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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 Sixty-fourth Night,

She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
the Merchant's wife spake to him in such wise, he replied, "I did
thus of my fear for them from the eyes of the folk and because I
love them both and love is jealous exceedingly and well saith he
who spoke these verses,

'Of my sight I am jealous for thee, of me, * Of thyself, of thy
stead, of thy destiny:
Though I shrined thee in eyes by the craze of me * In such
nearness irk I should never see:
Though thou wert by my side all the days of me * Till Doomsday I
ne'er had enough of thee.'"

Said his wife, "Put thy trust in Allah, for no harm betideth him
whom He protecteth, and carry him with thee this very day to the
shop." Then she clad the boy in the costliest clothes and he
became a seduction to all who on him cast sight and an affliction
to the heart of each lover wight. His father took him and carried
him to the market, whilst all who saw him were ravished with him
and accosted him, kissing his hand and saluting him with the
salam. Quoth one, "Indeed the sun hath risen in such a place and
blazeth in the bazar," and another, "The rising-place of the full
moon is in such a quarter;" and a third, "The new moon of the
Festival[FN#378] hath appeared to the creatures of Allah." And
they went on to allude to the boy in talk and call down blessings
upon him. But his father scolded the folk for following his son
to gaze upon him, because he was abashed at their talk, but he
could not hinder one of them from talking; so he fell to abusing
the boy's mother and cursing her because she had been the cause
of his bringing him out. And as he gazed about he still saw the
folk crowding upon him behind and before. Then he walked on till
he reached his shop and opening it, sat down and seated his son
before him: after which he again looked out and found the
thoroughfare blocked with people for all the passers-by, going
and coming, stopped before the shop to stare at that beautiful
face and could not leave him; and all the men and women crowded
in knots about him, applying to themselves the words of him who
said,

"Thou madest Beauty to spoil man's sprite * And saidst, 'O my
servants, fear My reprove:'
But lovely Thou lovest all loveliness * How, then, shall thy
servants refrain from Love?"

When the merchant Abd al-Rahman saw the folk thus crowding about
him and standing in rows, both women and men, to fix eyes upon
his son, he was sore ashamed and confounded and knew not what to
do; but presently there came up from the end of the bazar a man
of the wandering Dervishes, clad in haircloth, the garb of the
pious servants of Allah and seeing Kamar al-Zaman sitting there
as he were a branch of Ban springing from a mound of saffron,
poured forth copious tears and recited these two couplets,

"A wand uprising from a sandy knoll, * Like full moon shining
brightest sheen, I saw;
And said, 'What is thy name?' Replied he 'Lulu' * 'What' (asked
I) 'Lily?' and he answered 'La, la!'"[FN#379]

Then the Dervish fell to walking, now drawing near and now moving
away,[FN#380] and wiping his gray hairs with his right hand,
whilst the heart of the crowd was cloven asunder for awe of him.
When he looked upon the boy, his eyes were dazzled and his wit
confounded, and exemplified in him was the saying of the poet,

"While that fair-faced boy abode in the place, * Moon of
breakfast-fete he lit by his face,[FN#381]
Lo! there came a Shaykh with leisurely pace * A reverend trusting
to Allah's grace,
And ascetic signals his gait display'd.
He had studied Love both by day and night * And had special
knowledge of Wrong and Right;
Both for lad and lass had repined his sprite, * And his form like
toothpick was lean and slight,
And old bones with faded skin were o'erlaid.
In such arts our Shaykh was an Ajami[FN#382] * With a catamite
ever in company;
In the love of woman, a Platonist he[FN#383] * But in either
versed to the full degree,
And Zaynab to him was the same as Zayd.[FN#384]
Distraught by the Fair he adored the Fair * O'er Spring-camp
wailed, bewept ruins bare.[FN#385]
Dry branch thou hadst deemed him for stress o' care, * Which the
morning breeze swayeth here and there,
For only the stone is all hardness made!
In the lore of Love he was wondrous wise * And wide awake with
all-seeing eyes.
Its rough and its smooth he had tried and tries * And hugged buck
and doe in the self-same guise
And with greybeard and beardless alike he
play'd."[FN#386]

