the halting-
places ; and when he cometh to thy presence, say unto him : —
Verily, thy King hath sent thee in quest of this and that and thy
business is thus and thus. Then do thou propound to him The
Saving Faith." l Whereupon Solomon bade his Wazir make
ready a company of his retainers and go forth to meet the
1 The oath by the Seal-ring of Solomon was the Stygian " swear " in Fairy-land.
The signet consisted of four jewels, presented by as many angels, representing the
Winds, the Birds, Earth (including sea) and Spirits, and the gems were inscribed with
as many sentences (i) To Allah belong Majesty and Might : (2) All created things
praise the Lord ; (3) Heaven and Earth are Allah's slaves and (4) There is no god but
the God and Mohammed is His messenger. For Sakhr and his theft of the signet see
Dr. Weil's, " The Bible, the Koran, and the Talmud.'*
318 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
Minister of Egypt with honour and sumptuous provision at the
halting-places. So Asaf made ready all that was needed for their
entertainment and setting out, fared on till he fell in with Paris
and accosted him with the salam, honouring him and his company
with exceeding honour. Moreover, he brought them provaunt
and provender at the halting-places and said to them, " Well come
and welcome and fair welcome to the coming guests ! Rejoice in
the certain winning of your wish ! Be your souls of good cheer
and your eyes cool and clear and your breasts be broadened ! "
Quoth Paris in himself, " Who acquainted him with this ? " ; and
he said to Asaf,1 " O my lord, and who gave thee to know of us
and our need?" "It was Solomon son of David (on whom be
the Peace !), told us of this ! " " And who told our lord Solomon ? "
" The Lord of the heaven and the earth told him, the God of all
creatures ! " " This is none other than a mighty God ! " " And
do ye not worship him ? " " We worship the Sun, and prostrate
ourselves thereto." " O Wazir Paris, the sun is but a star of the
stars created by Allah (extolled and exalted be He !), and Allah
forbid that it should be a Lord ! Because whiles it riseth and
whiles it setteth, but our Lord is ever present and never absent
and He over all things is Omnipotent ! " Then they journeyed on
a little while till they came to the land Saba and drew near the
throne of Solomon David-son, (upon the twain be peace !), who
commanded his hosts of men and Jinn and others2 to form line on
their road. So the beasts of the sea and the elephants and leopards
and lynxes and all beasts of the land ranged themselves in espalier
on either side of the way, after their several kinds, and similarly
the Jinn drew out in two ranks, appearing all to mortal eyes
without concealment, in divers forms grisly and gruesome. So
they lined the road on either hand, and the birds bespread their
wings over the host of creatures to shade them, warbling one to
other in all manner of voices and tongues. Now when the people
of Egypt came to this terrible array, they dreaded it and durst
not proceed ; but Asaf said to them, " Pass on amidst them and
walk forward and fear them not : for they are slaves of Solomon
son of David, and none of them will harm you." So saying, he
1 Tre'butien (ii. I2&) remarks, "Get Assaf peut £tre celui auquel David adresse
plusieurs de ses psaumes, et que nos interpretes disent avoir &< son maftre de chapelle
(from Biblioth. Orient).
2 Mermen, monsters, beasts, etc.
Sayf al-Muluk and Bad fa al-Jawal. 319
entered between the ranks, followed by all the folk and amongst
them the Wazir of Egypt and his company, fearful : and they
ceased not faring forwards till they reached the city, where they
lodged the embassy in the guest-house and for the space of three
days entertained them sumptuously entreating them with the
utmost honour. Then they carried them before Solomon, prophet
of Allah (on whom be the Peace !), and when entering they would
have kissed the earth before him ; but he forbade them, saying,
" It besitteth not a man prostrate himself to earth save before
Allah (to whom belong Might and Majesty !), Creator of Earth
and Heaven and all other things ; wherefore, whosoever of you
hath a mind to sit let him be seated in my service, or to stand,
let him stand, but let none stand to do me worship." So they
obeyed him and the Wazir Faris and some of his intimates sat
down, whilst certain of the lesser sort remained afoot to wait on
him. When they had sat awhile, the servants spread the tables
and they all, men and beasts, ate their sufficiency.1 Then Solomon
bade Faris expound his errand, that it might be accomplished,
saying, " Speak and hide naught of that wherefor thou art come ;
for I know why ye come and what is your errand, which is thus
and thus. The King of Egypt who despatched thee, Asim hight,
hath become a very old man, infirm, decrepit ; and Allah (whose
name be exalted !) hath not blessed him with offspring, male or
female. So he abode in cark and care and chagrin from morn to
night and from night to morn. It so happened that one day of
the days as he sat upon the throne of his kingship with his Emirs
and Wazirs, and Captains and Grandees in attendance on him, he
saw some of them with two sons others with one and others with
even three who came with their sire to do him service. So he
said in himself, of the excess of his sorrow, " Who shall get my
kingdom after my death ? Will any save a stranger take it ?
And thus shall I pass out of being as though I had never been ! "
On this account he became drowned in the sea of thought, until
his eyes were flooded with tears and he covered his face with his
kerchief and wept with sore weeping. Then he rose from off his
1 This is in accordance with Eastern etiquette ; the guest must be fed before his errand
is asked. The Porte, in the days of its pride, managed in this way sorely to insult the
Ambassadors of the most powerful European kingdoms and the first French Republic
had the honour of abating the barbarians' nuisance. So the old Scottish Highlanders
never asked the name or clan of a chance guest, lest he prove a foe before he had eaten
their food.
320 A If Laylah wa Lay la k.
throne and sat down upon the floor wailing and lamenting and
none knew what was in heart as he grovelled in the ground save
Allah Almighty. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased to say her permitted say.
Nofo fofien ft foas tfjc §beben !^unttrrtr an* gbfotieti)
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Solomon
David-son (upon both of whom be peace !) after disclosing to the
Wazir Faris that which had passed between himself and his master,
King Asim, said to him, " Is this that I have told thee the truth,
O Wazir ? " Replied Faris, " O prophet of Allah, this thou hast
said is indeed sooth and verity ; but when we discoursed of this
matter, none was with the King and myself, nor was any ware of
our case ; who, then told thee of all these things ? " Answered
Solomon, " They were told to me by my Lord who knoweth whatso
is concealed1 from the eye and what is hidden in the breasts."
Quoth Faris, " O Prophet of Allah, verily this is none other than a
mighty Lord and an omnipotent God ! " And he Islamized with
all his many. Then said Solomon to him, " Thou hast with thee
such and such presents and rarities ; " and Faris replied " Yes."
The prophet continued, " I accept them all and give them in free
gift unto thee. So do ye rest, thou and thy company, in the place
where you have been lodging, till the fatigue of the journey shall
cease from you ; and to-morrow, Inshallah ! thine errand shall be
accomplished to the uttermost, if it be the will of Allah the Most
High, Lord of heaven and earth and the light which followeth the
gloom ; Creator of all creatures." So Faris returned to his quarters
and passed the night in deep thought. But when morning mor-
rowed he presented himself before the Lord Solomon, who said
to him, " When thou returnest to King Asim bin Safwan and you
twain are re-united, do ye both go forth some day armed with
bow, bolts and brand, and fare to such a place, where ye shall
find a certain tree. Mount upon it and sit silent until the mid-
hour between noon-prayer and that of mid-afternoon, when the
noontide heat hath cooled ; then descend and look at the foot
of the tree, whence ye will see two serpents come forth, one
with a head like an ape's and the other with a head like an
1 In Bresl. Edit. (301) Khdfiyah : in Mac. Khainah, the perfidy.
Sayf al-Muluk and Bad fa al-Jamal. 321
Ifrit's. Shoot them ye twain with bolts and kill them both;
then cut off a span's length from their heads and the like from
their tails and throw it away. The rest of the flesh cook and
cook well and give it to your wives to eat : then lie with them
that night and, by Allah's leave, they shall conceive and bear
male children." Moreover, he gave him a seal-ring a sword and
a wrapper containing two tunics l embroidered with gold and
jewels, saying, "O Wazir Paris, when your sons grow up to
man's estate, give to each of them one of these tunics." Then
said he, " In the name of Allah ! May the Almighty accomplish
your desire ! And now nothing remaineth for thee but to depart,
relying on the blessing of the Lord the Most High, for the King
looketh for thy return night and day and his eye is ever gazing
on the road." So the Wazir advanced to the prophet Solomon
son of David (upon both of whom be the Peace !) and farewelled
him and fared forth from him after kissing his hands. Rejoicing
in the accomplishment of his errand he travelled on with all
diligence night and day, and ceased not wayfaring till he drew
near to Cairo, when he despatched one of his servants to
acquaint King Asim with his approach and the successful issue
of his journey ; which when the King heard he joyed with
exceeding joy, he and his Grandees and Officers and troops
especially in the Wazir's safe return. When they met, the
Minister dismounted and, kissing ground before the King, gave
him the glad news anent the winning of his wish in fullest
fashion ; after which he expounded the True Faith to him, and
the King and all his people embraced Al-Islam with much joy
and gladness. Then said Asim to his Wazir, " Go home and
rest this night and a week to boot ; then go to the Hammam-
bath and come to me, that I may inform thee of what we shall
have to consider." So Faris kissed ground and withdrew, with
his suite, pages and eunuchs, to his house, where he rested eight
days ; after which he repaired to the King and related to him
all that had passed between Solomon and himself, adding, " Do
thou rise and go forth with me alone." Then the King and the
Minister took two bows and two bolts and repairing to the tree
indicated by Solomon, clomb up into it and there sat in silence
till the mid-day heat had passed away and it was near upon the
1 So in the Mac. Edit., in the Bresl. only one " Kaba " or Kaftan ; but from the sequel
it seems to be a clerical error.
VOL. VII. X
322 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
hour of mid-afternoon prayer, when they descended and looking
about them saw a serpent-couple1 issue from the roots of the
tree. The King gazed at them, marvelling to see them ringed
with collars of gold about their necks, and said to Faris, " O
Wazir, verily these snakes have golden torques! By Allah, this
is forsooth a rare thing! Let us catch them and set them in a
cage and keep them to look upon." But the Minister said,
" These hath Allah created for profitable use ; 2 so do thou
shoot one and I will shoot the other with these our shafts."
Accordingly they shot at them with arrows and slew them ;
after which they cut off a span's length of their heads and tails
and threw it away. Then they carried the rest to the King's
palace, where they called the kitchener and giving him that
flesh said, "Dress this meat daintily, with onion-sauce3 and
spices, and ladle it out into two saucers and bring them
hither at such an hour, without delay ! " And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
ft foas t&e gbeten |^tmt)re& an& Sbfxtg-fittt
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
King and the Wazir gave the serpents' flesh to the kitchener,
saying, " Cook it and ladle it out into two saucers and bring
them hither without delay ! "; the cook took the meat and went
with it to the kitchen, where he cooked it and dressed it in skilful
fashion with a mighty fine onion-sauce and hot spices ; after which
he ladled it out into two saucers and set them before the King
and the Wazir, who took each a dish and gave their wives to eat
of the meat. Then they went in that night unto them and knew
them carnally, and by the good pleasure of Allah (extolled and
exalted be He!) and His all-might and furtherance, they both
conceived on one and the same night. The King abode three
1 Arab. "Su'uban" (Thu'uban) popularly translated " basilisk." The Egyptians
suppose that when this serpent forms ring round the Ibn 'Irs (weasel or ichneumon)
the latter emits a peculiar air which causes the reptile to burst.
2 i.e. that prophesied by Solomon.
3 Arab. " Takliyah " from kaly, a fry : Lane's Shaykh explained it as " onions cooked
in clarified butter, after which they are put upon other cooked food." The mention
of onions points to Egypt as the origin of this tale and certainly not to Arabia, where
the strong-smelling root is hated.
Sayf al-Muluk and Bad? a al-Jamal 323
months, troubled in mind and saying in himself, " I wonder
whether this thing will prove true or untrue"; till one day, as
the lady his Queen was sitting, the child stirred in her womb and
she felt a pain and her colour changed. So she knew that she
was with child and calling the chief of her eunuchs, gave him
this command, " Go to the King, wherever he may be and con-
gratulate him saying : — O King of the Age, I bring thee the
glad tidings that our lady's pregnancy is become manifest, for
the child stirreth in her womb." So the eunuch went out in
haste, rejoicing, and rinding the King alone, with cheek on palm,
pondering this thing, kissed ground between his hands and
acquainted him with his wife's pregnancy. When the King
heard his words, he sprang to his feet and in the excess of his
joy, he kissed x the eunuch's hands and head and doffing the
clothes he had on, gave them to him. Moreover, he said to
those who were present in his assembly, " Whoso loveth me, let
him bestow largesse upon this man."2 And they gave him of
coin and jewels and jacinths and horses and mules and estates
and gardens what was beyond count or calculation. At that
moment in came the Wazir Paris and said to Asim, " O my
master, but now I was sitting alone at home and absorbed in
thought, pondering the matter of the pregnancy and saying
to myself: — Would I wot an this thing be true and whether
my wife Khatun3 have conceived or not! when, behold, an
eunuch came in to me and brought me the glad tidings that
his lady was indeed pregnant, for that her colour was changed
and the child stirred in her womb ; whereupon, in my joy, I
doffed all the clothes I had on and gave them to him, together
with a thousand dinars, and made him Chief of the Eunuchs."
Rejoined the King, "O Minister, Allah (extolled and exalted
be He !) hath, of His grace and bounty and goodness, and
beneficence, made gift to us of the True Faith and brought us
out of night into light, and hath been bountiful to us, of His
1 Von Hammer quotes the case of the Grand Vizier Yusuf throwing his own pelisse
over the shoulders of the Aleppine Merchant who brought him the news of the death
of his enemy, Jazzar Pasha.
2 This peculiar style of generosity was also the custom in contemporary Europe.
3 Khatun, which follows the name (e.g. Hurmat Khatun), in India corresponds with
the male title Khan, taken by the Pathan Moslems (e.g. Pir Khan). Khanum is the
affix to the Moghul or Tartar nobility, the men assuming a double designation e.g. Mirza
Abdallah Beg. See Oriental collections (Ouseley's) vol. i. 97.
324 A If Laylah wa Laylak.
favour and benevolence ; wherefore I am minded to solace the
folk and cause them to rejoice." Quoth Paris, " Do what thou
wilt, 1 " and quoth the King, " O Wazir, go down without stay
or delay and set free all who are in the prisons, both criminals
and debtors, and whoso transgresseth after this, we will requite
as he deserveth even to the striking off of his head. Moreover,
we forgive the people three years' taxes, and do thou set up
kitchens all around about the city walls2 and bid the kitcheners hang
over the fire all kinds of cooking pots and cook all manner of meats,
continuing their cooking night and day, and let all comers, both
of our citizens and of the neighbouring countries, far and near, eat
and drink and carry to their houses. And do thou command the
people to make holiday and decorate the city seven days and shut
not the taverns night nor day3 ; and if thou delay I will behead
thee4 ! " So he did as the King bade him and the folk decorated
the city and citadel and bulwarks after the goodliest fashion and,
donning their richest attire, passed their time in feasting and sport-
ing and making merry, till the days of the Queen's pregnancy were
accomplished and she was taken, one night, with labour pains
hard before dawn. Then the King bade summon all the Olema
and astronomers, mathematicians and men of learning, astrologersi
scientists and scribes in the city, and they assembled and sat
awaiting the throwing of a bead into the cup* which was to be the
signal to the Astrophils, as well as to the nurses and attendants,
that the child was born. Presently, as they sat in expectation,
the Queen gave birth to a boy like a slice of the moon when
fullest and the astrologers fell to calculating and noted his star
and nativity and drew his horoscope. Then, on being summoned
they rose and, kissing the earth before the King, gave him the
glad tidings, saying, " In very sooth the new-born child is of
happy augury and born under an auspicious aspect, but " they
1 Lit. " Whatso thou wouldest do that do ! " a contrast with our European laconism.
2 These are booths built against and outside the walls, made of palm-fronds and ligl
materials.
3 Von Hammer inTrebutien (ii. 135) says, "Such rejoicings are still customary at Con-
stantinople, under the name of Donanma, not only when the Sultanas are enceintes^ but
also when they are brought to bed. In 1803 the rumour of the pregnancy of a Sultana,
being falsely spread, involved all the Ministers in useless expenses to prepare for a
Donanma" which never took place." Lane justly remarks upon this passage that the
title Sultan precedes while the feminine Sultanah follows the name.
4 These words (Bresl. Edit.) would be spoken in jest, a grim joke enough, but
showing the elation of the King's spirits.
• A signal like a gong : the Mac. Edit, reads " Takah," = in at the window.
Sayf al-Muluk and Bad? a al-Jamal. 325
added, " in the first of his life there will befall him a thing which
we fear to name before the King." Quoth Asim, " Speak and
fear not ; " so quoth they, " O King, this boy will fare forth from
this land and journey in strangerhood and suffer shipwreck and
hardship and prisonment and distress, and indeed he hath before
him the sorest of sufferings ; but he shall free him of them in
the end, and win to his wish and live the happiest of lives the
rest of his days, ruling over subjects with a strong hand and
having dominion in the land, despite enemies and enviers." Now
when the King heard the astrologers' words, he said, " The
matter is a mystery ; but all that Allah Almighty hath written
for the creature of good and bad cometh to pass and needs must
betide him from this day to that a thousand solaces." So he
paid no heed to their words or attention to their speeches but
bestowed on them robes of honour, as well upon all who were
present, and dismissed them ; when, behold, in came Paris the
Wazir and kissed the earth before the King in huge joy, saying,
" Good tidings, O King ! My wife hath but now given birth to a
son, as he were a slice of the moon." Replied Asim, " O Wazir,
go, bring thy wife and child hither, that she may abide with my
wife in my palace, and they shall bring up the two boys together."
So Paris fetched his wife and son and they committed the two
children to the nurses wet and dry. And after seven days had
passed over them, they brought them before the King and said
to him, " What wilt thou name the twain ? " Quoth he, " Do ye
name them ; " but quoth they, " None nameth the son save his
sire." So he said, " Name my son Sayf al-Muluk, after my
grandfather, and the Minister's son Sai'd 1 " Then he bestowed
robes of honour on the nurses wet and dry and said to them, " Be
ye ruthful over them and rear them after the goodliest fashion. J>
So they brought up the two boys diligently till they reached the
age of five, when the King committed them to a doctor of
Sciences2 who taught them to read the Koran and write. When
they were ten years old, King Asim gave them in charge to masters,
1 Sayf al-Muluk = " Sword (Egyptian Sif, Arab. Sayf, Gr. &pos) of the Kings ";
and he must not be called tout bonnement Sayf. Sai'd =: the forearm.
