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The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 9

R >> Richard F. Burton >> The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 9




When it was the Nine Hundred and Forty-sixth Night,

She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Abdullah
of the Land said to Abdullah of the sea, "O my brother, hast thou
brought me hither to make me a butt and a laughing-stock for thy
children and thy consort?" Cried the Merman, "Pardon, O my
brother! Those who have no tails are rare among us, and whenever
one such is found, the Sultan taketh him, to make fun of him, and
he abideth a marvel amongst us, and all who see him laugh at him.
But, O my brother, excuse these young children and this woman,
for they lack wits." Then he cried out to his family, saying,
"Silence!"; so they were afraid and held their peace; whilst he
went on to soothe Abdullah's mind. Presently, as they were
talking, behold, in came some ten Merman, tall and strong and
stout, and said to him, "O Abdullah, it hath reached the King
that thou hast with thee a No-tail of the No-tails of the earth."
Answered the Merman, "Yes; and this is he; but he is not of us
nor of the children of the sea. He is my friend of the land and
hath come to me as a guest and I purpose to carry him back to the
land." Quoth they, "We cannot depart but with him; so, an thou
have aught to say, arise and come with him before the King; and
whatso thou wouldst say to us, say thou that same to the King."
Then quoth the Merman to the fisherman, "O my brother, my excuse
is manifest, and we may not disobey the King: but go thou with me
to him and I will do my best to deliver thee from him, Inshallah!
Fear not, for he deemeth thee of the children of the sea; but,
when he seeth thee, he will know thee to be of the children of
the land, and he will surely entreat thee honourably and restore
thee to the land." And Abdullah of the Land replied, "'Tis thine
to decide, I will trust in Allah and wend with thee." So he took
him and carried him to the King, who, when he saw him, laughed at
him and said, "Welcome to the No-tail!" And all who were about
the King began to laugh at him and say, "Yea, by Allah, he is
tailless!" Then Abdullah of the Sea came forward and acquainted
the King with the fisherman's case, saying, "This man is of the
children of the land and he is my comrade and cannot live amongst
us, for that he loveth not the eating of fish, except it be fried
or boiled; wherefore I desire that thou give me leave to restore
him to the land." Whereto the King replied, "Since the case is
so, and he cannot live among us, I give thee leave to restore him
to his place, after due entertainment," presently adding, "Bring
him the guest-meal." So they brought him fish of various kinds
and colours and he ate, in obedience to the royal behest; after
which the King said to him, "Ask a boon of me." Quoth he, "I ask
of thee that thou give me jewels;" and the King said, "Carry him
to the jewel-house and let him choose that whereof he hath need."
So his friend carried him to the jewel-house and he picked out
whatso he would, after which the Merman brought him back to his
own city and pulling out a purse, said to him, "Take this deposit
and lay it on the tomb of the Prophet, whom Allah save and
assain!" And he took it, knowing not what was therein. Then the
Merman went forth with him, to bring him back to land, and by the
way he heard singing and merrymaking and saw a table spread with
fish and folk eating and singing and holding mighty high
festival. So Abdullah of the Land said to his friend, "What
aileth these people to rejoice thus? Is there a wedding among
them?" Replied Abdullah of the Sea, "Nay; one of them is dead."
Asked the fisherman, "Then do ye, when one dieth amongst you,
rejoice for him and sing and feast?"; and the Merman answered,
"Yes: and ye of the land, what do ye?" Quoth Abdullah of the
Land, "When one dieth amongst us, we weep and keen for him and
the women beat their faces and rend the bosoms of their raiment,
in token of mourning for the dead." But Abdullah the Merman
stared at him with wide eyes and said to him, "Give me the
deposit!" So he gave it to him. Then he set him ashore and said
to him, "I have broken off our companionship and our amity;
wherefore from this day forward thou shalt no more see me, nor I
see thee." Cried the fisherman, "Why sayst thou this?"; and the
other said, "Are ye not, O folk of the land, a deposit of Allah?"
"Yes." "Why then," asked the Merman, "is it grievous to you that
Allah should take back His deposit and wherefore weep ye over it?
How can I entrust thee with a deposit for the Prophet (whom Allah
save and assain!), seeing that, when a child is born to you, ye
rejoice in it, albeit the Almighty setteth the soul therein as a
deposit; and yet, when he taketh it again, it is grievous to you
and ye weep and mourn? Since it is hard for thee to give up the
deposit of Allah, how shall it be easy to thee to give up the
deposit of the Prophet?[FN#274] Wherefore we need not your
companionship." Saying thus he left him and disappeared in the
sea. Thereupon Abdullah of the Land donned his dress and taking
the jewels, went up to the King, who met him lovingly and
rejoiced at his return saying, "How dost thou, O my son-in-law,
and what is the cause of thine absence from me this while?" So
he told him his tale and acquainted him with that which he had
seen of marvels in the sea, whereat the King wondered. Then he
told him what Abdullah the Merman had said[FN#275]; and the King
replied, "Indeed 'twas thou wast at fault to tell him this."
Nevertheless, he continued for some time to go down to the shore
and call upon Abdullah of the Sea, but he answered him not nor
came to him; so, at last, he gave up all hope of him and abode,
he and the King his father-in-law and the families of them both
in the happiest of case and the practice of righteous ways, till
there came to them the Destroyer of delights and the Severer of
societies and they died all. Wherefore glory be to the Living,
who dieth not, whose is the empire of the Seen and the Unseen,
who over all things is Omnnipotent and is gracious to His
servants and knowth their every intent! And amongst the tales
they tell is one anent