Then he came up to the boy and gave him a root[FN#387] of sweet
basil, whereupon his father put forth his hand to his pouch and
brought out for him some small matter of silver, saying, "Take
thy portion, O Dervish, and wend thy ways." He took the dirhams,
but sat down on the masonry-bench alongside the shop and opposite
the boy and fell to gazing upon him and heaving sigh upon sigh,
whilst his tears flowed like springs founting. The folk began to
look at him and remark upon him, some saying, "All Dervishes are
lewd fellows," and other some, "Verily, this Dervish's heart is
set on fire for love of this lad." Now when Abd al-Rahman saw
this case, he arose and said to the boy, "Come, O my son, let us
lock up the shop and hie us home, for it booteth not to sell and
buy this day; and may Almighty Allah requite thy mother that
which she hath done with us, for she was the cause of all this!"
Then said he, "O Dervish, rise, that I may shut my shop." So the
Dervish rose and the merchant shut his shop and taking his son,
walked away. The Dervish and the folk followed them, till they
reached their place, when the boy went in and his father, turning
to the Dervish, said to him, "What wouldst thou, O Dervish, and
why do I see thee weep?" He replied, "O my lord, I would fain be
thy guest this night, for the guest is the guest of Almighty
Allah." Quoth the merchant, "Welcome to the guest of God: enter,
O Dervish!"--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
saying her permitted say.

When it was the Nine Hundred and Sixty-fifth Night,

She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
merchant, the father of Kamar al-Zaman, heard the saying of the
Dervish, "I am Allah's guest," he replied, "Welcome to the guest
of God: enter, O Dervish!" But he said to himself, "An the beggar
be enamoured of the boy and sue him for sin, needs must I slay
him this very night and bury him secretly. But, an there be no
lewdness in him, the guest shall eat his portion." Then he
brought him into a saloon, where he left him with Kamar al-Zaman,
after he had said privily to the lad, "O my son, sit thou beside
the Dervish when I am gone out and sport with him and provoke him
to love-liesse and if he seek of thee lewdness, I who will be
watching you from the window overlooking the saloon will come
down to him and kill him." So, as soon as Kamar al-Zaman was
alone in the room with the Dervish, he sat down by his side and
the old man began to look upon him and sigh and weep. Whenever
the lad bespake him, he answered him kindly, trembling the while
and would turn to him groaning and crying, and thus he did till
supper was brought in, when he fell to eating, with his eyes on
the boy but refrained not from shedding tears. When a fourth part
of the night was past and talk was ended and sleep-tide came, Abd
al-Rahman said to the lad, "O my son, apply thyself to the
service of thine uncle the Dervish and gainsay him not:" and
would have gone out; but the Dervish cried to him, "O my lord,
carry thy son with thee or sleep with us." Answered the merchant,
"Nay, my son shall lie with thee: haply thy soul may desire
somewhat, and he will look to thy want and wait upon thee." Then
he went out leaving them both together, and sat down in an
adjoining room which had a window giving upon the saloon. Such
was the case with the merchant; but as to the lad, as soon as his
sire had left them, he came up to the Dervish and began to
provoke him and offer himself to him, whereupon he waxed wroth
and said, "What talk is this, O my son? I take refuge with Allah
from Satan the Stoned! O my Lord, indeed this is a denial of Thee
which pleaseth Thee not! Avaunt from me, O my son!" So saying,
the Dervish arose and sat down at a distance; but the boy
followed him and threw himself upon him, saying, "Why, O Dervish,
wilt thou deny thyself the joys of my possession, and I with a
heart that loveth thee?" Hereupon the Dervish's anger redoubled
and he said, "An thou refrain not from me, I will summon thy sire
and tell him of thy doings." Quoth the lad, "My father knoweth my
turn for this and it may not be that he will hinder me: so heal
thou my heart. Why dost thou hold off from me? Do I not please
thee?" Answered the Dervish, "By Allah, O my son, I will not do
this, though I be hewn in pieces with sharp-edged swords!"; and
he repeated the saying of the poet,

"Indeed my heart loves all the lovely boys * As girls; nor am I
slow to such delight,
But, though I sight them every night and morn, * I'm neither of
Lot's folk[FN#388] nor wencher-wight."