2 Arab. Fakih =r a divine, from Fikh = theology, a man versed in law and divinity
i.e. (i) the Koran and its interpretation comprehending the sacred ancient history of the
creation and prophets (Chapters iii, iv, v and vi) ^. (2) the traditions and legends connected
with early Moslem History and (3) some auxiliary sciences as grammar, syntax and
prosody ; logic, rhetoric and philosophy. See p. 18 of " El-Mas' \idf,'s Historical
326 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
who instructed them in cavalarice and shooting with shafts and
lunging with lance and play of Polo and the like till, by the time
they were fifteen years old, they were clever in all manner of
martial exercises, nor was there one to vie with them in horseman-
ship, for each of them would do battle with a thousand men and
make head against them single handed. So when they came to
years of discretion, whenever King Asim looked on them he
joyed in them with exceeding joy ; and when they attained their
twenty-fifth year, he took Paris his Minister apart one day and
said to him, " O Wazir, I am minded to consult with thee
concerning a thing I desire to do." Replied he, " Whatever thou
hast a mind to do, do it ; for thy judgment is blessed." Quoth the
King, " O Wazir, I am become a very old and decrepit man, sore
stricken in years, and I desire to take up my abode in an oratory,
that I may worship Allah Almighty and give my kingdom and
Sultanate to my son Sayf al-Muluk for that he is grown a goodly
youth, perfect in knightly exercises and intellectual attainments,
polite letters and gravity, dignity and the art of government.
What sayst thou, O Minister, of this project ? " And quoth
the counsellor, " Right indeed is thy rede : the idea is a blessed
and a fortunate, and if thou do this, I will do the like and
my son Sa'id shall be the Prince's Wazir, for he is a comely
young man and complete in knowledge and judgment. Thus
will the two youths be together, and we will order their affair and
neglect not their case, but guide them to goodness and in the way
that is straight." Quoth the King, " Write letters and send them
by couriers to all the countries and cities and sconces and fort-
resses that be under our hands, bidding their chiefs be present on
such a day at the Horse-course of the Elephant." * So the Wazir
Encyclopaedia etc.," by my friend Prof. Aloys Springer, London 1841. This fine frag-
ment printed by the Oriental Translation Fund has been left unfinished when the
Asiatic Society of Paris has printed in Eight Vols. 8vo the text and translation of
MM. Barbier de Meynard and Pavet de Courteille. What a national disgrace ! And
the same with the mere abridgment of Ibn Batutah by Prof. Lee (Orient. Tr. Fund 1820)
when the French have the fine Edition and translation by Defremery and Sanguinetti
with index etc. in 4 vols. 8vo 1858-59. But England is now content to rank in such
matters as encouragement of learning, endowment of research etc., into the basest of
kingdoms, and the contrast of status between the learned Societies of London and of
Paris, Berlin, Vienna or Rome is mortifying to an Englishman — a national opprobrium.
1 Arab. Maydan al-Fil prob. for Birkat al-Fil, the Tank of the Elephant before-
mentioned. Lane quotes Al-Makrizi who in his Khitat informs us that the lakelet was
made about the end of the seventh century (A. H.), and in the seventeenth year of the
eighth century became the site of stables. The Bresl. Edit. (iv. 214) reads " Maydaa
al-'Adl," prob. for Al-'Adil the name of the King who laid out the Maydan.
Sayf al-Muluk and Bad? a al-Jamal. 327
went out without stay or delay and despatched letters of this
purport to all the deputies and governors of fortresses and others
under King Asim ; and he commanded also that all in the city
should be present far and near, high and low. When the
appointed time drew nigh, King Asim bade the tent-pitchers
plant pavilions in the midst of the Champ-de-Mars and decorate
them after the most sumptuous fashion and set up the great
throne whereon he sat not but on festivals. And they at once did
his bidding. Then he and all his Nabobs and Chamberlains and
Emirs sallied forth, and he commanded proclamation be made
to the people, saying, " In the name of Allah, come forth to
the Mayddn ! " So all the Emirs and Wazirs and Governors
of provinces and Feudatories1 came forth to the place of
assembly and, entering the royal pavilion, addressed them-
selves to the service of the King as was their wont, and abode
in their several stations some sitting and others standing,
till all the people were gathered together, when the King
bade spread the tables and they ate and drank and prayed
for him. Then he commanded the Chamberlains2 to proclaim
to the people that they should not depart : so they made
proclamation to them, saying, " Let none of you fare hence till
he have heard the King's words ! " So they withdrew the curtains
of the royal pavilion and the King said, " Whoso loveth me, let
him remain till he have heard my speech ! " Whereupon all the
folk sat down in mind tranquil after they had been fearful, saying,
" Wherefore have we been summoned by the King ? " Then the
Sovran rose to his feet, and making them swear that none would
stir from his stead, said to them, " O ye Emirs and Wazirs and
Lords of the land ; the great and the small of you, and all ye who
are present of the people ; say me, wot ye not that this kingdom
was an inheritance to me from my fathers and forefathers ? "
Answered they, "Yes, O King we all know that." And he
continued, " I and you, we all worshipped the sun and moon, till
Allah (extolled and exalted be He !) vouchsafed us the knowledge
of the True Faith and brought us out of darkness unto light, and
directed us to the religion of Al- Islam. Know that I am become
1 Arab. Asha"b al-Ziya', the latter word mostly signifies estates consisting, strictly
speaking, of land under artificial irrigation.
2 The Bresl. Edit. iv. 215 has (t Chawashiyah "=' Chiaush, the Turkish word, written
with the Pers. "ch," a letter which in Arabic is supplanted by "sh," everywhere except
in Morocco.
328 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
a very old man, feeble and decrepit, and I desire to take up my
abode in a hermitage1 there to worship Allah Almighty and crave
His pardon for past offences and make this my son Sayf al-Muluk
ruler. Ye know full well that he is a comely youth, eloquent,
liberal, learned, versed in affairs, intelligent, equitable ; wherefore
I am minded presently to resign to him my realm and to make
him ruler over you and seat him as Sultan in my stead, whilst I
give myself to solitude and to the worship of Allah in an oratory
and my son and heir shall judge between you. What say ye
then, all of you ? " Thereupon they all rose and kissing ground
before him, made answer with " Hearing and obedience," saying,
" O our King and our defender an thou should set over us one of
thy blackamoor slaves we would obey him and hearken to thy
word and accept thy command : how much more then with thy
son Sayf al-Muluk ? Indeed, we accept of him and approve him
on our eyes and heads ! " So King Asim bin Safwan arose and
came down from his seat and seating his son on the great throne,2
took the crown from his own head and set it on the head of Sayf
al-Muluk and girt his middle with the royal girdle.3 Then he sat
down beside his son on the throne of his kingship, whilst the
Emirs and Wazirs and Lords of the land and all the rest of the
folk rose and kissed ground before him, saying, " Indeed, he is
worthy of the kingship and hath better right to it than any
other." Then the Chamberlains made proclamation crying,
" Amdn ! Am an ! Safety ! Safety ! " and offered up prayers for his
victory and prosperity. And Sayf al-Muluk scattered gold and
silver on the heads of the lieges one and all. And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Nofo fojen ft foa* tfie Sbrten f^untrrefc anto §bfxtg--secoirtr Nfgftt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when King
Asim seated his son, Sayf al-Muluk, upon the throne and all the
1 Arab. "Zawiyah" lit. a corner, a cell. Lane (M. E. chapt. xxiv.) renders it "a
small kiosque," and translates the famous Zawiyat al-Umydn (Blind Men's Angle) near
the south-eastern corner of the Azhar or great Collegiate Mosque of Cairo, " Chapel of
the Blind " (chapt. ix.). In popular parlance it suggests a hermitage.
2 Arab. " Takht," a Pers. word used as more emphatic than the Arab. Sarlr.
3 This girding the sovereign is found in the hieroglyphs as a peculiarity of the ancient
Kings of Egypt, says Von Hammer referring readers to Denon.
Sayf al-Muluk and Bad? a al-Jamal. 329
people prayed for his victory and prosperity, the youth scattered
gold and silver on the heads of the lieges, one and all, and con-
ferred robes of honour and gave gifts and largesse. Then, after a
moment, the Wazir Faris arose and kissing ground said, " O Emirs,
O Grandees, ye ken that I am Wazir and that my Wazirate dateth
from old, before the accession of King Asim bin Safwan, who hath
now divested himself of the Kingship and made his son King in
his stead ? " Answered they, " Yes, we know that thy Wazirate
is from sire after grandsire." He continued, "And now in my
turn I divest myself of office and invest this my son Sa'id, for he
is intelligent, quick-witted, sagacious. What say ye all ? " And
they replied, " None is worthy to be Wazir to King Sayf al-Muluk
but thy son Sa'id, and they befit each other." With this Faris
arose and taking off his Wazirial turband, set it on his son's head
and eke laid his ink-case of office before him, whilst the Chamber-
lains and the Emirs said, " Indeed, he is deserving of the Wazir-
ship " and the Heralds cried aloud, " Mubarak ! Mubarak ! —Felix
sit et faustus ! " After this, King Asim and Faris the Minister
arose and, opening the royal treasuries, conferred magnificent
robes of honour on all the Viceroys and Emirs and Wazirs and
Lords of the land and other folk and gave salaries and benefac-
tions and wrote them new mandates and diplomas with the signa-
tures of King Sayf al-Muluk and his Wazir Sa'id. Moreover, he
made distribution of money to the men-at-arms and gave guerdons,
and the provincials abode in the city a full week ere they departed
each to his own country and place. Then King Asim carried his
son and his Wazir Sa'id back to the palace which was in the city
and bade the treasurer bring the seal-ring and signet,1 sword and
wrapper ; which being done, he said to the two young men, " O
my sons, come hither and let each of you choose two of these
things and take them." The first to make choice was Sayf al-
Muluk, who put out his hand and took the ring and the wrapper,
whilst Sa'id took the sword and the signet ; after which they both
kissed the King's hands and went away to their lodging. Now
Sayf al-Muluk opened not the wrapper to see what was therein,
but threw it on the couch where he and Sa'id slept by night, for
it was their habit to lie together. Presently they spread them the
bed and the two lay down with a pair of wax candles burning over
1 Arab. " Mohr," which was not amongst the gifts of Solomon in Night dcclx. The
Bresl. Edit. (p. 220) adds " and the bow," which is also de trop.
33O A If Laylah wa Laylah.
them, and slept till midnight, when Sayf al-Muluk awoke and, seeing
the bundle at his head, said in his mind, " I wonder what thing of
price is in this wrapper my father gave me ! " So he took it together
with a candle and descended from the couch leaving Sa'id sleeping
and carried the bundle into a closet, where he opened it and found
within a tunic of the fabric of the Jann. He spread it out and saw
on the lining1 of the back, the portraiture wroughten in gold of a girl
and marvellous was her loveliness ; and no sooner had he set eyes
on the figure than his reason fled his head and he became Jinn-
mad for love thereof, so that he fell down in a swoon and pre-
sently recovering, began to weep and lament, beating his face
and breast and kissing her. And he recited these verses : —
Love, at the first, is a spurt of spray 2 * Which Doom disposes and Fates
display ;
Till, when deep diveth youth in passion-sea * Unbearable sorrows his soul
waylay.
And also these two couplets : —
Had I known of love in what fashion he * Robbeth heart and soul I had
guarded me :
But of malice prepense I threw self away, * Unwitting of Love what his nature
be.
And Sayf al-Muluk ceased not to weep and wail and beat face
and breast, till Sa'id awoke and missing him from the bed and
seeing but a single candle, said to himself, " Whither is Sayf al-
Muluk gone?" Then he took the other candle and went round
about the palace, till he came upon the closet where he saw the
Prince lying at full length, weeping with sore weeping and lament-
ing aloud. So he said to him, " O my brother, for what cause
are these tears and what hath befallen thee ? Speak to me and
tell me the reason thereof." But Sayf al-Muluk spoke not neither
raised his head and continued to weep and wail and beat hand on
breast. Seeing him in this case quoth Sa'id, " I am thy Wazir and
thy brother, and we were reared together, I and thou ; so an thou
do not unburden thy breast and discover thy secret to me, to whom
shalt thou reveal it and disclose its cause ? " And he went on to
1 Arab. " Batanah," the ordinary lining opp. to Tazrib, or quilting with a layer of
cotton between two folds of cloth. The idea in the text is that the unhappy wearer
would have to carry his cross (the girl) on his back.
* This line has occurred in Night dccxliv. supra p. 280.
Sayf al-Muluk and Bad fa al-Jamal. 331
humble himself and kiss the ground before him a full hour, whilst
Sayf al-Muluk paid no heed to him nor answered him a word, but
gave not over weeping. At last, being affrighted at his case and
weary of striving with him, he went out and fetched a sword, with
which he returned to the closet, and setting the point to his own
breast, said to the Prince, " Rouse thee, O my brother ! An thou
tell me not what aileth thee, I will slay myself and see thee no
longer in this case." Whereupon Sayf al-Muluk raised his head
towards the Wazir and answered him, " O my brother, I am
ashamed to tell thee what hath betided me ; " but Sa'id said, " I
conjure thee by Allah, Lord of Lords, Liberator of Necks,1 Causer
of causes, the One, the Ruthful, the Gift-full, the Bountiful, that
thou tell me what aileth thee and be not abashed at me, for I am
thy slave and thy Minister and counsellor in all thine affairs ! "
Quoth Sayf al-Muluk, "Come and look at this likeness." So
Sa'id looked at it awhile and considering it straitly, behold, he
saw written, as a crown over its head, in letters of pearl, these
words, "This is the counterfeit presentment of Badi'a al-Jamal,
daughter of Shahydl bin Sharukh, a King of the Kings of the
true-believing Jann who have taken up their abode in the city of
Babel and sojourn in the garden of Iram, Son of 'Ad the Greater 2
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
her permitted say.
Nofo fofcen ft foas tye Sbeben f^utrtrrett an& $>txtg=t|)nfo Nfgbt,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Sa'id, son of the Wazir Paris, had read to Sayf al-Muluk son of
King Asim the writ on the tunic, which showed the portraiture of
Badi'a al-Jamal, daughter of Shahyal bin Sharukh, a King of
the Kings of the Moslem Jinns dwelling in Babel-city and in the
Garden of Iram, son of 'Ad the Greater, he cried, " O my brother,
knowest thou of what woman this is the presentment, that we may
seek for her?" Sayf al-Muluk replied, "No, by Allah, O my
brother, I know her not ! " and Sa'id rejoined, " Come, read this
1 Arab. " Mu'attik al-Rikab" i.e. who frees those in bondage from the yoke.
2 In the Mac. Edit, and in Trebutien (ii. 143) the King is here called Schimakhson of
Scharoukh, but elsewhere, Schohiali = Shahyal, in the Bresl. Edit. Shahal. What the
author means by " Son of 'Ad the Greater," I cannot divine.
332 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
writing on the crown." So Sayf al-Muluk read it and cried out
from his heart's core and very vitals, saying, " Alas ! Alas !
Alas ! " Quoth Sa'id, 4< O my brother, an the original of the
portrait exist and her name be Badi'a al-Jamal, and she abide in
the world, I will hasten to seek her, that thou mayst win thy will
without delay. But, Allah upon thee, O my brother, leave this
weeping and ascend thy throne, that the Officers of the State may
come in to do their service to thee, and in the undurn, do thou
summon the merchants and fakirs and travellers and pilgrims and
paupers and ask of them concerning this city and the garden of
Iram ; haply by the help and blessing of Allah (extolled and
exalted be He !), some one of them shall direct us thither." So,
when it was day, Sayf al-Muluk went forth and mounted the
throne, clasping the tunic in his arms, for he could neither stand
nor sit without it, nor would sleep visit him save it were with him ;
and the Emirs and Wazirs and Lords and Officers came in to him.
When the Divan was complete all being assembled in their places
he said to his Minister, " Go forth to them and tell them that the
King hath been suddenly struck by sickness and he, by Allah,
hath passed the night in ill case." So Sa'id fared forth and told
the folk what he said ; which when old King Asim heard, he was
concerned for his son and, summoning the physicians and astro-
logers, carried them in to Sayf al-Muluk. They looked at him
and prescribed him ptisanes and diet-drinks, simples and medicinal
waters and wrote him characts and incensed him with Nadd and
aloes-wood and ambergris three days' space ; but his malady per-
sisted three months, till King Asim was wroth with the leaches
and said to them, " Woe to you, O dogs ! What ? Are all of you
impotent to cure my son ? Except ye heal him forthright, I will
put the whole of you to death." The Archiater replied, " O King
of the Age, in very sooth we know that this is thy son and thou
wottest that we fail not of diligence in tending a stranger ; so how
much more with medicining thy son ? But thy son is afflicted
with a malady hard to heal, which, if thou desire to know, we will
discover it to thee." Quoth Asim, " What then find ye to be
the malady of my son ? "; and quoth the leach, " O King of the
Age, thy son is in love and he loveth one to whose enjoyment he
hath no way of access." At this the King was wroth and asked,
" How know ye that my son is in love and how came love to
him ? "; they answered, " Enquire of his Wazir and brother Sa'id,
for he knoweth his case." The King rose and repaired to his
Sayf al-Muluk and Bad? a al-Jamal. 333
private closet and summoning Sa'id said to him, " Tell me the
truth of thy brother's malady." But Sa'id replied, " I know it
not." So King Asim said to the Sworder, " Take Sa'id and bind
his eyes and strike his neck." Whereupon Sa'id feared for him-
self and cried, " O King of the Age, grant me immunity." Replied
the King, " Speak and thou shalt have it." " They son is in love."
" With whom is he in love ? " " With a King's daughter of the
Jann." " And where could he have espied a daughter of the Jinns ? "
" Her portrait was wroughten on the tunic that was in the bundle
given thee by Solomon, prophet of Allah ! " When the King
heard this, he rose, and going in to Sayf al-Muluk, said to him,
" O my son, what hath afflicted thee ? What is this portrait
whereof thou art enamoured? And why didst thou not tell me."
He replied, " O my sire, I was ashamed to name this to thee and
could not bring myself to discover aught thereof to any one at all ;
but now thou knowest my case, look how thou mayest do to cure
me." Rejoined his father, "What is to be done? Were this one
of the daughters of men we might devise a device for coming at
her ; but she is a King's daughter of the Jinns and who can woo
and win her, save it be Solomon David-son, and hardly he?1
However, O my son, do thou arise forthright and hearten thy heart
and take horse and ride out a-hunting or to weapon-play in the
Maydan. Divert thyself with eating and drinking and put away
cark and care from thy heart, and I will bring thee an hundred
maids of the daughters of Kings ; for thou hast no need to the
daughters of the Jann, over whom, we lack controul and of kind
other than ours." But he said, " I cannot renounce her nor will I
seek other than her." Asked King Asim, " How then shall we
do, O my son ? "; and Sayf al-Muluk answered, " Bring us all the
merchants and travellers and wanderers in the city, that we may
question them thereof. Peradventure, Allah will lead us to the
city of Babel and the garden of Iram." So King Asim bade
summon all the merchants in the city and strangers and sea-
captains and, as each came, enquired of him anent the city of
Babel and its peninsula2 and the garden of Iram ; but none of
them knew these places nor could any give him tidings thereof.
However, when the stance broke up, one of them said, " O King
1 Lit. " For he is the man who can avail thereto," with the meaning given in the
text.