HARUN AL-RASHID AND ABU HASAN, THE
MERCHANT OF OMAN.



The Caliph Harun al-Rashid was one night wakeful exceedingly; so
he called Masrur and said to him as soon as he came, "Fetch me
Ja'afar in haste." Accordingly, he went out and returned with
the Wazir, to whom said the Caliph, "O Ja'afar wakefulness hath
mastered me this night and forbiddeth sleep from me, nor wot I
what shall drive it away from me." Replied Ja'afar, "O Commander
of the Faithful, the wise say, 'Looking on a mirror, entering
the Hamman-bath and hearkening unto song banish care and
chagrin.'" He rejoined, "O Ja'afar I have done all this, but it
hath brought me naught of relief, and I swear by my pious
forbears unless thou contrive that which shall abate from me
this insomny, I will smite thy neck." Quoth Ja'afar, "O
Commander of the Faithful, wilt thou do that which I shall
counsel thee?" whereupon quoth the Caliph, "And what is that
thou counselleth?" He replied, "It is that thou take boat with
us and drop down Tigris River with the tide to a place called
Karn al-Sirat, so haply we may hear what we never heard or see
what we never saw, for 'tis said, 'The solace of care is in one
of three things; that a man see what he never before saw or hear
what he never yet heard or tread an earth he erst hath never
trodden.' It may be this shall be the means of remedying thy
restlessness, O Commander of the Faithful, Inshallah! There, on
either side of the river, are windows and balconies one facing
other, and it may be we shall hear or see from one of these
somewhat wherewith our hearts may be heartened." Ja'afar's
counsel pleased the Caliph, so he rose from his place and taking
with him the Wazir and his brother Al-Fazl and Isaac[FN#276] the
boon-companion and Abu Nowas and Abu Dalaf[FN#277] and Masrur
the Sworder,-- And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
saying her permitted say.

When it was the Nine Hundred and Forty-seventh Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
Caliph arose from his seat with Ja'afar and the rest of the
party, all entered the wardrobe, where they donned merchant's
gear. Then they went down to the Tigris and embarking in a
gilded boat, dropped down with the stream, till they came to the
place they sought, when they heard the voice of a damsel singing
to the lute and chanting these couplets,

"To him when the wine cup is near I declare, * While in coppice
loud shrilleth and trilleth Hazar,
'How long this repining from joys and delight? * Wake up for this
life is a borrowed ware!'
Take the cup from the hand of the friend who is dear * With
languishing eye-lids and languorous air.
I sowed on his cheek a fresh rose, which amid * His side-locks
the fruit of granado-tree bare.
Thou wouldst deem that the place where he tare his fair
cheek[FN#278] * Were ashes, while cheeks hues incendiary
wear.
Quoth the blamer, 'Forget him! But where's my excuse * When his
side-face is growing the downiest hair?[FN#279]'"