Then he shed tears and said, "Arise, open the door, that I may
wend my way, for I will lie no longer in this lodging." Therewith
he rose to his feet; but the boy caught hold of him, saying,
"Look at the fairness of my face and the cramoisy of my cheeks
and the softness of my sides and the lusciousness of my lips."
Moreover he discovered to him calves that would shame wine and
cupcarrier[FN#389] and gazed on him with fixed glance that would
baffle enchanter and enchantments; for he was passing of
loveliness and full of blandishment, even as saith of him one of
the poets who sang,

"I can't forget him, since he rose and showed with fair design *
Those calves of legs whose pearly shine make light in
nightly gloom:
Wonder not an my flesh uprise as though 'twere Judgment-day *
When every shank shall bared be and that is Day of
Doom."[FN#390]

Then the boy displayed to him his bosom, saying, "Look at my
breasts which be goodlier than the breasts of maidens and my
lip-dews are sweeter than sugar-candy. So quit scruple and
asceticism and cast off devoutness and abstinence and take thy
fill of my possession and enjoy my loveliness. Fear naught, for
thou art safe from hurt, and leave this hebetude for 'tis a bad
habit." And he went on to discover to him his hidden beauties,
striving to turn the reins of his reason with his bendings in
graceful guise, whilst the Dervish turned away his face and said,
"I seek refuge with Allah! Have some shame, O my son![FN#391]
This is a forbidden thing I deem and I will not do it, no, not
even in dream." The boy pressed upon him, but the Dervish got
free from him and turning towards Meccah addressed himself to his
devotions. Now when the boy saw him praying, he left him till he
had prayed a two-bow prayer and saluted,[FN#392] when he would
have accosted him again; but the Dervish again repeated the
intent[FN#393] and prayed a second two-bow prayer, and thus he
did a third and a fourth and a fifth time. Quoth the lad, "What
prayers are these? Art thou minded to take flight upon the
clouds? Thou lettest slip our delight, whilst thou passest the
whole night in the prayer-niche." So saying, he threw himself
upon the Dervish and kissed him between the eyes; but the Shaykh
said, "O my son, put Satan away from thine estate and take upon
thee obedience of the Compassionate." Quoth the other, "An thou
do not with me that which I desire, I will call my sire and say
to him, The Dervish is minded to do lewdness with me. Whereupon
he will come in to thee and beat thee till thy bones be broken
upon thy flesh." All this while Abd al-Rahman was watching with
his eyes and hearkening with his ears, and he was certified that
there was no frowardness in the Dervish and he said to himself,
"Were he a lewd fellow, he had not stood out against all this
importunity." The boy continued to beguile the Dervish and every
time he expressed purpose of prayer, he interrupted him, till at
last he waxed wroth with passing wrath and was rough with him and
beat him. Kamar al-Zaman wept and his father came in and having
wiped away his tears and comforted him said to the Dervish, "O my
brother, since thou art in such case, why didst thou weep and
sigh when thou sawest my son? Say me, is there a reason for
this?" He replied, "There is;" and Abd al-Rahman pursued, "When I
saw thee weep at his sight, I deemed evil of thee and bade the
boy do with thee thus, that I might try thee, purposing in
myself, if I saw thee sue him for sin, to come in upon thee and
kill thee. But, when I saw what thou didst, I knew thee for one
of those who are virtuous to the end. Now Allah upon thee, tell
me the cause of thy weeping!" The Dervish sighed and said, "O my
lord, chafe not a closed[FN#394] wound." But the merchant said,
"There is no help but thou tell me;" and the other began, "Know
thou that I am a Dervish who wander in the lands and the
countries, and take warning by the display[FN#395] of the Creator
of Night and Day. It chanced that one Friday I entered the city
of Bassorah in the undurn."--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and ceased to say her permitted say.