2 Arab. Jazirat, insula or peninsula, vol. i. 2.
334 A If Laylak wa Laylah.
of the Age, an thou be minded to ken this thing, up and hie thee
to the land of China ; for it hath a vast city ! and a safe wherein
are store of rarities and things of price and folk of all kinds ; and
thou shalt not come to the knowledge of this city and garden but
from its folk ; it may be one of them will direct thee to that thou
seekest." Wherepon quoth Sayf al-Muluk, " O my sire, equip me
a ship, that I may fare to the China-land ; and do thou rule the
reign in my stead." Replied the old King, " O my son, abide
thou on the throne of thy kingship and govern thy commons, and
I myself will make the voyage to China and ask for thee of the
city of Babel and the garden of Iram." But Sayf al-Muluk
rejoined, " O my sire, in very sooth this affair concerneth me and
none can search after it like myself: so, come what will, an thou
give me leave to make the voyage, I will depart and wander
awhile. If I find trace or tidings of her, my wish will be won, and
if not, belike the voyage will broaden my breast and recruit my
courage ; and haply by foreign travel my case will be made easy
to me, and if I live, I shall return to thee safe and sound.'*
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
Nofo fojjen ft fern tje Sbeben J^imfcrefc anfc Sbfittg-foutft Wg&t,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sayf
al-Muluk said to his sire King Asim, " Equip me a ship that I may
fare therein to the China-land and search for the object of my
desire. If I live I shall return to thee safe and sound." The old
King looked at his son and saw nothing for it but to do what he
desired ; so he gave him the leave he wanted and fitted him forty
ships, manned with twenty thousand armed Mamelukes, besides
servants, and presented him with great plenty of money and
necessaries and warlike gear, as much as he required. When the
ships were laden with water and victual, weapons and troops, Sayf
al-Muluk's father and mother farewelled him and King Asim said,
" Depart, O my son, and travel in weal and health and safety. I
commend thee to Him with Whom deposits are not lost."2 So the
Prince bade adieu to his parents and embarked, with his brother
Probably Canton with which the Arabs were familiar.
i.e. "Who disappointeth not those who put their trust in Him."
Sayf al-Mutuk and Bad? a al-Jamal. 335
Sa'id, and they weighed anchor and sailed till they came to the
City of China. When the Chinamen heard of the coming of forty
ships, full of armed men and stores, weapons and hoards, they
made sure that these were enemies come to battle with them and
seige them ; so they bolted the gates of the town and made ready
the mangonels.1 But Sayf al-Muluk, hearing of this, sent two of
his Chief Mamelukes to the King of China, bidding them say to
him, " This is Sayf al-Muluk, son of King Asim of Egypt, who is
come to thy city as a guest, to divert himself by viewing thy
country awhile, and not for conquest or contention ; wherefore,
an thou wilt receive him, he will come ashore to thee ; and if not
he will return and will not disquiet thee nor the people of thy
capital." They presented themselves at the city gates and said,
" We are messengers from King Sayf al-Muluk." Whereupon the
townsfolk opened the gates and carried them to their King, whose
name was Faghfur 2 Shah and between whom and King Asim
there had erst been acquaintance. So, when he heard that the
new-comer Prince was the son of King Asim, he bestowed robes
of honour on the messengers and, bidding open the gates, made
ready guest-gifts and went forth in person with the chief officers
of his realm, to meet Sayf al-Muluk, and the two Kings embraced.
Then Faghfur said to his guest, " Well come and welcome and fair
cheer to him who cometh to us ! I am thy slave and the slave of
thy sire : my city is between thy hands to command and whatso
thou seekest shall be brought before thee." Then he presented
him with the guest-gifts and victual for the folk at their stations ;
and they took horse, with the Wazir Sa'id and the chiefs of their
officers and the rest of their troops, and rode from the sea-shore
to the city, which they entered with cymbals clashing and drums
1 Arab. " Al-Manjanikat " plur. of manjanik, from Gr. Mayyavov> Lat. Manganum
(Engl. Mangonel from the dim. Mangonella). Ducange Glossarium, s.v. The Greek
is applied originally to defensive weapons, then to the artillery of the day, Ballista,
catapults, etc. The kindred Arab, form " Manjanin" is applied chiefly to the Noria or
Persian water-wheel.
2 Faghfur is the common Moslem title for the Emperors of China ; in 1 he Kamus the
first syllable is Zammated (Fugh) ; in Al-Mas'udi (chapt. xiv.) we find Baghfur and in
Al-Idrisi Baghbugh, or Baghbun. In Al-Asma'i Bagh — god or idol (Pehlewi and
Persian) ; hence according to some Baghdad (?) and Baghistan a pagoda (?). Sprenger
(Al-Mas'udi, p. 327) remarks that Baghfur is a literal translation of Tien-tse and quotes
Visdelou, "pour mieux faire comprendre de quel ciel ils veulent parler, ils poussent la
genealogie (of the Emperor) plus loin. Ils lui donnent le ciel pour pere, la terre pour
mere, le soleil pour frere aine et la lune pour sceur aniee."
336 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
beating in token of rejoicing. There they abode in the enjoyment
of fair entertainment for forty days, at the end of which quoth the
King of China to Sayf al-Muluk, " O son of my brother, how is
thy case1 ? Doth my country please thee ? " ; and quoth Sayf al-
Muluk, " May Allah Almighty long honour it with thee, O King ! "
Said Faghfur, " Naught hath brought thee hither save some need
which hath occurred to thee; and whatso thou desirest of my
country I will accomplish it to thee." Replied Sayf al-Muluk,
" O King, my case is a wondrous," and told him how he had fallen
in love with the portrait of Badi'a al-Jamal, and wept bitter tears.
When the King of China heard his story, he wept for pity and
solicitude for him and cried, " And what wouldst thou have now, O
Sayf al-Muluk ? " ; and he rejoined, " I would have thee bring me
all the wanderers and travellers, the seafarers and sea-captains,
that I may question them of the original of this portrait ; perhaps
one of them may give me tidings of her." So Faghfur Shah sent
out his Nabobs and Chamberlains and body-guards to fetch all
the wanderers and travellers in the land, and they brought them
before the two Kings, and they were a numerous company. Then
Sayf al-Muluk questioned them of the City of Babel and the
Garden of Iram, but none of them returned him a reply, where-
upon he was bewildered and wist not what to do ; but one of the
sea-captains said to him, " O auspicious King, an thou wouldst
know of this city and that garden up and hie thee to the Islands
of the Indian realm." 2 Thereupon Sayf al-Muluk bade bring the
ships ; which being done, they freighted them with vivers and
water and all that they needed, and the Prince and his Wazir
re-embarked, with all their men, after they had farewelled King
Faghfur Shah. They sailed the seas four months with a fair wind,
in safety and satisfaction till it chanced that one day of the days
there came out upon them a wind and the billows buffeted them
from all quarters. The rain and hail3 descended on them and
during twenty days the sea was troubled for the violence of the
wind ; wherefor the ships drave one against other and brake
up, as did the carracks4 and all on board were drowned, except
1 Arab. " Kayf halak " =: how de doo ? the salutation of a Fellah.
2 i.e. subject to the Maharajah of Hind.
3 This is not a mistake : I have seen heavy hail in Africa, N. Lat. 4° ; within sight of
the Equator.
* Arab. " Harrdkat," here used in the sense of smaller craft, and presently for a
cock-boat.
Sayf al-Muluk and Bad? a al-Jamal. 337
Sayf al-Muluk and some of his servants, who saved themselves
in a little cock-boat. Then the wind fell by the decree of Allah
Almighty and the sun shone out; whereupon Sayf al-Muluk
opened his eyes and seeing no sign of the ships nor aught but
sky and sea, said to the Mamelukes who were with him, " Where
are the carracks and cock-boats and where is my brother Sa'id ? "
They replied, " O King of the Age, there remain nor ships nor
boats nor those who were therein ; for they are all drowned and
become food for fishes." Now when he heard this, he cried aloud
and repeated the saying which whoso saith shall not be con-
founded, and it is, "There is no Majesty and there is no Might
save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great ! " Then he fell to buffeting
his face and would have cast himself into the sea, but his Mamelukes
withheld him, saying, " O King, what will this profit thee ? Thou
hast brought all this on thyself ; for, hadst thou hearkened to thy
father's words, naught thereof had betided thee. But this was
written from all eternity by the will of the Creator of Souls.
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
Nofo fojjen it foas tfje gbeben f^untotfr antr §bfxtg=fiftj Ni$tt
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Sayf al-Muluk would have cast himself into the main, his Mame-
lukes withheld him saying, " What will this profit thee ? Thou
hast done this deed by thyself, yet was it written from all eternity
by the will of the Creator of Souls, that the creature might
accomplish that which Allah hath decreed unto him. And in-
deed, at the time of thy birth, the astrologers assured thy sire
that all manner troubles should befal thee. So there is naught
for it but patience till Allah deliver us from this our strait."
Replied the Prince, " There is no Majesty and there is no Might
save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great ! Neither is there refuge
nor fleeing from that which He decreeth ! " And he sighed and
recited these couplets : —
By the Compassionate, I 'm dazed about my case, for lo ! Troubles and griefs
beset me sore ; I know not whence they grow.
I will be patient, so the folk, that I against a thing Bitt'rer than very aloes'
self,1 endured have, may know.
1 See vol. i. 138 : here by way of variety I quote Mr. Payne.
VOL. VII. V
338 A If Laylah wa Laylak.
Less bitter than my patience is the taste of aloes-juice ; I 've borne with
patience what 's more hot than coals with fire aglow.
In this my trouble what resource have I, save to commit My case to Him who
orders all that is, for weal or woe ?
Then he became drowned in the depth of thoughts and his tears ran
down upon his cheeks like torrent-rain ; and he slept a while of the
day, after which he awoke and sought of food somewhat. So they
set meat before him and he ate his sufficiency, till they removed
the food from before him, whilst the boat drove on with them
they knew not whither it was wandering. It drifted with them
at the will of the winds and the waves, night and day a great
while, till their victual was spent and they saw themselves shent
and were reduced to extreme hunger and thirst and exhaustion,,
when behold, suddenly they sighted an island from afar and the
breezes wafted them on, till they came thither. Then, making
the cock-boat fast to the coast and leaving one therein to guard
it, they fared on into the island, where they found abundance of
fruits of all colours and ate of them till they were satisfied. Pre-
sently, they saw a person sitting among those trees and he was
long-faced, of strange favour and white of beard and body. He
called to one of the Mamelukes by his name, saying, " Eat not of
these fruits, for they are unripe ; but come hither to me, that I
may give thee to eat of the best and the ripest." The slave
looked at him and thought that he was one of the shipwrecked,
who had made his way to that island ; so he joyed with exceeding
joy at sight of him and went close up to him, knowing not what
was decreed to him in the Secret Purpose nor what was writ upon
his brow. But, when he drew near, the stranger in human shape
leapt upon him, for he was a Marid,1 and riding upon his shoulder-
blades and twisting one of his legs about his neck, let the other
hang down upon his back, saying, " Walk on, fellow ; for there is
no escape for thee from me and thou art become mine ass."
Thereupon the Mameluke fell a-weeping and cried out to his
comrades, " Alas, my lord ! Flee ye forth of this wood and save
yourselves, for one of the dwellers therein hath mounted on my
shoulders, and the rest seek you, desiring to ride you like me."
When they heard these words, all fled down to the boat and
1 This explains the Arab idea of the " Old Man of the Sea " in Sindbad the Seaman
(vol. vi. 50). He was not a monkey nor an unknown monster ; but an evil Jinni of
the most powerful class, yet subject to defeat and death.
Sayf al-Muluk and Bad? a al-JamaL
pushed off to sea; whilst the islanders followed them into the
water, saying, " Whither wend ye ? Come, tarry with us and we
will mount on your backs and give you meat and drink, and you
shall be our donkeys." Hearing this they hastened the more sea-
wards till they left them in the distance and fared on, trusting in
Allah Almighty ; nor did they leave faring for a month, till
another island rose before them and thereon they landed. Here
they found fruits of various kinds and busied themselves with
eating of them, when behold, they saw from afar, somewhat lying
in the road, a hideous creature as it were a column of silver. So
they went up to it and one of the men gave it a kick, when lo ! it
was a thing of human semblance, long of eyes and cloven of head
and hidden under one of his ears, for he was wont, whenas he lay
down to sleep, to spread one ear under his head and cover his face
with the other ear.1 He snatched up the Mameluke who had
kicked him and carried him off into the middle of the island, and
behold, it was all full of Ghuls who eat the sons of Adam. The
man cried out to his fellows, " Save yourselves, for this is the
island of the man-eating Ghuls, and they mean to tear me to bits
and devour me." When they heard these words they fled back to
the boat, without gathering any store of the fruits and, putting
out to sea, fared on some days till it so happened that they came
to another island, where they found a high mountain. So they
climbed to the top and there saw a thick copse. Now they were
sore anhungered ; so they took to eating of the fruits ; but, before
they were aware, there came upon them from among the trees
black men of terrible aspect, each fifty cubits high with eye-teeth2
protruding from their mouths like elephants' tusks ; and, laying-
hands on Sayf al-Muluk and his company, carried them to their
King, whom they found seated on a piece of black felt laid on a
rock, and about him a great company of Zanzibar-blacks, standing
in his service. The blackamoors who had captured the Prince
and his Mamelukes set them before the King and said to him,
"We found these birds among the trees"; and the King was
sharp-set ; so he took two of the servants and cut their throats
and ate them ; And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say.
1 These Plinian monsters abound in Persian literature. For a specimen see Richardson
Dissert, p. xlviii.
2 Arab. "Anyab," plur. of " Nab " = canine tooth (eye-tooth of man), tusks of
horse and camel etc.
34O A If Laylah wa Laylah.
Nofo fofien ft foas tfje S?eben l^un&rrtr anfc Sbfats-ghtft
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
Zanzibar-blacks took Sayf al-Muluk and his Mamelukes and set
them before the King, saying, " O King, we came upon these birds
among the trees." Thereupon the King seized two of the Mame-
lukes and cut their throats and ate them ; which, when Sayf al-
Muluk saw, he feared for himself and wept and repeated these
verses : —
Familiar with my heart are woes and with them I « Who shunned them ; for
familiar are great hearts and high.
The woes I suffer are not all of single kind o I have, thank Allah, varied
thousands to aby !
Then he sighed and repeated these also : —
The World hath shot me with its sorrows till o My heart is covered with
shafts galore ;
And now, when strike me other shafts, must break o Against th' old points the
points that latest pour.
When the King heard his weeping and wailing, he said, " Verily
these birds have sweet voices and their song pleaseth me : put
them in cages." So they set them each in his own cage and
hung them up at the King's head that he might listen to their
warbling. On this wise Sayf al-Muluk and his Mamelukes abode
and the blackamoors gave them to eat and drink : and now they
wept and now laughed, now spake and now were hushed, whilst
the King of the blacks delighted in the sound of their voices.
And so they continued for a long time. Now this King had a
daughter married in another island who, hearing that her father
had birds with sweet voices, sent a messenger to him seeking of
him some of them. So he sent her, by her Cossid,1 Sayf al-Muluk
and three of his men in four cages ; and, when she saw them,
1 Arab. "Kasid," the Anglo-Indian Cossid. The post is called Barld from the Persian
"buridah" (cut) because the mules used for the purpose were dock-tailed. Barid
applies equally to the post-mule, the rider and the distance from one station (Sikkah) to
another which varied from two to six parasangs. The letter-carrier was termed
Al-Faranik from the Pers. Parw£nah, a servant. In the Diwdn al-Barid (Post-office)
every letter was entered in a Madraj or list called in Arabic Al-Askidar from the
Persian " Az Kih darf " = from whom hast thou it ?
Sayf al-Muluk and Bad? a al-Jamal. 341
they pleased her and she bade hang them up in a place over her
head. The Prince fell to marvelling at that which had befallen
him and calling to mind his former high and honourable estate
and weeping for himself ; and the thfee servants wept for them-
selves ; and the King's daughter deemed that they sang. Now it
was her wont, whenever any one from the land of Egypt or else-
where fell into her hands and he pleased her, to advance him to
great favour with her ; and by the decree of Allah Almighty it
befel that, when she saw Sayf al-Muluk she was charmed by his
beauty and loveliness and symmetry and perfect grace, and she
commanded to entreat him and his companions with honour and
to loose them from their cages. Now one day she took the Prince
apart and would have him enjoy her ; but he refused, saying, " O
my lady, I am a banisht wight and with passion for a beloved one
in piteous plight, nor with other will I consent to love-delight"
Then she coaxed him and importuned him, but he held aloof from
her, and she could not approach him nor get her desire of him by
any ways and means. At last, when she was weary of courting
him in vain, she waxed wroth with him and his Mamelukes, and
commanded that they should serve her and fetch her wood and
water. In such condition they abode four years till Sayf al-Muluk
became weary of his life and sent to intercede with the Princess,
so haply she might release them and let them wend their ways
and be at rest from that their hard labour. So she sent for him
and said to him, " If thou wilt do my desire, I will free thee from
this thy durance vile and thou shalt go to thy country, safe and
sound." And she wept and ceased not to humble herself to him
and wheedle him, but he would not hearken to her words ; where-
upon she turned from him, in anger, and he and his companions
abode on the island in the same plight. The islanders knew them
for " The Princess's birds " and durst not work them any wrong ;
and her heart was at ease concerning them, being assured that
they could not escape from the island. So they used to absent
themselves from her two and three days at a time and go round
about the desert parts in all directions, gathering firewood, which
they brought to the Princess's kitchen ; and thus they abode five l
years. Now one day it so chanced that the Prince and his men
were sitting on the sea-shore, devising of what had befallen, and
Sayf al-Muluk, seeing himself and his men in such case, bethought
1 " Ten years" in the Bresl. Edit. iv. 244.
A If Laylah wa Laylah.
him of his mother and father and his brother Sa'id and, calling
to mind what high degree he had been in, fell a-weeping and
lamenting passing sore, whilst his slaves wept likewise. Then said
they to him, " O King of the Age, how long shall we weep ?
Weeping availeth not ; for this thing was written on our brows by
the ordinance of Allah, to whom belong Might and Majesty.
Indeed, the Pen runneth with that He decreeth and nought will
serve us but patience : haply Allah (extolled and exalted be He !)
who hath saddened us shall gladden us ! " Quoth he, " O my
brothers, how shall we win free from this accursed woman ? I see
no way of escape for us, save Allah of his grace deliver us from
her; but methinks we may flee and be at rest from this hard
labour." And quoth they, " O King of the Age, whither shall we
flee ? For the whole island is full of Ghuls which devour the Sons
of Adam, and whithersoever we go, they will find us there and
either eat us or capture and carry us back to that accursed, the
King's daughter, who will be wroth with us." Sayf al-Muluk
rejoined, " I will contrive you somewhat, whereby peradventure
Allah Almighty shall deliver us and help us to escape from this
island." They asked, " And how wilt thou do ?"; and he answered,
" Let us cut some of these long pieces of wood, and twist ropes of
their bark and bind them one with another, and make of them a
raft1 which we will launch and load with these fruits: then we will
fashion us paddles and embark on the raft after breaking our
bonds with the axe. It may be that Almighty Allah will make ft
the means of our deliverance from this accursed woman and vouch-
safe us a fair wind to bring us to the land of Hind, for He over all
things is Almighty ! " Said they, " Right is thy rede," and re-
joiced thereat with exceeding joy. So they arose without stay or
delay and cut with their axes wood for the raft and twisted ropes
to bind the logs and at this they worked a whole month. Every day
about evening they gathered somewhat of fuel and bore it to the
Princess's kitchen, and employed the rest of the twenty-four hours
working at the raft. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and ceased saying her permitted say.