When the Caliph heard this, he said, "O Ja'afar, how goodly is
that voice!"; and the Wazir replied, "O our lord, never smote my
hearing aught sweeter or goodlier than this singing! But, good
my lord, hearing from behind a wall is only half hearing; how
would it be an we heard it from behind a curtain?" Quoth the
Caliph, "Come, O Ja'afar, let us play the parasites with the
master of this house; and haply we shall look upon the
songstress, face to face;" and quoth Ja'afar, "I hear and I
obey." So they landed and sought admittance; when behold, there
came out to them a young man, fair of favour, sweet of speech
and fluent of tongue, who said to them, "Well come and welcome,
O lords that honour me with your presence! Enter in all comfort
and convenience!" So they went in (and he with them) to a saloon
with four faces, whose ceiling was decorated with gold and its
walls adorned with ultramarine.[FN#280] At its upper end was a
dais, whereon stood a goodly row of seats[FN#281] and thereon
sat an hundred damsels like moons. The house-master cried out to
them and they came down from their seats. Then he turned to
Ja'afar and said to him, "O my lord, I know not the honourable
of you from the more honourable: Bismillah! deign he that is
highest in rank among you favour me by taking the head of the
room, and let his brethren sit each in his several stead." So
they sat down, each according to his degree, whilst Masrur abode
standing before them in their service; and the host asked them,
"O my guests, with your leave, shall I set somewhat of food
before you?" and they answered, "Yes." Hearing this he bade his
handmaids bring food, whereupon four damsels with girded waists
placed in front of them a table, whereon were rare meats of that
which flieth and walketh earth and swimmeth seas, sand-grouse
and quails and chickens and pigeons; and written on the raised
edge of the tray were verses such as sorted with the
entertainment. So they ate till they had enough and washed their
hands, after which said the young man, "O my lords, if you have
any want, let us know it, that we may have the honour of
satisfying it." They replied, "'Tis well: we came not to thy
dwelling save for the sake of a voice we heard from behind the
wall of thy house, and we would fain hear it again and know her
to whom it belongeth. So, an thou deem right to vouchsafe us
this favour, it will be of the generosity of thy nature, and
after we will return whence we came." Quoth the host, "Ye are
welcome;" and, turning to a black slave-girl, said to her,
"Fetch me thy mistress such an one." So she went away and
returning with a chair of chinaware, cushioned with brocade, set
it down: then withdrew again and presently returned with a
damsel, as she were the moon on the night of its full, who sat
down on the chair. Then the black girl gave her a bag of satin
wherefrom she brought out a lute, inlaid with gems and jacinths
and furnished with pegs of gold.--And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Nine Hundred and Forty-eighth Night,

She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
the damsel came forward, she took her seat upon the chair and
brought out from its case a lute and behold, it was inlaid with
gems and jacinths and furnished with pegs of gold. Then she
tuned its strings, even as saith the poet of her and her lute in
these lines,

"She sits it in lap like a mother fond * And she strikes the
strings that can make it speak:
And ne'er smiteth her right an injurious touch * But her left
repairs of her right the wreak.[FN#282]"

Then she strained the lute to her bosom, bending over it as
mother bendeth over babe, and swept the strings which complained
as child to mother complaineth; after which she played upon it
and began improvisng these couplets,

"An Time my lover restore me I'll blame him fain, * Saying,
'Pass, O my dear, the bowl and in passing drain
The wine which hath never mixed with the heart of man * But he
passes to joy from annoy and to pleasure from pain.'
Then Zephyr arose to his task of sustaining the cup: * Didst e'er
see full Moon that in hand the star hath ta'en?[FN#283]
How oft I talked thro' the night, when its rounded Lune * Shed on
darkness of Tigris' bank a beamy rain!
And when Luna sank in the West 'twas as though she'd wave * O'er
the length of the watery waste a gilded glaive."

