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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-^o6i.
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 note t 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 j 1 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 chapter 2 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 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 Jaland 1 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 Irak 1 * 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 jangled 1
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 Oman 2 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=SbentJ
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 :
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 vinegar 1 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 ape 1
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
head 3 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? 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- i3 2 -
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 quiver 2 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
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, 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 seats 1 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 jerkin 1 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 knee 2 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 Taj 1 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 j 1 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 Shah 1 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 wife 1 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,/arwr.
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 King N marvelled 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 Quarter 1 " 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; 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=sebnt{)
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 Jababirah 2 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? ,
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 :
U O 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-Ahzab 2 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 wrath 2
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 tribe 1 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 Hajar 2 and a
hundred pieces of woollen cloth and striped stuffs 3 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 Illumined 4 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 me r 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 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-Malik 2 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 saluting 2 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
reserved 3 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 banner 4 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 Ramlah 1 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 Azarbijan 1 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 :
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 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 bench 1 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 pens 2 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 i 1
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-Uzri 2 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, "Now 3 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 1ffif)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 flesh 1 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, something 3 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 clan 2 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 spite 4 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
visits 1 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 palace 8 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 Wahhbi-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|usC<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 legs 2 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 ready 2 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 up 2 her sleeves, showed
two wrists like broad rings of silver. She then wrote after the
Basmalah as follows, " My lord, the omission of blessings 3 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 skirt 3 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 gargoyles 4 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 Ntntg=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 him 1 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-draught 1 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'n 3 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-Lakft 1 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 father 2
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 death 1 ; 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 Hoards 3 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, 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 offerings 1 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-coins 2 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 handsome 1
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 colocasia 2 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, ! 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 couplets 2 :
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 law 1 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 freke 5 !" 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, 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 gallant 1 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,
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 yesternight 1 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 stew 2 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 j 1 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. 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 j 1 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 buffoon 2 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 No f 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. " Ka f ak 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 pantoufle 1 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
cupboard 1 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 armoire t 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 