1 In the Bresl. Edit. (iv. 245) we find " Kalak," a raft, like those used upon the
Euphrates, and better than the " Fulk," or ship, of the Mac. Edit.
Sayf al-Muluk and Bad? a al-JamaL 543
fofjen ft foas t&e Sbeben f^untotr antr SbtxtB=S£bent6
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sayf
al-Muluk and his Mamelukes, having cut the wood and twisted the
ropes for their raft, made an end of it and launched it upon the
sea ; then, after breaking their bonds with the axe, and loading
the craft with fruits plucked from the island-trees, they embarked
at close of day ; nor did any wot of their intent. They put out to
sea in their raft and paddled on four months, knowing not whither
the craft carried them, till their provaunt failed them and they were
suffering the severest extreme of hunger and thirst, when behold,
the sea waxed troubled and foamed and rose in high waves, and
there came forth upon them a frightful crocodile,1 which put out
its claw and catching up one of the Mamelukes swallowed him.
At the sight of this horror Sayf al-Muluk wept bitterly and he and
the two men2 that remained to him pushed off from the place
where they had seen the crocodile, sore affrighted. After this they
continued drifting on till one day they espied a mountain terrible
tall and spiring high in air, whereat they rejoiced, when presently
an island appeared. They made towards it with all their might
congratulating one another on the prospect of making land ; but
hardly had they sighted the island on which was the mountain,
when the sea changed face and boiled and rose in big waves and a
second crocodile raised its head and putting out its claw caught up
the two remaining Mamelukes and swallowed them. So Sayf al-
Muluk abode alone, and making his way to the island, toiled till
he reached the mountain-top, where he looked about and found a
copse, and walking among the trees fell to eating of the fruits.
Presently, he saw among the branches more than twenty great
apes, each bigger than a he-mule, whereat he was seized with ex-
ceeding fear. The apes came down and surrounded him ;3 then
1 Arab. Timsah from Coptic (Old Egypt) Emsuh or Msuh. The animal cannot live
in salt-water, a fact which proves that the Crocodile Lakes on the Suez Canal were in
old days fed by Nile-water ; and this was necessarily a Canal.
2 So in the Bresl. Edit. (iv. 245). In the Mac. text " one man," which better suits
the second crocodile, for the animal can hardly be expected to take two at a time.
3 He had ample reason to be frightened. The large Cynocephalus is exceedingly
dangerous. When travelling on the Gold Coast with my late friend Colonel De Ruvignes,
we suddenly came in the grey of the morning upon a herd of these beasts. We dis-
mounted, hobbled our nags and sat down, sword and revolver in hand. Luckily it was
344 AV Laylah wa Laylah.
they forewent him, signing to him to follow them, and walked on,
and he too, till he came to a castle, tall of base and strong of
build whose ordinance was one brick of gold and one of silver.
The apes entered and he after them, and he saw in the castle all
manner of rarities, jewels and precious metals such as tongue
faileth to describe. Here also he found a young man, passing tall
of stature with no hair on his cheeks, and Sayf al-Muluk was
cheered by the sight for there was no human being but he in the
castle. The stranger marvelled exceedingly at sight of the Prince
and asked him, " What is thy name and of what land art thou and
how earnest thou hither ? Tell me thy tale and hide from me
naught thereof." Answered the Prince, " By Allah, I came not
hither of my own consent nor is this place of my intent ; yet
I cannot but go from place to place till I win my wish." Quoth
the youth, " And what is thy object ? " ; and quoth the other, " I
am of the land of Egypt and my name is Sayf al-Muluk son of
King Asim bin Safwan "; and told him all that had passed with
him, from first to last. Whereupon the youth arose and stood in
his service, saying, " O King of the Age, I was erst in Egypt and
heard that thou hadst gone to the land of China ; but where is
this land and where lies China-land ? * Verily, this is a wondrous
thing and marvellous matter ! " Answered the Prince, " Sooth
thou speakest but, when I left China-land, I set out, intending for
the land of Hind and a stormy wind arose and the sea boiled and
broke all my ships "; brief, he told him all that had befallen him
till he came thither ; whereupon quoth the other, " O King's son,
thou hast had enough of strangerhood and its sufferings ; Alham-
dolillah, — praised be Allah who hath brought thee hither ! So
now do thou abide with me, that I may enjoy thy company till
I die, when thou shalt become King over this island, to which no
bound is known, and these apes thou seest are indeed skilled in
all manner of crafts ; and whatso thou seekest here shalt thou
find." Replied Sayf al-Muluk, " O my brother, I may not tarry
in anyplace till my wish be won, albeit I compass the whole world
in pursuit thereof and make quest of every one so peradventure
feeding time for the vicious brutes, which scowled at us but did not attack us. During
my four years1 service on the West African Coast I heard enough to satisfy me that these
powerful beasts often kill men and rape women ; but I could not convince myself that
they ever kept the women as concubines.
1 As we should say in English it is a far cry to Loch Awe : the Hindu by-word is,
" Dihli (Delhi) is a long way off." See vol. i. 37,
Sayf al-Muluk and Badfa al-Jamal. 345
Allah may bring me to my desire or my course lead me to the
place wherein is the appointed term of my days, and I shall die
my death." Then the youth turned with a sign to one of the
apes, and he went out and was absent awhile, after which he
returned with other apes girt with silken zones.1 They brought
the trays and set on near 2 an hundred chargers of gold and saucers
of silver, containing all manner of meats. Then they stood, after
the manner of servants between the hands of Kings, till the youth
signalled to the Chamberlains, who sat down, and he whose wont
it was to serve stood, whilst the two Princes ate their sufficiency.
Then the apes cleared the table and brought basins and ewers of
gold, and they washed their hands in rose water ; after which they
set on fine sugar and nigh forty flagons, in each a different kind
of wine, and they drank and took their pleasure and made merry
and had a fine time. And all the apes danced and gambolled
before them, what while the eaters sat at meat ; which when Sayf
al-Muluk saw, he marvelled at them and forgot that which had
befallen him of sufferings. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
ttfofo fojen ft to tje £>ebcrt f^untefc an& SMxtB*rffi&tJ
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Sayf al-Muluk saw the gestures and gambols of the apes, he
marvelled thereat and forgot that which had betided him of
strangerhood and its sufferings. At nightfall they lighted waxen
candles in candlesticks of gold studded with gems and set on
dishes of confections and fruits of sugar-candy. So they ate ;
and when the hour of rest was come, the apes spread them bedding
and they slept. And when morning morrowed, the young man
arose, as was his wont, before sunrise and waking Sayf al-Muluk
said to him, " Put thy head forth of this lattice and see what
standeth beneath it." So he put out his head and saw the wide
waste and all the wold filled with apes, whose number none knew
save Allah Almighty. Quoth he, " Here be great plenty of apes,
for they cover the whole country : but why are they assembled
1 Arab. Futah, a napkin, a waistcloth, the Indian Zones alluded to by the old Greek
travellers.
* Arab. " Yaji (it comes) miat khwanj ah "—quite Fellah talk.
346 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
at this hour ? V Quoth the youth, " This is their custom. Every
Sabbath,1 all the apes in the island come hither, some from two
and three days' distance, and stand here till I awake from sleep
and put forth my head from this lattice, when they kiss ground
before me and go about their business." So saying, he put his
head out of the window ; and when the apes saw him, they kissed
the earth before him and went their way. Sayf al-Muluk abode
with the young man a whole month when he farewelled him and
departed, escorted by a party of nigh a hundred apes, which the
young man bade escort him. They journeyed with him seven
days, till they came to the limits of their islands,2 when they took
leave of him and returned to their places, while Sayf al-Muluk
fared on alone over mount and hill, desert and plain, four months'
journey, one day anhungered and the next satiated, now eating
of the herbs of the earth and then of the fruits of the trees, till
he repented him of the harm he had done himself by leaving the
young man ; and he was about to retrace his steps to him, when
he saw a something black afar off and said to himself, " Is this a
city or trees ? But I will not turn back till I see what it is."
So he made towards it and when he drew near, he saw that it was
a palace tall of base. Now he who built it was Japhet son of Noah
(on whom be peace !) and it is of this palace that God the Most
High speaketh in His precious Book, whenas He saith, " And an
abandoned well and a high-builded palace." 3 Sayf al-Muluk sat
1 As Tr^butien shows (li. 155) these apes were a remnant of some ancient tribe
possibly those of Ad who had gone to Meccah to pray for rain and thus escaped the
general destruction. See vol. i. 65. Perhaps they were the Jews of Aylah who in
David's day were transformed into monkeys for fishing on the Sabbath (Saturday)
Koran ii. 61.
2 I can see no reason why Lane purposely changes this to " the extremity of their
country."
3 Koran xxii. 44, Mr. Payne remarks :— This absurd addition is probably due to
some copyist, who thought to show his knowledge of the Koran, but did not understand
the meaning of the verse from which the quotation is taken and which runs thus,
" How many cities have We destroyed, whilst yet they transgressed, and they are laid
low on their own foundations and wells abandoned and high-builded palaces ! " Mr.
Lane observes that the words are either misunderstood or purposely misapplied by the
author of the tale." Purposeful perversions of Holy Writ are very popular amongst
Moslems and form part of their rhetoric ; but such is not the case here. According to
Von Hammer (Trebutien ii. 154), " Eastern geographers place the Bir al-Mu'utallal
(Ruined Well) and the Kasr al-Mashid (High-builded Castle) in the province of
Hadramaut, and we wait for a new Niebuhr to inform us what are the monuments or
the ruins so called." His text translates puits arides et palais de platre (not likely !).
Sayf al-Muluk and Bad? a al-famal. 347
down at the gate and said in his mind, " Would I knew what is
within yonder palace and what King dwelleth there and who shall
acquaint me whether its folk are men or Jinn ? Who will tell me
the truth of the case ? " He sat considering awhile, but, seeing
none go in or come out, he rose and committing himself to Allah
Almighty entered the palace and walked on, till he had counted
seven vestibules ; yet saw no one. Presently looking to his right
he beheld three doors, while before him was a fourth, over which
hung a curtain, So he went up to this and raising the curtain,
found himself in a great hall l spread with silken carpets. At the
upper end rose a throne of gold whereon sat a damsel, whose face
was like the moon, arrayed in royal raiment and beautified as she
were a bride on the night of her displaying ; and at the foot of
the throne was a table of forty trays spread with golden and
silvern dishes full of dainty viands. The Prince went up and
saluted her, and she returned his salam, saying, " Art thou of
mankind or of the Jinn ? " Replied he, " I am a man of the best
of mankind ; 2 for I am a King, son of a King." She rejoined,
" What seekest thou ? Up with thee and eat of yonder food, and
after tell me thy past from first to last and how thou earnest
hither." So he sat down at the table and removing the cover
from a tray of meats (he being hungry) and ate till he was full ;
then washed his right hand and going up to the throne, sat down
by the damsel who asked him, " Who art thou and What is thy
name and whence comest thou aad who brought thee hither ? "
He answered, " Indeed my story is a long but do thou first tell
me who and what and whence thou art and why thou dwellest
in this place alone.' She rejoined, " My name is Daulat Khatun 3
and J am the daughter of the King of Hind. My father dwelleth
in the Capital-city of Sarandib and hath a great and goodly garden,
there is no goodlier, in all the land of Hind or its dependencies ;
Lane remarks that Mashi'd mostly means " plastered," but here = Mushayyad, lofty,
explained in the Jalalayn Commentary as = rafi'a, high-raised. The two places are
also mentioned by Al-Mas'udi ; and they occur in Al-Kazwmi (see Night dccclviii.) :
both of these authors making the Koran directly allude to them.
1 Arab, (from Pers.) Aywan which here corresponds with the Egyptian " liwan " a
tall saloon with estrades.
2 This nai've style of "renowning it " is customary in the East, contrasting with the
servile address of the subject — " thy- slave " etc.
3 Daulat (not Dawlah) the Anglo-Indian Dowlat; prop, meaning the shifts of affairs,
hence, fortune, empire, kingdom. Khatun = " lady," I have noted, follows the name
after Turkish fashion.
343 A If Laylah wa Laylak.
and in this garden is a great tank. One day, I went out into the
garden with my slave-women and I stripped me naked and they
likewise and, entering the tank, fell to sporting and solacing our-
selves therein. Presently, before I could be ware, a something as
it were a cloud swooped down on me and snatching me up from
amongst my handmaids, soared aloft with me betwixt heaven and
earth, saying, " Fear not, O Daulat Khatun, but be of good
heart." Then he flew on with me a little while, after which he set
me down in this palace and straightway without stay or delay
became a handsome young man daintily apparelled, who said to
me: — Now dost thou know me? Replied I: — No, O my lord;
and he said, : — I am the Blue King, Sovran of the Jann ; my father
dwelleth in the Castle Al-Kulzum1 night, and hath under his
hand six hundred thousand Jinn, flyers and divers. It chanced
that while passing on my way I saw thee and fell in love with thee
for thy lovely form : so I swooped down on thee and snatched thee
up from among the slave-girls and brought thee to this the High-
builded Castle, which is my dwelling-place. None may fare
hither be he man or be he Jinni, and from Hind hither is a
journey of an hundred and twenty years : wherefore do thou hold
that thou wilt never again behold the land of thy father and thy
mother ; so abide with me here, in contentment of heart and
peace, and I will bring to thy hands whatso thou seekest." Then
he embraced me and kissed me, And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
ft foas tfjc g>eben l^untetr atrtr Sbfrtg-nfntft Xi$t,
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
damsel said to Sayf al-Muluk, " Then the King of the Jann, after
he had acquainted me with his case, embraced me and kissed me,
saying : Abide here and fear nothing ; whereupon he went
away from rne for an hour and presently returned with these
1 The old name of Suez-town from the Greek Clysma (the shutting), which named the
Gulf of Suez " Sea of Kulzum." The ruins in the shape of a huge mound, upon which
Sa'id Pasha built a Kiosk-palace, lie to the north of the modern town and have been
noticed by me, (Pilgrimage, Midian etc.) The Rev. Prof. Sayce examined the mound
and from the Roman remains found in it determined it to be a fort guarding the old
mouth of the Old Egyptian Sweet-water Canal which then debouched near the town.
Sayf al-Muluk and Bad? a al-Jamal. 349
tables and carpets and furniture. He comes to me every Third1
and abideth with me three days and on Friday, at the time of
mid-afternoon prayer, he departeth and is absent till the following
Third. When he is here, he eateth and drinketh and kisseth and
huggeth me, but doth naught else with me, and I am a pure
virgin, even as Allah Almighty created me. My father's name
is Taj al-Muluk, and he wotteth not what is come of me nor
hath he hit upon any trace of me. This is my story : now tell
me thy tale." Answered the Prince, " My story is a long and I
fear lest while I am telling it to thee the Ifrit come." Quoth she
" He went out from me but an hour before thy entering and
will not return till Third : so sit thee down and take thine ease
and hearten thy heart and tell me what hath betided thee, from
beginning to end." And quoth he, " I hear and I obey." So he
fell to telling her all that had befallen him from commencement
to conclusion but, when she heard speak of Badi'a al-Jamal, her
eyes ran over with railing tears and she cried, " O Badi'a al-Jama^
I had not thought this of thee ! Alack for our luck ! O Badi'a
al-Jamal, dost thou not remember me nor say : My sister
Daulat Khatun whither is she gone ? " And her weeping re-
doubled, lamenting for that Badi'a al-Jamal had forgotten her.2
Then said Sayf al-Muluk, " O Daulat Khatun, thou art a mortal
and she is a Jinniyah : how then can she be thy sister ? " Replied
the Princess, "She is my sister by fosterage and this is how it
came about. My mother went out to solace herself in the garden,
when labour-pangs seized her and she bare me. Now the mother
of Badi'a al-Jamal chanced to be passing with her guards, when
she also was taken with travail-pains ; so she alighted in a side
of the garden and there brought forth Badi'a al-Jamal. She
despatched one of her women to seek food and childbirth-
gear of my mother, who sent her what she sought and invited her
to visit her. So she came to her with Badi'a al-Jamal and my
mother suckled the child, who with her mother tarried with us in
the garden two months. And before wending her ways the
mother of Badi'a al-Jamal gave my mother somewhat,3 saying : —
When thou hast need of me, I will come to thee a middlemost the
1 i.e. Tuesday. See vol. iii, 249.
2 Because being a Jinniyah the foster-sister could have come to her and saved her from
old maidenhood.
3 Arab. " Hajah " properly a needful thing. This consisted according to the Bresl.
Edit, of certain perfumes, by burning which she could summon the Queen of the Jinn.
A If Laylah wa
garden, and departed to her own land ; but she and her daughter
used to visit us every year and abide with us awhile before return-
ing home. Wherefore an I were with my mother, O Sayf al-
Muluk, and if thou wert with me in my own country and Badi'a
al-Jamal and I were together as of wont, I would devise some
device with her to bring thee to thy desire of her : but I am here
and they know naught of me ; for that an they kenned what is
become of me, they have power to deliver me from this place ;
however, the matter is in Allah's hands (extolled and exalteth be
He !) and what can I do ? " Quoth Sayf al-Muluk, " Rise and let us
flee and go whither the Almighty willeth ; J> but, quoth she, " We
cannot do that : for, by Allah, though we fled hence a year's
journey that accursed would overtake us in an hour and slaughter
us." Then said the Prince, " I will hide myself in his way, and
when he passeth by I will smite him with the sword and slay
him." Daulat Khatun replied, "Thou canst not succeed in
slaying him save thou slay his soul/* Asked he, " And where is
his soul ? " ; and she answered, " Many a time have I questioned
him thereof but he would not tell me, till one day I pressed him
and he waxed wroth with me and said to me : How often wilt
thou ask me of my soul ? What hast thou to do with my soul ?
I rejoined : O Hatim,1 there remaineth none to me but thou,
except Allah ; and my life dependeth on thy life and whilst thou
livest, all is well for me ; so, except I care for thy soul and set it
in the apple of this mine eye, how shall I live in thine absence ?
An I knew where thy soul abideth, I would never cease whilst I live, to
hold it in mine embrace and would keep it as my right eye. Where-
upon said he to me : What time I was born, the astrologers pre-
dicted that I should lose my soul at the hands of the son of a king
of mankind. So I took it and set it in the crop of a sparrow,
and shut up the bird in a box. The box I set in a casket, and
enclosing this in seven other caskets and seven chests, laid the
whole in a alabastrine coffer,2 which I buried within the marge of
yon earth-circling sea ; for that these parts are far from the world
of men and none of them can win hither. So now see I have told
thee what thou wouldst know, and do thou tell none thereof, for
it is a secret between me and thee." And Shahrazad perceived
the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say,
1 Probably used in its sense of a "black crow." The Bresl. Edit, (iv, 261). ha*
" Khatim " (seal-ring) which is but one of its almost innumerable misprints.