When she had made an end of her verse, she wept with sore weeping
and all who were in the place wept aloud till they were well-nigh
dead; nor was there one of them but took leave of his wits and
rent his raiment and beat his face, for the goodliness of her
singing. Then said Al-Rashid, "This damsel's song verily denoteth
that she is a lover departed from her beloved." Quoth her master,
"She hath lost father and mother;" but quoth the Caliph, "This
is not the weeping of one who hath lost mother and father, but
the yearning of one who hath lost him she loveth." And he was
delighted with her singing and said to Isaac, "By Allah, never
saw I her like!"; and Isaac said, "O my lord, indeed I marvel at
her with utterest marvel and am beside myself for delight." Now
Al-Rashid with all this stinted not to look upon the
house-master and note his charms and the daintiness of his
fashion; but he saw on his face a pallor as he would die; so he
turned to him and said, "Ho, youth!" and the other said,
"Adsum!--at thy service, O my lord." The Caliph asked, "Knowest
thou who we are?"; and he answered, "No." Quoth Ja'afar, "Wilt
thou that I tell thee the names of each of us?"; and quoth the
young man "Yes;" when the Wazir said, "This is the Commander of
the Faithful, descendant of the uncle of the Prince of the
Apostles," and named to him the others of the company; after
which quoth Al-Rashid, "I wish that thou acquaint me with the
cause of the paleness of thy face, whether it be acquired or
natural from thy birthtide." Quoth he, "O Prince of True
Believers, my case is wondrous and my affair marvellous; were it
graven with gravers on the eye-corners it were a warner to whoso
will be warned." Said the Caliph, "Tell it to me: haply thy
healing may be at my hand." Said the young man, "O Commander of
the Faithful, lend me thine ears and give me thy whole mind."
And he, "Come; tell it me, for thou makest me long to hear it."
So the young man began,--"Know then, O Prince of True Believers,
that I am a merchant of the merchants of the sea and come from
Oman city, where my sire was a trader and a very wealthy trader,
having thirty ships trafficking upon the main, whose yearly hire
was thirty thousand dinars; and he was a generous man and had
taught me writing and all whereof a wight hath need. When his
last hour drew near, he called me to him and gave me the
customary charge; then Almighty Allah took him and admitted him
to His mercy and may He continue the Commander of the Faithful
on life! Now my late father had partners trading with his coin
and voyaging on the ocean. So one day, as I sat in my house with
a company of merchants, a certain of my servants came in to me
and said, 'O my lord, there is at the door a man who craveth
admittance to thee!' I gave leave and he came in, bearing on his
head a something covered. He set it down and uncovered it, and
behold it was a box wherein were fruits out of season and herbs
conserved in salt and fresh, such as are not found in our land.
I thanked him and gifted him with an hundred dinars, and he went
away grateful. Then I divided these things amongst my friends
and guests who were present and asked them whence they came.
Quoth they, 'They come from Bassorah,' and praised them and went
on to portray the beauties of Bassorah and all agreed that there
was naught in the world goodlier than Baghdad and its people.
Then they fell to describing Baghdad and the fine manners of its
folk and the excellence of its air and the beauty of its
ordinance, till my soul longed for it and all my hopes clave to
looking upon it. So I arose and selling my houses and lands,
ships and slaves, negroes and handmaids, I got together my good,
to wit, a thousand thousand dinars, besides gems and jewels,
wherewith I freighted a vessel and setting out therein with the
whole of the property, voyaged awhile. Then I hired a barque and
embarking therein with all my monies sailed up the river some
days till we arrived at Baghdad. I enquired where the merchants
abode and what part was pleasantest for domicile and was
answered, 'The Karkh quarter.' So I went thither and hiring a
house in a thoroughfare called the Street of Saffron,
transported all my goods to it and took up my lodging therein
for some time. At last one day which was a Friday, I sallied
forth to solace myself taking with me somewhat of coin. I went
first to a cathedral-mosque, called the Mosque of Mansur, where
the Friday service was held, and when we had made an end of
congregational prayers, I fared forth with the folk to a place
hight Karn al-Sirat, where I saw a tall and goodly mansion, with
a balcony overlooking the river-bank and pierced with a lattice-
window. So I betook myself thither with a company of folk and
sighted there an old man sitting, handsomely clad and exhaling
perfumes. His beard forked upon his breast in two waves like
silver-wire, and about him were four damsels and five pages. So I
said to one of the folk, 'What is the name of this old man and
what is his business?'; and the man said, 'His name is Tahir ibn
al-Alaa, and he is a keeper of girls: all who go into him eat and
drink and look upon fair faces.' Quoth I, 'By Allah, this long
while have I wandered about in search of something like
this!'"--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
saying her permitted say.