* Here it is called «' Tabik " and afterwards " Tabut."
Sayf al-Muluk and Bad? a al-Jamal. 351
Ct to $0 £>eben f^utrtreti anfc SbtbentfetJ jNTlgSt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Daulat Khatun acquainted Sayf al-Muluk with the whereabouts
of the soul of the Jinni who had carried her off and repeated to him
his speech ending with, "And this is a secret between me and
thee ! " "I rejoined," quoth she :— To whom should I tell it,
seeing that none but thou cometh hither with whom I may talk
thereof?" adding, " By Allah, thou hast indeed set thy soul in the
strongest of strongholds to which none may gain access ! How
should a man win to it, unless the impossible be fore-ordained and
Allah decree like as the astrologers predicted ? " Thereupon the
Jinni : — Peradventure one may come, having on his finger the seal-
ring of Solomon son of David (on the twain be peace !) and lay
his hand with the ring on the face of the water, saying : — By the
virtue of the names engraven upon this ring, let the soul of such
an one come forth ! Whereupon the coffer will rise to the surface
and he will break it open and do the like with the chests and
caskets, till he come to the little box, when he will take out the
sparrow and strangle it, and I shall die/' Then said Sayf al-
Muluk, " I am the King's son of whom he spake, and this is the
ring of Solomon David-son on my finger : so rise, let us go
down to the sea-shore and see if his words be leal or leasing ! "
Thereupon the two walked down to the sea-shore and the Princess
stood on the beach, whilst the Prince waded into the water to his
Waist and laying his hand with the ring on the surface of the sea,
said, "By the virtue of the names and talismans engraven on this
ring, and by the might of Sulayman bin Daud (on whom be
the Peace !), let the soul of Hatim the Jinni, son of the Blue
King, come forth ! " Whereat the sea boiled in billows and the
coffer of alabaster rose to the surface. Sayf al-Muluk took it
and shattered it against the rock and broke open the chests and
caskets, till he came to the little box and drew thereout the
sparrow. Then the twain returned to the castle and sat down
on the throne ; but hardly had they done this, when lo and behold !
there arose a dust-cloud terrifying and some huge thing1 came
flying and crying, " Spare me, O King's son, and slay me not ;
but make me thy freedman, and I will bring thee to thy desire ! "
Quoth Daulat Khatun, " The Jinni cometh ; slay the sparrow,
lest this accursed enter the palace and take it from thee and
352 A If Laylah wa Laylaft.
slaughter me and slaughter thee after me.' So the Prince wrung
the sparrow's neck and it died, whereupon the Jinni fell down at
the palace-door and became a heap of black ashes. Then said
Daulat Khatun, " We are delivered from the hand of yonder
accursed ; what shall we do now ? "; and Sayf al-Muluk replied,
" It behoveth us to ask aid of Allah Almighty who hath afflicted
us; belike He will direct us and help us to escape from this our
strait." So saying, he arose and pulling up * half a score of the
doors of the palace, which were of sandal-wood and lign-aloes with
nails of gold and silver, bound them together with ropes of silk
and floss 2-silk and fine linen and wrought of them a raft, which he
and the Princess aided each other to hale down to the sea-shore.
They launched it upon the water till it floated and, making it fast
to the beach, returned to the palace, whence they removed all the
chargers of gold and saucers of silver and jewels and precious
stones and metals and what else was light of load and weighty of
worth and freighted the raft therewith. Then they embarked after
fashioning two pieces of wood into the likeness of paddles and
casting off the rope-moorings, let the raft drift out to sea with
them, committing themselves to Allah the Most High, who con-
tenteth those that put their trust in Him and disappointeth not them
who rely upon Him. They ceased not faring on thus four months
until their victual was exhausted and their sufferings waxed severe
and their souls were straitened ; so they prayed Allah to vouchsafe
them deliverance from that danger. But all this time when they
lay down to sleep, Sayf al-Muluk set Daulat Khatun behind him
and laid a naked brand at his back, so that, when he turned in
sleep the sword was between them.3 At last it chanced one night,
1 i.e. raising from the lower hinge-pins. See vol. ii 214.
2 Arab. Abrfsam or Ibrisam (from Persian Abrisham or Ibrlsham) = raw silk or
floss, i.e. untwisted silk.
3 This knightly practice, evidently borrowed from the East, appears in many romances
of chivalry e.g. When Sir Tristran is found by King Mark asleep beside Ysonde (Isentt)
with drawn sword between them, the former cried : —
Gif they weren in sinne
Nought so they no lay.
And we are told :—
Sir Amys and the lady bright
To bed gan they go ;
And when they weren in bed laid,
Sir Amys his sword out-brayed
And held it between them two.
This occurs in the old French romance of Amys and Amyloun which is taken into the
Sayf al-Muluk and Badia al-Jamal. 353
when Sayf al-Muluk was asleep and Daulat Khatun awake, that
behold, the raft drifted landwards and entered a port wherein were
ships. The Princess saw the ships and heard a man, he being the
chief and head of the captains, talking with the sailors ; whereby
she knew that this was the port of some city and that they were
come to an inhabited country. So she joyed with exceeding joy
and waking the Prince said to him, "Ask the captain the name of
the city and harbour." Thereupon Sayf al-Muluk arose and said
to the captain, "O my brother, how is this harbour hight and
what be the names of yonder city and its King ? " Replied the
Captain, " O false face I1 O frosty beard ! an thou knew not the
name of this port and city, how earnest thou hither ? " Quoth
Sayf al-Muluk, " I am a stranger and had taken passage in a
merchant ship which was wrecked and sank with all on board ; but
I saved myself on a plank and made my way hither; wherefore I
asked thee the name of the place, and in asking is no offence."
Then said the captain, " This is the city of 'Amariyah and this
harbour is called Kami'n al-Bahrayn."2 When the Princess heard
this she rejoiced with exceeding joy and said, " Praised be Allah ! "
He asked, "What is to do?"; and she answered, "O Sayf al-
Muluk, rejoice in succour near hand ; for the King of this city is
my uncle, my father's brother. And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
to&en it tons t&e Sbeben f^untalf anfc
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that
Daulat Khatun said to Sayf al-Muluk, " Rejoice in safety near
hand ; for the King of this city is my uncle, my father's brother
tale of the Ravens in the Seven Wise Masters where Ludovic personates his friend
Alexander in marrying the King of Egypt's daughter and sleeps every night with a bare
blade between him and the bride. See also Aladdin and his lamp. An Englishman
remarked, " The drawn sword would be little hindrance to a man and maid coming
together." The drawn sword represented only the Prince's honour.
1 Arab. "Ya Saki' al-Wajh," which Lane translates by "lying " or "liar."
2 Kamin (in Bresl. Edit. " bayn " — between) Al-Bahrayn •=. Ambuscade or lurking-
place of the two seas. The name of the city in Lane is " 'Emareeych '* imaginary but
derived from Emarch ('imarah) •=. being populous. Trebutien (ii. 161) takes from Bresl.
Edit. " Amar " and translates the port-name, " le lieu de refuge des deux mers."
VOL. VII. Z
354 Alf Laylah wa Laylak.
and his name is ' Ali al-Muluk," * adding, " Say thou then to the
captain : — Is the Sultan of the city, Ali al-Muluk, well ?" He asked
but the captain was wroth with him and cried, " Thou sayest : — I
am a stranger and never in my life came hither. Who then told
thee the name of the lord of the city ? " When Daulat Khatun
heard this, she rejoiced and knew him for Mu'in al-Dfn,2 one of her
father's captains. Now he had fared forth in search of her, after
she was lost and rinding her not, he never ceased cruising till he
came to her uncle's city. Then she bade Sayf al-Muluk say to
him, "O Captain Mu'in al-Din, come and speak with thy
mistress ! " So he called out to him as she bade, whereat he was
wroth with exceeding wrath and answered, " O dog, O thief, O
spy, who art thou and how knowest thou me ? " Then he said to
one of the sailors, " Give me an ash3-stave, that I may go to
yonder plaguing Arab and break his head." So he took the
stick and made for Sayf al-Muluk, but, when he came to the raft,
he saw a something, wondrous, beauteous, which confounded his
wits and considering it straitly he made sure that it was Daulat
Khatun sitting there, as she were a slice of the moon ; whereat he
said to the Prince, "Who is that with thee?" Replied he, "A
damsel by name Daulat Khatun."' When the captain heard the
Princess's name and knew that she was his mistress and the
daughter of his King, he fell down in a fainting-fit, and when he
came to himself, he left the raft and whatso was thereon and
riding up to the palace, craved an audience of the King ; where-
upon the chamberlain went in to the presence and said, " Captain
Mu'in al-Din is come to bring thee good news ; so bid he be
brought in." The King bade admit him ; accordingly he entered
and kissing ground 4 said to him, " O King, thou owest me a gift
for glad tidings ; for thy brother's daughter Daulat Khatun hath
reached our city safe and sound, and is now on a raft in the
harbour, in company with a young man like the moon on the
night of its full/' When the King heard this, he rejoiced and
conferred a costly robe of honour on the captain. Then he
* i.e. "High of (among) the Kings." Lane proposes to read 'Ali al-Mulk =high in
dominion.
2 Pronounce MuMnuddeen = Aider of the Faith. The Bresl. Edit. (iv. 266) also
teads " Mu'in al-Riyasah "= Mu'in of the Captaincies.
3 Arab. Shum — a tough wood used for the staves with which donkeys are driven Sir
Gardner Wilkinson informed Lane that it is the ash.
* In Persian we find the fuller metaphorical form, " kissing the ground of obedience,*'
Sayf al-Muluk and Badta al-Jamal. 35$
straightway bade decorate the city in honour of the safe return of
his brother's daughter, and sending for her and Sayf al-Muluk,
saluted the twain and gave them joy of their safety ; after which
he despatched a messenger to his brother, to let him know that
his daughter was found and was with him. As soon as the news
reached Taj al-Muluk he gat him ready and assembling his troops
set out for his brother's capital, where he found his daughter and
they rejoiced with exceeding joy. He sojourned with his brother
a week, after which he took his daughter and Sayf al-Muluk and
returned to Sarandib, where the Princess foregathered with her
mother and they rejoiced at her safe return ; and held high festival
and that day was a great day, never was seen its like. As for
Sayf al-Muluk, the King entreated him with honour and said to
him, " O Sayf al-Muluk, thou hast done me and my daughter all
this good for which I cannot requite thee nor can any requite
thee, save the Lord of the three Worlds ; but I wish thee to sit
upon the throne in my stead and rule the land of Hind, for I offer
thee of my throne and kingdom and treasures and servants, all
this in free gift to thee." Whereupon Sayf al-Muluk rose and
kissing the ground before the King, thanked him and answered,
" O King of the Age, I accept all thou givest me and return it to
thee in freest gift : for I, O King of the Age, covet not sovranty
nor sultanate nor desire aught but that Allah the Most High
bring me to my desire." Rejoined the King, " O Sayf al-Muluk
these my treasures are at thy disposal : take of them what thou
\vilt, without consulting me, and Allah requite thee for me with all
weal ! " Quoth the Prince, " Allah advance the King ! There is
no delight for me in .money or in dominion till I win my wish :
but now I have a mind to solace myself in the city and view its
thoroughfares and market-streets/' So the King bade bring him
a mare of the thoroughbreds, saddled and bridled ; and Sayf
al-Muluk mounted her and rode through the streets and markets
of the city. As he looked about him right and left, lo ! his eyes
fell on a young man, who was carrying a tunic and crying it for
sale at fifteen dinars : so he considered him and saw him to be
like his brother Sa'id ; and indeed it was his very self, but he was
wan of blee and changed for long strangerhood and the travails of
travel, so that he knew him not. However, he said to his
attendants, " Take yonder youth and carry him to the palace
where I lodge, and keep him with you till my return from the
ride when I will question him." But they understood him
3 $6 A If Layla/i wa Laylah.
to say, " Carry him to the prison/' and said in themselves
" Haply this is some runaway Mameluke of his." So they
took him and bore him to the bridewell, where they laid him
in irons and left him seated in solitude, unremembered by
any. Presently Sayf al-Muluk returned to the palace, but he
forgot his brother Sa'id, and none made mention of him.
So he abode in prison, and when they brought out the
prisoners, to cut ashlar from the quarries they took Sa'id with
them, and he wrought with the rest. He abode a month's
space, in this squalor and sore sorrow, pondering his case and
saying in himself, " What is the cause of my imprisonment ? ";
while Sayf al-Muluk's mind was diverted from him by rejoicing
and other things ; but one day, as he sat, he bethought him of
Sa'id and said to his Mamelukes, " Where is the white slave I
gave into your charge on such a day ? " Quoth they, " Didst thou
not bid us bear him to the bridewell ? "; and quoth he, " Nay I
said not so ; I bade you carry him to my palace after the ride."
Then he sent his Chamberlains and Emirs for Sa'id and they
fetched him in fetters, and loosing him from his irons set him
before the Prince, who asked him, " O young man, what country-
man art thou ? "; and he answered, " I am from Egypt and my
name is Sa'id, son of Paris the Wazir." Now hearing these words
Sayf al-Muluk sprang to his feet and throwing himself off the
throne and upon his friend, hung on his neck, weeping aloud for
very joy and saying, " O my brother, O Sa'id, praise be Allah for
that I see thee alive ! I am thy brother Sayf al-Muluk, son of
King Asim." Then they embraced and shed tears together and
all who were present marvelled at them, After this Sayf al-Muluk
bade his people bear Sa'id to the Hammam-bath : and they did so.
When he came out, they clad him in costly clothing and carried
him back to Sayf al-Muluk who seated him on the throne beside
himself, When King Taj al-Muluk heard of the reunion of Sayf
al-Muluk and his brother Sa'id, he joyed with joy exceeding and
came to them, and the three sat devising of all that had befallen
them in the past from first to last. Then said Sa'id : — O my
brother, O Sayf al-Muluk, when the ship sank with all on board
I saved myself on a plank with a company of Mamelukes and it
drifted with us a whole month, when the wind cast us, by the
ordinance of Allah Almighty, upon an island. So we landed and
entering among the trees took to eating of the fruits, for we were
anhungred. Whilst we were busy eating, there fell on us unawares,
Sayf al-Muluk and Bad? a al-Jamal. 357
folk like Ifrits J and springing on our shoulders rode us 2 and said
to us, " Go on with us ; for ye are become our asses." So I said
to him who had mounted me, " What art thou and why mountest
thou me ? " At this he twisted one of his legs about my neck, till
I was all but dead, and beat upon my back the while with the
other leg, till I thought he had broken my backbone. So I fell to
the ground on my face, having no strength left in me for famine
and thirst. From my fall he knew that I was hungry and taking
me by the hand, led me to a tree laden with fruit which was a
pear-tree 3 and said to me, " Eat thy fill of this tree." So I ate
till I had enough and rose to walk against my will ; but, ere I had
fared afar the creature turned and leaping on my shoulders again
drove me on, now walking, now running1 and now trotting, and he
the while mounted on me, laughing and saying, " Never in my
life saw I a donkey like unto thee ! " We abode thus for years
till, one day of the days, it chanced that we saw there great plenty
of vines, covered with ripe fruit ; so we gathered a quantity of
grape-bunches and throwing them into a pit, trod them with our
feet, till the pit became a great water-pool. Then we waited
awhile and presently returning thither, found that the sun had
wroughten on the grape-juice and it was become wine. So we
used to drink it till we were drunken and our faces flushed and
we fell to singing and dancing and running about in the merriment
of drunkenness 4; whereupon our masters said to us, ' What is it
that reddeneth your faces and maketh you dance and sing?"
We replied, " Ask us not, what is your quest in questioning us
hereof ? " But they insisted, saying, " You must tell us so that
we may know the truth of the case," till we told them how we
1 For the Shaykh of the Sea(-board) in Sindbad the Seaman see vol. vi. 50.
2 That this riding is a facetious exaggeration of the African practice I find was
guessed by Mr. Keightley.
3 Arab. "Kummasra": the root seems to be " Kamsara " = being slender or
compact.
4 Lane translates, "by reason of the exhilaration produced by intoxication." But
the Arabic here has no assonance. The passage also alludes to the drunken habits of
those blameless Ethiopians, the races of Central Africa where, after midday a chief is
rarely if ever found sober. We hear much about drink in England but Englishmen are
mere babes compared with these stalwart Negroes. In Unyamwezi I found all the
standing bedsteads of pole-sleepers and bark-slabs disposed at an angle of about 20 degrees
for the purpose of draining off the huge pottle-fulls of Pombe (Osirian beer) drained
by the occupants ; and, comminxit lectum pot us might be said of the whole male
population.
358 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
had pressed grapes and made wine. Quoth they, " Give us to
drink thereof"; but quoth we, "The grapes are spent." So they
brought us to a Wady, whose length we knew not from its breadth
nor its beginning from its end wherein were vines each bunch of
grapes on them weighing twenty pounds * by the scale and all
within easy reach, and they said, " Gather of these." So we
gathered a mighty great store of grapes and finding there a big
trench bigger than the great tank in the King's garden we filled
it full of fruit. This we trod with our feet and did with the juice
as before till it became strong wine, which it did after a month ;
whereupon we said to them, " 'Tis come to perfection ; but in
what will ye drink it ? " And they replied, " We had asses like
unto you ; but we ate them and kept their heads : so give us to
drink in their skulls." We went to their caves which we found
full of heads and bones of the Sons of Adam , and we gave
them to drink, when they became drunken and lay down, nigh
two hundred of them. Then we said to one another, " Is 't not
enough that they should ride us, but they must eat us also ?
There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the
Glorious, the Great ! But we will ply them with wine, till they
are overcome by drunkenness, when we will slay them and be at
rest from them." Accordingly, we awoke them and fell to filling
the skulls and gave them to drink, but they said, " This is
bitter." We replied, " Why say ye 'tis bitter ? Whoso saith thus,
except he drink of it ten times, he dieth the same day." When
they heard this, they feared death and cried to us, " Give us to
drink the whole ten times." So we gave them to drink, and
when they had swallowed the rest of the ten draughts they waxed
drunken exceedingly and their strength failed them and they
availed not to mount us. Thereupon we dragged them together
by their hands and laying them one upon another, collected great
plenty of dry vine-stalks and branches and heaped it about and
upon them : then we set fire to the pile and stood afar off, to see
what became of them. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
1 This is not exaggerated. When at Hebron I saw the biblical spectacle of two men
carrying a huge bunch slung to a pole, not so much for the weight as to keep the grapes
from injury.
Sayf al-Miiluk and Bad? a al-Jamal. 359
fojjen it foas t&c &eben f^un&reft airt &£bentg-secon& Nt
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sa'id
continued : — When we set fire to the pile wherein were the Ghuls,
I with the Mamelukes stood afar off to see what became of them ;
and, as soon the fire was burnt out, we came back and found
them a heap of ashes, wherefore we praised Allah Almighty who
had delivered us from them. Then we went forth about the
island and sought the sea-shore, where we parted and I and two of
the Mamelukes fared on till we came to a thick copse full of fruit
and there busied ourselves with eating, and behold, presently up
came a man tall of stature long of beard and lengthy of ear,
with eyes like cressets driving before him and feeding a great
flock of sheep;i When he saw us he rejoiced and said to us,
44 Well come, and fair welcome to you ! Draw near me that I
may slaughter you an ewe of these sheep and roast it and give
you to eat." Quoth we, " Where is thine abode ? " And quoth
he, " Hard by yonder mountain ; go on towards it till ye come
to a cave and enter therein, for you will see many guests like
yourselves ; and do ye sit with them, whilst we make ready for
you the guest-meal." We believed him so fared on, as he bade
us, till we came to the cavern, where we found many guests, Sons
of Adam like ourselves, but they were all blinded 2 ; and when
we entered, one said, " I'm sick " ; and another, " I'm weak." So
we cried to them, "What is this you say and what is the cause
of your sickness and weakness ? " They asked, " Who are
ye ? " ; and we answered, " We are guests." Then said they,
" What hath made you fall into the hands of yonder accursed ?
But there is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the
Glorious, the Great ? This is a Ghul who devoureth the Sons of
Adam and he hath blinded us and meaneth to eat us." Said
1 The Mac. and Bui. Edits, add, " and with him a host of others after his kind " ;
but these words are omitted by the Bresl. Edit, and apparently from the sequel there
was only one Ghul-giant.
2 Probably alluding to the most barbarous Persian practice of plucking or (earing
out the eyes from their sockets. See Sir John Malcolm's description of the capture of
Kirman and Morier (in Zohrab, the hostage) for the wholesale blinding of the
Asterabadian by the Eunuch-King Agha Mohammed Shah. I may note that the
mediaeval Italian practice called bacinan, or scorching with red-hot basins, came from
Persia.
360 A If Laylah wa Lay la ft.
we, "And how did he blind you ?" and they replied, " Even as
he will blind yourselves anon." Quoth we, " And how so ? "
And quoth they, " He will bring you bowls of soured milk * and
will say to you : — Ye are weary with wayfare : take this milk and
drink it. And when ye have drunken thereof, ye will become
blind like us." Said I to myself, " There is no escape for us but
by contrivance." So I dug a hole in the ground and sat over it.
After an hour or so in came the accursed Ghul with bowls of
milk, whereof he gave to each of us, saying, " Ye come from the
desert and are athirst : so take this milk and drink it, whilst I
roast you the flesh." I took the cup and carried it to my mouth but
emptied it into the hole ; then I cried out, " Alas ! my sight is
gone and I am blind ! " and clapping my hand to my eyes, fell
a-weeping and a-wailing, whilst the accursed laughed and said,
" Fear not, thou art now become like mine other guests." But,
as for my two comrades, they drank the milk and became blind.
Thereupon the Ghul arose and stopping up the mouth of the
cavern came to me and felt my ribs, but found me lean and with
no flesh on my bones : so he tried another and finding him fat,
rejoiced. Then he slaughtered three sheep and skinned them and
fetching iron spits, spitted the flesh thereon and set them over the
fire to roast. When the meat was done, he placed it before my
comrades, who ate and he with them ; after which he brought a
leather-bag full of wine and drank thereof and lay down prone
and snored. Said I to myself, " He's drowned in sleep : how
shall I slay him ?" Then I bethought me of the spits and
thrusting two of them into the fire, waited till they were as red-
hot coals : whereupon I arose and girded myself and taking a
spit in each hand went up to the accursed Ghul and thrust them
into his eyes, pressing upon them with all my might. He sprang to
his feet for sweet life and would have laid hold of me ; but he was
blind. So I fled from him into the inner cavern, whilst he ran after
me ; but I found no place of refuge from him nor whence I might
escape into the open country, for the cave was stopped up with
stones ; wherefore I was bewildered and said to the blind men,,
" How shall I do with this accursed ? " Replied one of them, " O Sa'id ,
1 Arab. "Laban" as opposed to "Halfb": in Night dcclxxiv (infra p. 365) the
former is used for sweet milk, and other passages could be cited. I have noted that all
galaktophagi, or milk-drinking races, prefer the artificially soured to the sweet, choosing the
fermentation to take place outside rather than inside their stomachs. Amongst the Sonial
I never saw man, woman or child drink a drop of fresh milk ; and they offered consider-
able opposition to our heating it for coffee.
Sayf al-Muluk and Bad? a al-Jamal. 361
with a run and a spring mount up to yonder niche ! and thou wilt
find there a sharpened scymitarof copper : bring it to me and I will
tell thee what to do/' So I clombed to the niche and taking the
blade, returned to the blind man, who said to me, " Smite him
with the sword in his middle, and he will die forthright." So I
rushed after the Ghul, who was weary with running after me and
felt for the blind men that he might kill them and, coming up to
him smote him with the sword a single stroke across his waist
and he fell in twain. Then he screamed and cried out to me, " O
marx, an thou desire to slay me, strike me a second stroke."
Accordingly, I was about to smite him another cut ; but he who
had directed me to the niche and the scymitar said, " Smite him
not a second time, for then he will not die, but will live and
destroy us." And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased saying her permitted say.
fojjen ft foas tfje
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sa'id
continued : — Now when I struck the Ghul with the sword he
cried out to me, " O man, an thou desire to slay me, strike me a
second stroke !" I was about so to do when he who had directed
me to the scymitar said, " Smite him not a second time, for
then he will not die but will live and destroy us ! " So I held my
hand as he bade me, and the Ghul died. Then said the blind
man to me, " Open the mouth of the cave and let us fare forth ; so
haply Allah may help us and bring us to rest from this place."
And I said, " No harm can come to us now ; let us rather
abide here and repose and eat of these sheep and drink of this
wine, for long is the land. Accordingly we tarried there two
months, eating of the sheep and of the fruits of the island and
drinking the generous grape-juice till it so chanced one day, as we
sat upon the beach, we caught sight of a ship looming large in
the distance ; so we made signs for the crew and holla'd to them.
They feared to draw near, knowing that the island was inhabited
by a Ghul2 who ate Adamites, and would have sheered off; but
1 Arab. Tdkah not " an aperture " as Lane has it, but an arched hollow in the wall.
2 In Tre'butien (ii, 168) the cannibal is called " Goul Eli-Fenioun " and Von Hammer
remarks, " There is no need of such likeness of name to prove that all this episode is a
manifest imitation of the adventures of Ulysses in Polyphemus' cave ; * * * and this
induces the belief that the Arabs have been acquainted with the poems of Homer."
362 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
we ran down to the marge of the sea and made signs to them,
with our turband-ends and shouted to them, whereupon one of the
sailors, who was sharp of sight, said to the rest, " Harkye,
comrades, I see these men formed like ourselves, for they have
not the fashion of Ghuls." So they made for us, little by little,
till they drew near us in the dinghy1 and were certified that we
were indeed human beings, when they saluted us and we returned
their salam and gave them the glad tidings of the slaying of the
accursed, wherefore they thanked us. Then we carried to the
ship all that was in the cave of stuffs and sheep and treasure, to-
gether with a viaticum of the island-fruits, such as should serve us
days and months, and embarking, sailed on with a fair breeze
three days ; at the end of which the wind veered round against
us and the air became exceeding dark ; nor had an hour passed
before the wind drave the craft on to a rock, where it broke up
and its planks were torn asunder.2 However, the Great God
decreed that I should lay hold of one of the planks, which I
bestrode, and it bore me along two days, for the wind had fallen
fair again, and I paddled with my feet awhile, till Allah the
Most High brought me safe ashore and I landed and came to this
city, where I found myself a stranger, solitary, friendless, not
knowing what to do ; for hunger was sore upon me and I was in
great tribulation. Thereupon I, O my brother, hid myself and
pulling off this my tunic, carried it to the market, saying in my
mind, " I will sell it and live on its price, till Allah accomplish to
me whatso he will accomplish." Then I took the tunic in my
hand and cried it for sale, and the folk were looking at it and
bidding for it, when, O my brother, thou earnest by and seeing me
commandedst me to the palace ; but thy pages arrested and thrust
me into the prison and there I abode till thou bethoughtest thee
of me and badst bring me before thee. So now I have told thee
what befel me, and Alhamdolillah — Glorified be God — for reunion !
Much marvelled the two Kings at Sa'id's tale and Taj al-Muluk
Living intimately with the Greeks they could not have ignored the Iliad and the Odyssey :
indeed we know by tradition that they had translations, now apparently lost. I cannot
however, accept Lane's conjecture that "the story of Ulysses and Polyphemus may
have been of Eastern origin." Possibly the myth came from Egypt, for I have shown
that the opening of the Iliad bears a suspicious likeness to the proem of Pentavu's
Epic.
1 Arab. Shakhtur.
2 In the Bresl. Edit, the ship is not wrecked but lands Sa'id in safety.
Sayf al-Muluk and Badi'a al-Jamal. 363
having made ready a goodly dwelling for Sayf al-Muluk and his
Wazir, Daulat Khatun used to visit the Prince there and thank
him for his favours and talk with him. One day, he met her and
said to her, " O my lady, where is the promise thou madest me>
in the palace of Japhet son of Noah, saying : — Were I with my
people, I would make shift to bring thee to thy desire ? " And
Sa'id said to her, " O Princess, I crave thine aid to enable him to
win his will." Answered she, " Yea, verily ; I will do my
endeavour for him, that he may attain his aim, if it please Allah
Almighty." And she turned to Sayf al-Muluk and said to him,
" Be of good cheer and keep thine eyes cool and clear." Then she
rose and going in to her mother, said to her, " Come with me
forthright and let us purify ourselves an'd make fumigations1 that
Badi'a al-Jamal and her mother may come and see me and rejoice
in me." Answered the Queen, " With love and goodly gree ; "
and rising, betook herself to the garden and burnt off these
perfumes which she always had by her ; nor was it long before
Badi'a al-Jamal and her mother made their appearance. The
Queen of Hind foregathered with the other Queen and acquainted
her with her daughter's safe return, whereat she rejoiced ; and
Badi'a al-Jamal and Daulat Khatun foregathered likewise and
rejoiced in each other. Then they pitched the pavilions2 and
dressed dainty viands and made ready the place of entertainment ;
whilst the two Princesses withdrew to a tent apart and ate together
and drank and made merry ; after which they sat down to converse,
and Badi'a al-Jamal said, " What hath befallen thee in thy stranger-
hood ? " Replied Daulat Khatun, " O my sister how sad is severance
and how gladsome is reunion ; ask me not what hath befallen me !
Oh, what hardships mortals suffer ! " cried she, " How so ? " and
the other said to her, " O my sister, I was inmured in the High-
builded Castle of Japhet son of Noah, whither the son of the Blue
King carried me off till Sayf al-Muluk slew the Jinni and brought
me back to my sire ; " and she told her to boot all that the Prince
had undergone of hardships and horrors before he came to the
Castle.3 Badi'a al-Jamal marvelled at her tale and said, " By
Allah, O my sister, this is the most wondrous of wonders ! This
1 So in the Shah-nameh the Si'murgh-bird gives one of her feathers to her protege Zal
which he will throw into the fire when she is wanted.
2 Bresl. Edit. Al-Zardakhanat Arab. plur. of Zarad-Khdnah, a bastard word=armoury,
from Arab. Zarad (hauberk) and Pers. Khanah = house etc.
3 Some retrenchment was here found necessary to avoid " damnable iteration."
364 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
Sayf al-Muluk is indeed a man ! But why did he leave his father
and mother and betake himself to travel and expose himself to
these perils ? " Quoth Daulat Khatun, " I have a mind to tell thee
the first part of his history ; but shame of thee hindereth me there-
from. " Quoth Badi'a al-Jamal, " Why shouldst thou have shame
of me, seeing that thou art my sister and my bosom-friend and
there is muchel a matter between thee and me and I know thou
wiliest me naught but well ? Tell me then what thou hast to say
and be not abashed at me and hide nothing from me and have
no fear of consequences." Answered Daulat Khatun, " By Allah,
all the calamities that have betided this unfortunate have been on
thine account and because of thee ! " Asked Badi'a al-Jamal,
" How so, O my sister ? " ; and the other answered, " Know that
he saw thy portrait wrought on a tunic which thy father sent to
Solomon son of David (on the twain be peace !) and he opened it
not neither looked at it, but despatched it, with other presents and
rarities to Asim bin Safwan, King of Egypt, who gave it, still
unopened, to his son Sayf al-Muluk. The Prince unfolded the
tunic, thinking to put it on, and seeing thy portrait, became
enamoured of it ; wherefore he came forth in quest of thee, and
left his folk and reign and suffered all these terrors and hardships
on thine account." And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased to say her permitted say.
Nofo fojjnx ft foas t&e &*bcn ^tmfcrrtr anfc &>tbnup-fourt& Nifijt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Daulat
Khatun related to Badi'a al-Jamal the first part of Sayf al-Muluk's
history ; how his love for her was caused by the tunic whereon
her presentment was wrought ; how he went forth, passion-dis-
traught, in quest of her ; how he forsook his people and his king-
dom for her sake and how he had suffered all these terrors and
hardships on her account. When Badi'a al-Jamal heard this, she
blushed rosy red and was confounded at Daulat Khatun and said,
"Verily this may never, never be; for man accordeth not with
the Jann." Then Daulat Khatun went on to praise Sayf al-
Muluk and extol his comliness and courage and cavalarice, and
ceased not repeating her memories of his prowess and his ex-
cellent qualities till she ended with saying, "For the sake of
Almighty Allah and of me, O sister mine, come and speak with
Sayf al-Muluk and Bad? a al-Jamal. 365
him, though but one word ! >: But Badi'a al-Jamal cried, " By
Allah, O sister mine, this that thou sayest I will not hear, neither
will I assent to thee therein ; " and it was as if she heard naught
of what the other said and as if no love of Sayf al-Muluk and his
beauty and bearing and bravery had gotten hold upon her heart.
Then Daulat Khatun humbled herself and said, " O Badi'a al-
Jamal, by the milk we have sucked, I and thou, and by that
which is graven on the seal-ring of Solomon (on whom be peace !)
hearken to these my words for I pledged myself in the High-
builded Castle of Japhet, to show him thy face. So Allah upon
thee, show it to him once, for the love of me, and look thyself on
him ! " And she ceased not to weep and implore her and kiss her
hands and feet, till she consented and said, " For thy sake I will
show him my face once and he shall have a single glance." With
that Daulat Khatun's heart was gladdened and she kissed her
hands and feet. Then she went forth and fared to the great
pavilion in the garden and bade her slave-women spread it with
carpets and set up a couch of gold and place the wine-vessels in
order ; after which she went into Sayf al-Muluk and to his Wazir
Sa'id, whom she found seated in their lodging, and gave the Prince
the glad tidings of the winning of his wish, saying, " Go to the
pavilion in the garden, thou and thy brother, and hide yourselves
there from the eyes of men so none in the palace may espy you, till
I come to you with Badi'a al-Jamal." So they rose and repaired to
the appointed pavilion, where they found the couch of gold set and
furnished with cushions, and meat and wine ready served. So they
sat awhile, whilst Sayf al-Muluk bethought him of his beloved and
his breast was straitened and love and longing assailed him :
wherefore he rose and walked forth from the vestibule of the
pavilion. Sa'id would have followed him, but he said to him, " O
my brother, follow me not, but sit in thy stead till I return to
thee." So Sa'id abode seated, whilst Sayf al-Muluk went down
into the garden, drunken with the wine of desire and distracted for
excess of love-longing and passion-fire : yearning agitated him
and transport overcame him and he recited these couplets : —
O passing Fair * I have none else but thee ; o Pity this slave in thy
love's slavery !
Thou art my search, my joy and my desire 1 o None save thyself shall
love this heart of me :
1 i.t. Badi'a al-Jamal.
366 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
Would Heaven I knew thou knewest of my wails o Night-long and eyelids
oped by memory.
Bid sleep to sojourn on these eyen-lids o Haply in vision I thy sight
shall see.
Show favour then to one thus love-distraught : o Save him from ruin by thy
cruelty !
Allah increase thy beauty and thy weal ; o And be thy ransom every
enemy !
So shall on Doomsday lovers range beneath o Thy flag, and beauties
'neath thy banner be.
Then he wept and recited these also : —
That rarest beauty ever bides my foe o Who holds my heart and
lurks in secresy :
Speaking, I speak of nothing save her charms o And when I'm dumb in
heart-core woneth she.
Then he wept sore and recited the following :—
And in my liver higher flames the fire ; o You are my wish and long-
some still I yearn :
To you (none other!) bend I and I hope o (Lovers long-suffering are!)
your grace to earn ;
And that you pity me whose frame by Love o Is waste and weak his
heart with sore concern :
Relent, be gen'rous, tender-hearted, kind : o From you I'll ne'er remove,
from you ne'er turn !
Then he wept and recited these also :—
Came to me care when came the love of thee, o Cruel sleep fled me like
thy cruelty :
Tells me the messenger that thou art wroth : o Allah forefend what evils
told me he !
Presently Sa'id waxed weary of awaiting him and going forth in
quest of him, found him walking in the garden, distraught 'and
reciting these two couplets : —
By Allah, by th' Almighty, by his right1 o Who read the Koran -
Chapter "Fdtir"2 hight ;
Ne'er roam my glances o'er the charms I see ; o Thy grace, rare beauty, is
my talk by night.
1 Mohammed.
2 Koran xxxv. " The Creator " (Fatir) or the Angels, so called from the first verse.
Sayf al-Muluk and Bad fa al-Jamai. 367
So he joined him and the twain walked about the garden together
solacing themselves and ate of its fruits. Such was their case ;l but
as regards the two Princesses, they came to the pavilion and enter-
ing therein after the eunuchs had richly furnished it, according to
command, sat down on the couch of gold, beside which was a
window that gave upon the garden. The castrates then set before
them all manner rich meats and they ate, Daulat Khatun feeding
her foster-sister by mouthfuls,2 till she was satisfied ; when she
called for divers kinds of sweetmeats, and when the neutrals
brought them, they ate what they would of them and washed their
hands. After this Daulat Khatun made ready wine and its service,
setting on the ewers and bowls and she proceeded to crown the
cups and give Badi'a al-Jamal to drink, filling for herself after and
drinking in turn. Then Badi'a al-Jamal looked from the window
into the garden and gazed upon the fruits and branches that were
therein, till her glance fell on Sayf al-Muluk, and she saw him
wandering about the parterres, followed by Sa'id, and she heard
him recite verses, raining the while railing tears. And that glance
of eyes cost her a thousand sighs, And Shahrazad perceived
the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Jiofo fofjeh (t foaa tje &cbw f^untoefc anfc Sbefontg-fiftf)
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Badi'a al-Jamal caught sight of Sayf al-Muluk as he wandered
about the garden, that glance of eyes cost her a thousand sighs,
and she turned to Daulat Khatun and said to her (and indeed the
wine sported with her senses), " O my sister, who is that young
man I see in the garden, distraught, love-abying, disappointed,
sighing ? " Quoth the other, " Dost thou give me leave to bring
him hither, that we may look on him ?"; and quoth the other, "An
thou can avail to bring him, bring him." So Daulat Khatun
called to him, saying, " O King's son, come up to us and bring us
thy beauty and thy loveliness!" Sayf al-Muluk recognised her
1 In the Bresl. Edit. (p. 263) Sayf al-Muluk drops asleep under a tree to the lulling
sound of a Sakiyah or water-wheel, and is seen by Badi'a al-Jamal, who falls in love
with him and drops tears upon his cheeks, etc. The scene, containing much recitation
is long and well told.