When it was the Nine Hundred and Forty-ninth Night,

She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
young merchant cried, "'By Allah this long while I have gone
about in search of something like this!' So I went up to the
Shaykh, O Commander of the Faithful, and saluting him said to
him, 'O my lord, I need somewhat of thee!' He replied, 'What is
thy need?' and I rejoined, ''Tis my desire to be thy guest
to-night.' He said, 'With all my heart; but, O my son, with me
are many damsels, some whose night is ten dinars, some forty and
others more. Choose which thou wilt have.' Quoth I, 'I choose
her whose night is ten dinars.' And I weighed out to him three
hundred dinars, the price of a month; whereupon he committed me
to a page, who carried me to a Hammam within the house and
served me with goodly service. When I came out of the Bath he
brought me to a chamber and knocked at the door, whereupon out
came a handmaid, to whom said he, 'Take thy guest!' She met me
with welcome and cordiality, laughing and rejoicing, and brought
me into a mighty fine room decorated with gold. I considered her
and saw her like the moon on the night of its fulness having in
attendance on her two damsels as they were constellations. She
made me sit and seating herself by my side, signed to her
slave-girls who set before us a tray covered with dishes of
various kinds of meats, pullets and quails and sand-grouse and
pigeons. So we ate our sufficiency, and never in my life ate I
aught more delicious than this food. When we had eaten she bade
remove the tray and set on the service of wine and flowers,
sweetmeats and fruits; and I abode with her a month in such
case. At the end of that time, I repaired to the Bath; then,
going to the old man, I said to him, 'O my lord, I want her whose
night is twenty dinars.' 'Weigh down the gold,' said he. So I
fetched money and weighed out to him six hundred dinars for a
month's hire, whereupon he called a page and said to him, 'Take
thy lord here.' Accordingly he carried me to the Hammam and
thence to the door of a chamber, whereat he knocked and there
came out a handmaid, to whom quoth he, 'Take thy guest!' She
received me with the goodliest reception and I found in
attendance on her four slave-girls, whom she commanded to bring
food. So they fetched a tray spread with all manner meats, and I
ate. When I had made an end of eating and the tray had been re-
moved, she took the lute and sang thereto these couplets,

'O waftings of musk from the Babel-land! * Bear a message from me
which my longings have planned:
My troth is pledged to that place of yours, * And to friends
there 'biding--a noble band;
And wherein dwells she whom all lovers love * And would hend, but
she cometh to no man's hand.'

I abode with her a month, after which I returned to the Shaykh
and said to him, 'I want the forty dinar one.' 'Weigh out the
money,' said he. So I weighed out to him twelve hundred dinars,
the mensual hire, and abode with her one month as it were one
day, for what I saw of the comeliness of her semblance and the
goodliness of her converse. After this I went to the Shaykh one
evening and heard a great noise and loud voices; so I asked him,
'What is to do?'; and he answered, saying, 'This is the night of
our remarkablest nights, when all souls embark on the river and
divert themselves by gazing one upon other. Hast thou a mind to
go up to the roof and solace thyself by looking at the folk?'
'Yes,' answered I, and went up to the terrace roof,[FN#284]
whence I could see a gathering of people with flambeaux and
cressets, and great mirth and merriment. Then I went up to the
end of the roof and beheld there, behind a goodly curtain, a
little chamber in whose midst stood a couch of
juniper-wood[FN#285] plated with shimmering gold and covered
with a handsome carpet. On this sat a lovely young lady,
confounding all beholders with her beauty and comeliness and
symmetry and perfect grace, and by her side a youth, whose hand
was on her neck; and he was kissing her and she kissing him.
When I saw them, O Prince of True Believers, I could not contain
myself nor knew where I was, so dazed and dazzled was I by her
beauty: but, when I came down, I questioned the damsel with whom
I was and described the young lady to her. 'What wilt thou with
her?' asked she; and I, 'She hath taken my wit.' 'O Abu
al-Hasan, hast thou a mind to her?' 'Ay, by Allah! for she hath
captivated my heart and soul.' 'This is the daughter of Tahir
ibn al-Alaa; she is our mistress and we are all her handmaids;
but knowest thou, O Abu al-Hasan, what be the price of her night
and her day?' 'No!' 'Five hundred dinars, for she is a regret to
the heart of Kings!'[FN#286] 'By Allah, I will spend all I have
on this damsel!' So saying I lay, heartsore for desire, through
the livelong night till the morning, when I repaired to the
Hammam and presently donned a suit of the richest royal raiment
and betaking myself to Ibn al-Alaa, said to him, 'O my lord, I
want her whose night is five hundred dinars.' Quoth he, 'Weigh
down the money.' So I weighed out to him fifteen thousand dinars
for a month's hire and he took them and said to the page, 'Carry
him to thy mistress such an one!' Accordingly he took me and
carried me to an apartment, than which my eyes never saw a
goodlier on the earth's face and there I found the young lady
seated. When I saw her, O Commander of the Faithful, my reason
was confounded with her beauty, for she was like the full moon on
its fourteenth night,"--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Nine Hundred and Fiftieth Night,

She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
young man continued to describe before the Prince of True
Believers the young lady's characteristics, saying, "She was like
the full moon on her fourteenth night, a model of grace and
symmetry and loveliness. Her speech shamed the tones of the
lute, and it was as it were she whom the poet meant in these
verses,

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