? Arab. " Lukmah " =a bouchte of bread, meat, fruit or pastry, and especially applied
to the rice balled with the hand and delicately inserted into a friend's mouth.
368 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
voice and came up into the pavilion ; but no sooner had he set
eyes on Badi'a al-Jamal, than he fell down in a swoon ; whereupon
Daulat Khatun sprinkled on him a little rose-water and he revived.
Then he rose and kissed ground before Badi'a al-Jamal who was
amazed at his beauty and loveliness; and Daulat Khatun said to
her, " Know, O Princess, that this is Sayf al-Muluk, whose hand
saved me by the ordinance of Allah Almighty and he it is who
hath borne all manner burthens on thine account : wherefore I
would have thee look upon him with favour." Hearing this Badi'a
al-Jamal laughed and said, " And who keepeth faith, that this
youth should do so ? For there is no true love in men." Cried
Sayf al-Muluk, " O Princess, never shall lack of faith be in me,
and all men are not created alike." And he wept before her and
recited these verses : —
0 thou, Badf a 'l-Jama*!, show thou some clemency o To one those lovely eyes
opprest with witchery I
By rights of beauteous hues and tints thy cheeks combine o Of snowy white
and glowing red anemone,
Punish not with disdain one who is sorely sick o By long, long parting waste
hath waxed this frame of me :
This is my wish, my will, the end of my desire, o And Union is my hope an
haply this may be !
Then he wept with violent weeping ; and love and longing got
the mastery over him and he greeted her with these couplets :• —
Peace be to you from lover's wasted love, o All noble hearts to noble favouf
show:
Peace be to you ! Ne'er fail your form my dreams ; o Nor hall nor chamber
the fair sight forego !
Of you I'm jealous : none may name your name : o Lovers to lovers aye should
bend thee low :
So cut not off your grace from him who loves o While sickness wastes and
sorrows overthrow.
1 watch the flowery stars which frighten me j o While cark and care mine
every night foreslow.
Nor Patience bides with me nor plan appears : o What shall I say when
questioned of my foe ?
God's peace be with you in the hour of need, .o Peace sent by lover patient
bearing woe I
Then for the excess of his desire and ecstasy he repeated these
couplets also : —
Sayf al-Muluk and Bad? a al-Jamal. 369
If I to aught save you, O lords of me, incline ; o Ne'er may I win of you
my wish, my sole design !
Who doth comprise all loveliness save only you ? o Who makes the Doomsday
dawn e'en now before these eyne ?
Far be it Love find any rest, for I am one * Who lost for love of you
this heart, these vitals mine.
When he had made an end of his verses, he wept with sore weeping
and she said to him, " O Prince, I fear to grant myself wholly to
thee lest I find in thee nor fondness nor affection ; for oftentimes
man's fidelity is small and his perfidy is great and thou knowest
how the lord Solomon, son of David (on whom be the Peace!),
took Bilkis to his love but, whenas he saw another fairer than she,
turned from her thereto." Sayf al-Muluk replied, "O my eye and
0 my soul, Allah hath not made all men alike, and I, Inshallah,
will keep my troth and die beneath thy feet. Soon shalt thou see
what I will do in accordance with my words, and for whatso I say
Allah is my warrant." Quoth Badi'a al-Jamal, " Sit and be of
good heart and swear to me by the right of thy Faith and let us
covenant together that each will not be false to other ; and which-
ever of us breaketh faith may Almighty Allah punish ! " At
these words he sat down and set his hand in her hand and they
sware each to other that neither of them would ever prefer to the
other any one, either of man or of the Jann. Then they embraced
for a whole hour and wept for excess of their joy, whilst passion
overcame Sayf al-Muluk and he recited these couplets s —
1 weep for longing love's own ardency o To her who claims the heart and
soul of me.
And sore's my sorrow parted long from you, o And short's my arm to reach
the prize I see ;
And mourning grief for what my patience marred o To blarneys eye unveiled
my secresy ;
And waxed strait that whilome was so wide o Patience nor force remains nor
power to dree.
Would Heaven I knew if God will ever deign to join o Our lives, and from our
cark and care and grief set free !
After this mutual troth-plighting, Sayf al-Muluk arose and walked
in the garden and Badi'a al-Jamal arose also and went forth also
afoot followed by a slave-girl bearing somewhat of food and a
VOL. VII. A A
3/O A If Laylah wa Laylah.
flask1 of wine. The Princess sat down and the damsel set the
meat and wine before her : nor remained they long ere they were
joined by Sayf al-Muluk, who was received with greeting and the
two embraced and sat them down. And Shahrazad perceived
the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Nofo fo&en it foag t&e £>eben ^untafc anfc £>ebentg.stxtf) !tf{$t,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that having
provided food and wine, Badi'a al-Jamal met Sayf al-Muluk with
greetings, and the twain having embraced and kissed sat them
down awhile to eat and drink. Then said she to him, " O
King's son, thou must now go to the garden of Iram, where
dwelleth my grandmother, and seek her consent to our marriage.
My slave-girl Marjdnah will convey thee thither and as thou farest
therein thou wilt see a great pavilion of red satin, lined with green
silk. Enter the pavilion heartening thyself and thou wilt see
inside it an ancient dame sitting on a couch of red gold set
with pearls and jewels. Salute her with respect and courtesy;
then look at the foot of the couch, where thou wilt descry
a pair of sandals2 of cloth interwoven with bars of gold,
embroidered with jewels. Take them and kiss them and lay them
on thy head 3; then put them under thy right armpit and stand
before the old woman, in silence and with thy head bowed down.
If she ask thee, Who art thou and how earnest thou hither and
who led thee to this land ? And why hast thou taken up the
sandals ? make her no answer, but abide silent till Marjanah enter,
when she will speak with her and seek to win her aproof for thee
and cause her look on thee with consent; so haply Allah Almighty
may incline her heart to thee and she may grant thee thy wish."
Then she called the handmaid Marjanah hight and said to her,
" As thou lovest me, do my errand this day and be not neglectful
therein ! An thou accomplish it, thou shalt be a free woman for
the sake of Allah Almighty, and I will deal honourably by thee
1 Arab. '» Salabiyah," also written Sarahiyah : it means an ewer-shaped glass-bottle.
2 Arab " Sarmujah," of which Von Hammer remarks that the dictionaries ignore it ;
Dozy gives the forms Sarmuj, Sarmuz and Sarmuzah and explains them by " espece de
guetre, de sandale ou de mule, qu'on chausse par-dessus la botte."
3 In token of profound submission.
Sayf al-Muluk and Bad fa al-Jamal. 371
with gifts and there shall be none dearer to me than thou, nor will
I discover my secrets to any save thee. So, by my love for thee,
fulfil this my need and be not slothful therein." Replied
Marjanah, " O my lady and light of mine eyes, tell me what is it
thou requirest of me, that I may accomplish it with both mine
eyes." Badi'a rejoined, " Take this mortal on thy shoulders and
bear him to the bloom-garden of Iram and the pavilion of my
f grandmother, my father's mother, and be careful of his safety.
When thou hast brought him into her presence and seest him take
the slippers and do them homage, and hearest her ask him,
saying : — Whence art thou and by what road art come and who
led thee to this land, and why hast thou taken up the sandals and
what is thy need that I give heed to it ? do thou come forward in
haste and salute her with the salam and say to her : — O my lady,
I am she who brought him hither and he is the King's son of
Egypt.1 Tis he who went to the High-builded Castle and slew
the son of the Blue King and delivered the Princess Daulat Khatun
from the Castle of Japhet son of Noah and brought her back safe
to her father : and I have brought him to thee, that he may give
thee the glad tidings of her safety : so deign thou be gracious to
him. Then do thou say to her : — Allah upon thee ! is not this
young man handsome, O my lady ? She will reply, Yes ; and do
rejoin : — O my lady, indeed he is complete in honour and man-
hood and valour and he is lord and King of Egypt and compriseth
all praiseworthy qualities. An she ask thee, What is his need ?
do thou make answer, My lady saluteth thee and saith to thee,
1 Arab. " Misr" in Ibn Khaldun is a land whose people are settled and civilised
hence " Namsur"=:we settle; and " Amsar":= settled provinces. Al-Misrayn was
the title of Basrah and Kufah the two military cantonments founded by Caliph Omar on,
the frontier of conquering Arabia and conquered Persia. Hence " Tamsir " = founding
such posts, which were planted in Mesopotamia, Syria and Egypt. In these camps
were stationed the veterans who had fought under Mohammed ; but the spoils of the
East soon changed them to splendid cities where luxury and learning flourished side by
side. Sprenger (Al-Mas'udi pp. 19, 177) compares them ecclesiastically with the
primitive Christian Churches such as Jerusalem, Alexandria and Antioch. But the
Moslems were animated with an ardent love of liberty and Kufah under Al-Hajjaj the
masterful, lost 100,000 of her turbulent sons without the thirst for independence being
quenched. This can hardly be said of the Early Christians who, with the exception of
a few staunch-hearted martyrs, appear in history as pauvres diables and poules mouille'es,
ever oppressed by their own most ignorant and harmful fancy that the world was about
to end.
372 A If Laytah wa Laylak.
how long shall she sit at home, a maid and unmarried > Indeed,
the time is longsome upon her for she is as a magazine wherein
wheat is heaped up.1 What then is thine intent in leaving her
without a mate and why dost thou not marry her in thy lifetide
and that of her mother, like other girls ? If she say, How shall
we do to marry her ? An she have any one in mind, let her tell
us of him, and we will do her will as far as may be ! do thou
make answer, O my lady, thy daughter saith to thee, " Ye were
minded aforetime to marry me to Solomon (on whom be peace !)
and portrayed him my portrait on a tunic. But he had no lot in
me ; so he sent the tunic to the King of Egypt and he gave it to
his son, who saw my portrait figured thereon and fell in love with
me ; wherefore he left his father and mother's realm and turning
away from the world and whatso is therein, went forth at a
venture, a wanderer, love-distraught, and hath borne the utmost
hardships and honors for my sake of me." Now thou seest his
beauty and loveliness, and thy daughter's heart is enamoured of
him ; so, if ye have a mind to marry her, marry her to this young
man and forbid her not from him for he is young and passing
comely and King of Egypt, nor wilt thou find a goodlier than he ;
and if ye will not give her to him, she will slay herself and marry
none neither man nor Jinn." " And," continued Badi'a al-Jamal,
" Look thou, O Marjanah, ma mie? how thou mayst do with my
grandmother, to win her consent, and beguile her with soft words,
so haply she may do my desire." Quoth the damsel, " O my
lady, upon my head and eyes will I serve thee and do what shall
content thee." Then she took Sayf al-Muluk on her shoulders
and said to him, " O King's son, shut thine eyes." He did so and
she flew up with him into the welkin ; and after awhile she said
to him, " O King's son, open thine eyes." He opened them and
found himself in a garden, which was none other than the garden
of Iram; and she showed him the pavilion and said, " O Sayf
al-Muluk, enter therein ! " Thereupon he pronounced the name
of Allah Almighty and entering cast a look upon the garden,
1 i.e. Waiting to be sold and wasting away in single cursedness.
2 Arab. "Ya dadati": dadat is an old servant-woman or slave, often applied to a
nurse, like its conjener the Pers. Dada, the latter often pronounced Daddeh, as Daddeh
Bazm-aia in the Kuisum-nameh (Atkinson's "Customs of the Women of Persia,'
London, 8vo. 1832).
Sayf al-Muluk and Bad fa al-Jamal. 373
when he saw the old Queen sitting on the couch, attended by her
waiting women. So he drew near her with courtesy and reverence
and taking the sandals bussed them and did as Badi'a al-Jamal
had enjoined him. Quoth the ancient dame, " Who art thou and
what is thy country ; whence comest thou and who brought thee
hither and what may be thy wish ? Wherefore dost thou take the
sandals and kiss them and when didst thou ask of me a favour
which I did not grant?" With this in came Marjanah1 and
saluting her reverently and worshipfully, repeated to her what
Badi'a al-Jamal had told her ; which when the old Queen heard,
she cried out at her and was wroth with her and said, " How shall
there be accord between man and Jinn ? " And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
1 Marjanah has been already explained. D'Herbelot derives from it the Romance
name Morgante la Dtconvenue, here confounding Morgana with Urganda ; and Keltic
scholars make Morgain=Mor Gwynn-the white maid (p. 10, Keightley's Faiiy
Mythology, London, Whittaker, 1833).
END OF VOL VII.
INDEX.
PAGE
Aetf AMIR BIN MARWAN . . 142
Abu al-Hamlat = father of assaults,
etc 149
Abu AH al-Husayn the Wag . .130
Abu al-Sakha = father of munificence 133
Account asked from outgoing
Governors 102
— ' of them will be presently
given =r we leave them for the
present 157
Acids applied as counter-inebriants . 32
Address without vocative particle
more emphatic . . . . 125
Addressing by the name not courteous 1 14
Adolescent (un, aime toutes les femmes) 299
Affirmative and negative particles . 195
Africa (suggested derivation of the
name) ... . .60
Agha (A1-) = chief police officer . 156
Ahassa bi'1-shurbah = " he smelt a
rat" 144
Ajal = yes verily . . . .19$
'Ajwah = dates pressed into a solid
mass and— deified ... 14
Akakir = drugs, spices . . . 147
Akhlat (town in Armenia) . . 88
Akik (al-) two of the name . . 140
Akyal, title of the Himyarite Kings 60
Ala Kulli hal = in any case . . 272
Ala raghm = in spite of . . .121
Alas for his chance of escaping =
there is none . . . .183
AH Zaybak = Mercury AH . .172
'AH al-Muluk =r high among the
Kings . . . . -354
PAGE
Alif, Ha, Wa" w as tests of calligraphy 1 1 2
Alhambra = (Dar) al-Hamra", the
Red , 49
Allah confound the far One (hard
swearing) . . . . .155
succour the Caliph against thee 159
~— is All-knowing . . . 209
Allaho akbar, the Arab slogan-cry . 8
'Amala hilah for tricking a Syro-
Egyptian vulgarism ... 43
Amam-ak = before thee . . 94
'Amariyah (Pr. N. of town) . . 353
Amend her case = bathe her etc. . 266
Amsar ( pi. of Misr ) = settled
provinces . . . * . 371
Ansar = Medinite auxiliaries . . 92
Ape see Cynocephalus
Apes (remnant of some ancient
tribe) 346
Arabian Night converted into an
Arabian Note . . . . 314
Ardashir = Artaxerxes . . . 209
Asaf (Solomon's Wazir) . . . 318
Ashab (division of) . . . .92
Ashab al-Ziya' = Feudatories . . 327
'Ashirah = clan . . . .121
'Asim = defending .... 314
Askar jarrar= drawing (conquering)
army ...... 85
Asma'f ( A1-) author of Antar . .no
Atmar — rags (for travelling clothes) 118
Avaunt = Ikhsa, be chased like a
dog 45
Aywa (*llahi) =yes, by Allah . . 195
Aywan (saloon with estrades) , . 347
A If Laylak wa Laylah.
Azarbija*n = Kohistan . . . 104
Azdashir misprint for Ardashfr . . 209
Azrak = blue-eyed (so is the falcon) 164
BAB = gate (for chapter, etc.) . . 3
Badr Basi'm (Pr. N.) = Full moon
smiling . 274
Bakkal = green-grocer, etc. . . 295
B£n =: myrobalan . . . 247
Banner in sign of Investiture . . 101
Banu Tamim (tribe) . * .125
Barfd = Post 340
Batshat al-Kubra = the great disaster
(battle of Badr) .... 55
Battash al-Akran = he who assaults
his peers . . . . . 55
Batanah = lining .... 330
Battles described 6l
Bead thrown into a cup (signal of
delivery) . . . . . 324
Beast with two backs (Eastern view of) 35
Bir (A1-) al-Mu'utallal =the Ruined
Well 346
Blessings at the head of letters . . 133
Blue eyes == blind with cataract, or
staring, glittering, hungry . .164
Bow a cowardly weapon . . .123
Breslau edition quoted 168; 172; 173;
177; 202; 316; 321; 324; 326; 327;
329; 341; 342; 343; 350; 353;
354 ; 363 ; 367-
Bride of the Hoards . . .147
Bridle (not to be committed to an-
other)
Bulak ed. quoted . . .173
Burdah = plaid of striped stuff
304
359
95
Burckhardt quoted . . 91 ; 93 ; 156
Byron (depreciated where he ought
to be honoured most) . . . 268
CALIPHS: Hisham • . ... 104
i Wah'd bin Sahl . . IO6
Mahdi(Al-) . . . ,36
Canton (city of) .... 334
Capotes melancoliques . . .190
Chaste forbearance towards a woman
frequently causes love . .189
Chawashiyah = Chamberlains . 327
Coffer (Ar. Tabik, Tabiit) . . 350
'* Compelleth " in the sense of
°burdeneth" . . . .285
Conjugal affection (striking picture of) 243
Copa d'agua excuse for a splendid
banquet 168
Colocasia (Ar. Kallakds) . . .151
Combat reminding of that of Rustam
and Sohrdb .... 89
Conjunctive in Africans seldom white 184
Connection (tribal seven degrees of) . 121
Converts theoretically respected and
practically despised . . 43
Creases in the stomach insisted upon 130
Cross-bows 62
Cuirasses against pleasure, cobwebs
against infection . . . .190
Cundums (French letters) . .190
Cynocephalus (kills men and rapes
women) 344
DAKKAH = long wooden bench etc. n I
Damsel of the tribe = daughter of
the chief 95
Daulat = fortune, empire, kingdom
(Pr.N.) 347
Deposits are not lost with Him r=
He disappointeth not etc . . 334
Devotees (white woollen raiment of). 214
Dimdgh =r brain, meninx (for head) 178
Dirhams (50,000 = about .£1,250) . 105
Diwan al-Barid = Post Office . 340
Dogs (in Eastern cities) . . . 2O2
Donanma (rejoicings for the preg-
nancy of a Sultana) . . . 324
Donkey-boy like our " post-boy" of
any age ...... 160
Donning woman's attire in token of
defeat 1 88
Doors (pulled up = raised from the
lower hinge-pins) . . . 352
Drinking before or after dinner or
both 132
Drugs (is this an art of ?) . . . 147
Drunk with the excess of his beauty. 162
Drunken habits of Central African
357
races
"EARLY to bed" etc.
version of the same) .
Elephant-faced Vetala .
Elephants frighting horses
Eli-Fenioun = Polyphemus
Euphemism of speech
(modern
. 217
• 34
. 61
. . 361
. 134. 142
Index.
377
Euphuistic speech . y '• • 2$5
Eyes " sunk " into the head for our
" starting '' from it . • 36
• (plucking or tearing out of, a
Persian practice). . . . 359
Fagfur (Mosl. title for the Emperor
of China) 335
Fakfh = divine . . . .325
Falastfn, degraded to " Philister" . 101
Farais (pi. of farfsah) •=. shoulder-
muscles 219
Faranik (A1-) — letter-carrier . . 340
Farashah, noun of unity of Fardsh =
butterfly, moth .... 305
Farikf, adjective of Mayyafarikin . I
Faris = rider, knight . . . 314
Farrash, a man of general utility,
tent-pitcher etc. 4
Father of Bitterness = the Devil . 1 16
Fa"tihah quoted . . . .286
Fatir = creator (chapter of the Koran) 366
Fatis = carrion, corps cr^ve . . 181
Faylasufiyah = philosopheress. . 145
Fayyaz (al-) = the overflowing. . 99
Fazl = grace, exceeding goodness . 220
Fearing for the lover first . . 256
Fee delicately offered . . .162
Fi al-Kamar in the moonshine
(perhaps allusion to the Comorin
islands) 269
Fig = anus 151
Fights frequent at funerals or wedding
processions . . . .190
Fillets hung on trees to denote an
honoured tomb .... 96
Fikh = theology .... 325
Fire-arms mentioned ... 62
Flirtation impossible in the East . 181
Floor (sitting upon the, sign of
deepest dejection) . . .314
Foot (prehensile powers of the Eastern) 1 79
Fortalice of fruits (Ar. Hisn al-
Fakihah) 75
French letters (all about them). . 190
Fumigations to cite Jinnis etc. . 363
Fiitah = napkin, waistcloth . . 345
GALAKTOPHAGI prefer sour milk to
sweet . . . . . 360
Garden (in the Prophet's tomb at Al-
Medinah) . ;«•'. . . ' . 91
Generosity (peculiar style of) • . 323
Ghandur = a gallant . , ...- ': • 181
Ghurab al-Bayn = Raven of the
Wold. . . . . . . 226
" Gift from me to," «tc. = " I leave
it to you, sir" .... 292
Giraffe, one of the most timid of the
antelope tribe . . . • 54
unfit for riding ... 62
Girding the sovereign (found in the
hieroglyphs) .... 328
Gloom =. black hair of youth . . 277
Glooms gathering and full moons
dawning for hands and eyes . 247
Gold (when he looked upon it, his
life seemed a light thing to him) . 240
Grapes (bunch of, weighing twenty
pounds, no exaggeration) . . 358
Grim joke (showing elation of spirits) 324
Ground (really kissed) . . .257
Guest-rite 121
(must be fed before his errand
is asked) 319
HABB AL-'UBB (a woman's orna-
ment) 205
Hadas = surmise .... 302
Hail within sight of the Equator 336
Hajah r= a needful thing (for some*
what) 349
Hajar-coinage (?) . . . .95
Hajjaj (al-) bin Yusufal-Thakifl . 97
Hakim = ruler, not to be con-
founded with Hakim, a doctor,
etc .29
Halawat =. sweets .... 205
Halumma = bring ! . . . 117
Hallaling, = Anglo-Indian term for
the Moslem rite of killing ani-
mals for food .... 9
Hammal al-Hatabi= one who carries
fuel-sticks 59
Harbak =r javelin .... 45
Harrakat = carracks (also used for
cock-boat) 336
Hasab wa Nasal — inherited degree
and acquired dignity . . . 279
Hatim = broken wall (at Meccah) . 219
378
A If Laylah wa Laylah.
Hatim (Pr. N.) = black crow . . 350
Hazza-hu = he made it quiver . 45
Henna-flower (its spermatic odour) . 250
Heroes and heroines of love-tales
are bonnes fourchettes . . 300
Hind bint Asma and the poet Jarir . 96
Hisham (Caliph) . . . .104
Hisn al-Fakihah = Fortalice of fruits 75
Hiss = (sensual) perception . . 302
Hobbling a camel (how done) . . 119
Hubkah = doubling of a woman's
waistcloth 1 80
Hullah = dress . l8o
Humility of the love-lorn Princess
artfully contrasted with her for-
mer furiosity • . . .261
sect 125
Ibrik =: ewer ..... 146
Ibrfsam = raw silk, floss . . 352
Ihtilam = wet dreams . . . 183
Ijtila = displaying of the bride . 198
Iksah = plait, etc 150
Iliad and Pentaur's Epic . . . 362
Incuriousness of the Eastern story-
teller 57
Indian realm 336
Infidel should not be killed unless
refusing to become a Moslem or
a tributary 64
Irak for al-Irak in verse ... 20
Iran r= hearse, Moses' ark . . 207
Ishk 'Uzrl = platoniclove . .121
JABABIRAH = tyrants, giants . . 84
Jabarsa, the city of Japhet . 40, 43
Jabir Atharat al-Kiram = Repairer
of the Slips of the Generous . loo
Jaland, not Julned . . . .16
Jamil bin Ma'amar al-Uzrf (poet) . 117
Jan-Shah = Life King ... 82
Japhet (Ar> Yafis or Yafat) . . 40
his sword . .41
Jauharah (Pr. N. = jewel) . . 307
Jawamard for Jawan-mard, un gio-
vane, a brave . . . 17
Jazirah (al-) =: Mesopotamia . . 100
Insula for Peninsula . . 333
Jilbab = habergeon, buff jacket . 56
Julnar = Pers. Gul-i-anar (pom-
granate flower) .... 268
Ka'ah = mess-room, barracks . 167
Kaaunahu huwa — as he (was) he . 233
Ka'ak al' I'd = buns (cake ?) . . 196
KaH) = heel, ankle ; fortune . . 177
Ka' ka'at =: jangling noise . . 21
Kalak = raft 342
Kamarlyah =r moon -like. . . 202
Kamin al-Bahrayn = Ambuscade of
the two seas .... 353
Karaj (town in Persian Irak) . . 77
Karizan (al-) z= the two mimosa
gatherers ..... 93
Karr aynan =: keep thine eye cool . 229
Kasid = Anglo-Indian Cossid . . 77
Kasr al-Mashid •=. high-built Castle 346
Kataba (for tattooing) . . . 250
Kawwad = leader (for pimp) . . 98
Kayf halak = how de doo ? . . 336
Kaza, Kismat and " Providence" . 135
"Key" = fee paid on the keys
being handed to a lodger . .212
Khadd =. cheek . . . .277
Khafiyah = concealed j Khainah =
perfidy 320
Khal'a al-'izar = stripping of jaws or
side-beard 248
Khalbus =r buffoon . . . . 195
Khali'a (A1-) = the Wag. . .130
Khanakah == Dervishes' convert . 177
Khatun = lady ; Pr. N. . . . 146
Khazra (al-) = the Green, palace of
Mu'awiyah .... 124
Khirad Shah = King Intelligence ;
Pr. N 73
Khishkhanah = cupboard . . 199
Kirat (bean of Abrus precatorius) . 289
Kisas (A1-) = lex talionis . .170
"Kiss ground" not to be taken
literally 2IO
Kitf al-Jamal = Camel shoulder-
blade. . . . .167
Knife, *' bravest of arms" . .123
Koran quoted (iii. II ; i. 42 ; viii. 9) 55
(cxi.) 59
(xxxiii.) ...» 92
(xx. 102) .... 164
(xii. 31) . . . .213
(li. 286) . . . .285
Index.
379
Koran quoted (ii. 61 ; xxii. 44) . 346
• (xxxv.) . . . .366
Kudrat = Omnipotence . . . 135
Kulzum (A1-), old name of Suez-
town 348
Kumayt (A1-) = bay horse with
black points . . . .128
Kumasrd (Kummasra) = pear . . 357
Kursi = stool 311
LA'AB = sword-play ... 44
Lib (old Pers. for Sun) . . . 296
Laban = sweet milk . . . 360
Lakit = foetus, foundling, contemp-
tible fellow 145
Lane quoted, 95 j 96; in; 113; 118;
119; 123; 124; 135; 136; 139; 144 j
172 ; 182 j 195 ; 196 ; 209 ; 269 j 275 ;
280; 282 ; 303 ; 309 ; 314; 328; 361
Laun = colour, hue (for dish) , . 185
Laylat ams = yesternight . . 186
Legs making mute the anklets . . 131
Letter toren tears a kingdom . . 2
Letters (French) . . . .190
Listening not held dishonourable . 279
Liwa" = Arab Tempe* . . .11$
Liwan = Aywdn (saloon with
estrades) 347
Lukmah = bouche'e, mouthful . . 367
MAGAZINE (as one wherein wheat
is heaped up = unmarried) . 372
Majajah = saliva .... 280
Mahd = wild cattle .... 280
Malih Kawi = very handsome
(Cairene vulgarism) . , .150
Mafarik (A1-) = partings of the hair 222
Mace, a dangerous weapon . . 24
Mahaya = Ma al-Hayat = aqua
v»t» 132
Mahdf (A1-), Caliph, . . . .136
Mahr = marriage dowry, settle-
ment 126
Malik al-Nasfr (Saladin) . . . 142
Manjani'ka"t = mangonels . . 335
Mariduna = Rebels against Allah . 39
Marsin = myrtle . , . .290
Marwdn bin al-Hakam (Governor of
Al- Medinah) .... 125
Masculine for feminine . . . 140
Maskharah = masker (buffoon) . 195
Maut = death . . . .147
Mayazib (pi. of mlzab) = gargoyles 136
Maydanal-Ffl. . . . . 326
Maysum's song . . " *-• . 97
Mayyafarikin capital of Dfyar Bakr . I
Mercury Ali (his story sequel to that
ofDalflah) 172
Metamorphosis (terms of). . . 294
Milk-drinking races prefer the
soured milk to the sweet . . 360
Mirbad (al-), market place at Bas-
sorah 130
Misr, Masr = Capital (applied to
Memphis, Fostat and Cairo) . 172
(for Egypt) . . . .370
Mohammed (Allah's right hand) . 366
Mohammed bin Sulayman al-Rabi'f
(Governor of Bassorah) . .130
Mohr = signet .... 329
Monsters (abounding in Persian litera-
ture) 339
Morosa voluptas . . . .132
Mosque al-Ahzab = Mosque of the
troops . . . . .92
MS. copy of The Nights (price of
one in Egypt) . . . .312
Mu'attik al-Rikab = Liberator of
Necks 331
Muhajirun =: companions in Mo-
hammed's flight .... 92
Mu'in al-Dln == Aider of the Faith . 354
Mujauhar = damascened. . . 84
Mulabbas =3 drage'es . . . 205
Muuadamah =. table-talk . . 309
Munawwarah (al-) =z The Illumined
(Title of al-Medinah) . . . 95
Musafahah = putting palm to palm 52
Musdhikah '= tribadism . . . 132
Musamarah = night-talk by moon-
light 217
Musquito caught between the toes . 179
Musran (A1-) = guts . . . 190
Mutanakkir = disguised, proud,
reserved ..... 101
Muunah = provisions . . . 232
NAB (pi. Anyab) = canine tooth,
tusk 339
Nafsi = my soul for '« the flesh " . 1 18
Na'i al-maut = messenger of death . 226
Naked == without veil or upper
clothing iI
Alf Laylah wa Laylah*
Names frequently do not appear till
near the end of a tale . . 43 ; 274
Naming a girl by name offensive . 286
Ni'am = yes in answer to a negative 195
Night (its last the bitter parting) . 243
Nitah = a woman's waist cloth . 180
Nostrils (his life-breath was in his =
his heart was in his mouth). . 258
Nostrums for divining the sex of the
unborn child .... 268
Nurayn = two lights (town in
Turkestan) .... 88
OFFERINGS (pious) = ex votos etc. . 150
" Old maids " ignored in the East . 286
" Old Man of the Sea " (a Marid or
evil Jinn) 338
Oman with its capital Maskat =
Omana Moscha .... 24
Opening doors without a key is the
knavish trick of a petty thief . 182
PAYNE quoted 16; 18; 57 ; 123; 277 ;
337-
Pearls (fresh from water) . . 240
Pencilling the eyes with kohl . . 250
Pens (gilded) = reeds washed with
gold 112
Pilgrimage quoted (iii. 90) . . 34
0-377) 9
(iii. 191) .... 21
(i. 14) .... 80
(ii. 62 ; 69) . . . .91
(ii. 130 ; 138; 325) . . 92
(»• 3) 95
(iii. 336) . . . .104
('i. 300) . . . .124
(iii. 164) . . .136
(ii. 24) .... j40
(i. 59) 171
(i. 120) . . . .172
(i. 124) . . . .177
(iii. 66) . 181
(ii. 52-54) . . . .202
(i. 62) 212
(iii. 165) . . . .219
Police-master legally answerable for
losses 161
Pomgranate = female parts . . 151
Pnn'cess English, Princess French 245
Proportion of horse and foot in Arab
and Turcoman armies ... I
Protestants (four great Sommith} . 124
Pun . . . . 53 ; 288 ; 307
Ra'ad Shah, Pr.N. = thunder-king. 55
Rabbati = my she- Lord, applied to
the fire 36
Rahim, Rihm = womb for uterine
relations 123
Raiment of devotees (white wool) . 214
Ramlah (half-way house between
Jaffa and Jerusalem) . . . 103
Rayah Kaimah = pennon flying (not
"beast standing") . . . 118
" Renowning it " (na'i've style of) . 347
Repentence acquits the penitent . 72
Repetition . . . .293; 301
Riding on men as donkeys (facetious
exaggeration of African practice) . 357
Rock (falling upon a ship) . . 295
Ruba' al-Kharab = the waste quarter 80
Rubbama =. perhaps, sometimes . 218
Rudaynian lance (like a) . . . 265
Rumourers (the two) = basin and
ewer 146
Rutub (applying to pearls) = fresh
from water. .... 240
SABA = the Biblical Sheba . . 316
Sabaj (a black shell) . . .131
Safwan r= clear, cold . . .314
Sa'ik = the Striker . 35
Saja'-assonance bald in translation . 2
answerable for galimatias . 36
Salat mamliikfyah = praying without
ablution 148
Salatah (how composed) . . . 132
Salih (Pr. N.) = righteous, pious.
just 314
Samandal (A1-) = Salamander. . 280
Samar = night-story . . .312
Samawah (A1-) visitation place in
Babylonian Irak . -93
Samfr = night-talker . . .217
Sana'a" (famed for leather and other
work) 130
Sandals (kissed and laid on the head
in token of submission) . . 370
Sarmujah = sandals, leggings,
slippers ...... 370
Index.
381
Satl = kettle, bucket (situla ?) . 182
Saudawi = of a melancholic tempera-
ment 228
Sawik =a parched corn . . . 303
Sayf (£<T<£os) al-Muluk = Sword of the
Kings 325
Seal-ring of Solomon (oath by) . 317
Set-off for abuse of women . . 130
Shahyal bin Sharukh (Pr. N.) . . 331
Shakhtur = dinghy . . , 362
Shammara = he tucked up (sleeve
or gown) 133
Shara (A1-), mountain in Arabia . 23
Shara' = holy law .... 170
Sharit = chopper, sword . .178
Shaykh attended by a half-witted
lunatic . . . . .152
Shaykh of the Sea (-board) . . 357
Shazarwan = Pers. Shadurwin,
palace, cornice, etc. . . .51
Sibawayh (Grammarian) . . . 233
Side-muscles (her quiver = she trem-
bles in every nerve) . . .219
Slave (Moslemah can compel an
infidel master who has attempted
her seduction to sell her) . . 203
Sleeping with a sword between them 352
Shower (how delightful in rainless
lands) ..... 141
Shum (a tough wood used for staves) 354
Shubash = Bravo! . . . 195
Slave-girls (newly bought pretentious
and coquettish) .... 266
Solomon (oath by his seal-ring) . 317
Street cries of Cairo. . . .172
Style of a Cairene public scribe . 134
Subhat-hu = in company with*him . 262
Sulami (not Sulaymi) = of the tribe
Banu Sulaym. .... 93
Sulayman bin Abd al-Malik (Caliph) 99
Sulaymanfyah = Afghans . .171
Surahiyah (vulg. Sulahiyah = glass-
bottle) 370
Su'uban = " basilisk," large serpent 322
Sword (between two sleepers repre-
sents only the man's honour) . 353
350
207
350
i So
= coffer .
Tabut = bier, ark, etc.
(coffer) .
Taghadda = he dined
Ti.it al-bayn = parting bird . . 226
Takah = arched hollow in the wall,
niche. . . . * -•' . 361
Takht, a «« seat " from a throne to a
saddle 55
(more emphatical than Sarfr) 328
Taklid = baldricking, not girding a
sword ..... 3
Takh'yah = onion-sauce . . . 322
Takwim = Tacuino (for Almanac) . 296
Tamsfr (derived from Misr) = found-
ing a military cantonment) . -371
Tasumah = sandal, slipper . . 197
Taverns 324
Tayr = any flying thing, bird . . 227
Tawilan jiddan, now a Cairenism . 13
Tazrib = quilting .... 330
" Tell the truth ! " way of taking an
Eastern liar . . . .183
Tent (how constructed) . . . 109
"There is no Majesty," etc., as
ejaculation of impatience • . 73
Third = Tuesday .... 349
Timsah = crocodile . . . 343
Tongue (my, is under thy feet) . 239
'Use = breast-pocket . . . 205
Union opposed to " Severance" . 120
" Use this " (i.e. for thy daily ex-
penses) 29$
Uzrah = Azariah . ... .158
VILE WATER (Koranic term for
semen) 213
Violent temper (frequent amongst
Eastern princesses) . . . 254
Virginity of slave-girls (respected by
the older slave-trader, rarely by
the young) . . . . . 267
Visits to the tombs . . . .124
WAHK, WAHAK =: Lasso . . 61
Wahtah = quasi-epileptic fit . .127
Walid bin Sahl (Caliph) . . .106
Ward Shah = Rose King. . . 70
Wars (al-) = carthamus tinctorius . 93
Wayha-k equivalent to Wayla-k . 127
Weapons carried under the thigh . 56
magic 59
new forms of » .62
382
Alf Laylah wa Laytafi.
" Whatso thou wouldest do that do "
= Do what thou wilt . . . 324
"Where lies China-land ?" = it is
a far cry to Lock Awe . . 344
"Who art thou?" etc. (meaning
" you are nobodies ") . . . 286
" Whoso loveth me, let him bestow
largesse upon this man " . -323
Women (blue-eyed of good omen) 164
YA'ARUB BIN KAHTAN . . -25
Ya Dftdatf = « ma mie " . . . 372
Yafis, Yafat = Japhet ... 40
Yaji miat khwanjah = near an hun-
dred chargers .... 345
Ya Khawand = O Master . . 315
Yakhni = stew, broth . • .186
Ya Saki'al-Wajh = O false facet . 353
Yd Usta (for Ust&z) = O my Master 192
Yusuf (Grand Vizier, and his pelisse) 323
ZABBAH = wooden bolt . . . 182
Zalabiyah bi-'Asal = honey fritters 164
Zalzal son of Muzalzil = Earthquake
son of Ennosigaius jg
Zardah = rice dressed with honey
and saffron . . . .18^
Zardakhanah = Zarad (Ar. for
hauberk) - Khanah (Pers. for
house) 363
Zarraf = giraffe 54
Zawiyah = corner (for cell, oratory) 328
Zurk = blue-eyed, dim-sighted, pur-
blind 164
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