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

She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
Dervish said to the merchant, "Know, then, that I a wandering
mendicant chanced one Friday to enter the city of Bassorah in the
undurn and saw the shops open and full of all manner of wares and
meat and drink; but the place was deserted and therein was
neither man nor woman nor girl nor boy: nor in the markets and
the main streets was there dog or cat nor sounded sound nor
friend was found. I marvelled at this end and said to myself, 'I
wonder whither the people of the city be gone with their cats and
dogs and what hath Allah done with them?' Now I was anhungred so
I took hot bread from a baker's oven and going into the shop of
an oilman, spread the bread with clarified butter and honey and
ate. Then I entered the shop of a sherbet-seller and drank what I
would; after which, seeing a coffee-shop open, I went in and
found the pots on the fire, full of coffee;[FN#396] but there was
no one there. So I drank my fill and said, 'Verily, this is a
wondrous thing! It seemeth as though Death had stricken the
people of this city and they had all died this very hour, or as
if they had taken fright at something which befel them and fled,
without having time to shut their shops.' Now whilst pondering
this matter, lo! I heard a sound of a band of drums beating;
whereat I was afraid and hid myself for a while: then, looking
out through a crevice, I saw damsels, like moons, come walking
through the market, two by two, with uncovered heads and faces
displayed. They were in forty pairs, thus numbering fourscore and
in their midst a young lady, riding on a horse that could hardly
move his legs for that which was upon it of silvern trappings and
golden and jewelled housings. Her face was wholly unveiled, and
she was adorned with the costliest ornaments and clad in the
richest of raiment and about her neck she wore a collar of gems
and on her bosom were necklaces of gold; her wrists were clasped
with bracelets which sparkled like stars, and her ankles with
bangles of gold set with precious stones. The slave-girls walked
before her and behind and on her right and left and in front of
her was a damsel bearing in baldric a great sword, with grip of
emerald and tassels of jewel-encrusted gold. When that young lady
came to where I lay hid, she pulled up her horse and said, 'O
damsels, I hear a noise of somewhat within yonder shop: so do ye
search it, lest haply there be one hidden there, with intent to
enjoy a look at us, whilst we have our faces unveiled.' So they
searched the shop opposite the coffee-house[FN#397] wherein I lay
hid, whilst I abode in terror; and presently I saw them come
forth with a man and they said to her, 'O our lady, we found a
man there and here he is before thee.' Quoth she to the damsel
with the sword, 'Smite his neck.' So she went up to him and
struck off his head; then, leaving the dead man lying on the
ground, they passed on. When I saw this, I was affrighted; but my
heart was taken with love of the young lady. After an hour or so,
the people reappeared and every one who had a shop entered it;
whilst the folk began to come and go about the bazars and
gathered around the slain man, staring at him as a curiosity.
Then I crept forth from my hiding place by stealth, and none took
note of me, but love of that lady had gotten possession of my
heart, and I began to enquire of her privily. None, however, gave
me news of her; so I left Bassorah, with vitals yearning for her
love; and when I came upon this thy son, I saw him to be the
likest of all creatures to the young lady; wherefore he reminded
me of her and his sight revived the fire of passion in me and
kindled anew in my heart the flames of love-longing and
distraction. And such is the cause of my shedding tears!" Then he
wept with sore weeping till he could no more and said, "O my
lord, I conjure thee by Allah, open the door to me, so I may gang
my gait!" Accordingly Abd al-Rahman opened the door and he went
forth. Thus fared it with him; but as regards Kamar al-Zaman,
when he heard the Dervish's story, his heart was taken with love
of the lady and passion gat the mastery of him and raged in him
longing and distraction; so, on the morrow, he said to his sire,
"All the sons of the merchants wander about the world to attain
their desire, nor is there one of them but his father provideth
for him a stock-in-trade wherewithal he may travel and traffic
for gain. Why, then, O my father, dost thou not outfit me with
merchandise, so I may fare with it and find my luck?" He replied,
"O my son, such merchants lack money; so they send their sons to
foreign parts for the sake of profit and pecuniary gain and
provision of the goods of the world. But I have monies in plenty
nor do I covet more: why then should I exile thee? Indeed, I
cannot brook to be parted from thee an hour, more especially as
thou art unique in beauty and loveliness and perfect grace and I
fear for thee." But Kamar al-Zaman said, "O my father, nothing
will serve but thou must furnish me with merchandise wherewithal
to travel; else will I fly from thee at unawares though without
money or merchandise. So, an thou wish to solace my heart, make
ready for me a stock-in-trade, that I may travel and amuse myself
by viewing the countries of men." Abd al-Rahman, seeing his son
enamoured of travel, acquainted his wife with this, saying,
"Verily thy son would have me provide him with goods, so he may
fare therewith to far regions, albeit Travel is Travail."[FN#398]
Quoth she, "What is there to displease thee in this? Such is the
wont of the sons of the merchants and they all vie one with other
in glorifying globe-trotting and gain." Quoth he, "Most of the
merchants are poor and seek growth of good; but I have wealth
galore." She replied, "More of a good thing hurteth not; and, if
thou comply not with his wish, I will furnish him with goods of
my own monies." Quoth Abd al-Rahman, "I fear strangerhood for
him, inasmuch as travel is the worst of trouble;" but she said,
"There is no harm in strangerhood for him when it leadeth to
gaining good; and, if we consent not, our son will go away and we
shall seek him and not find him and be dishonoured among the
folk." The merchant accepted his wife's counsel and provided his
son with merchandise to the value of ninety thousand gold pieces,
whilst his mother gave him a purse containing forty bezel-stones,
jewels of price, the least of the value of one of which was five
hundred ducats, saying, "O my son, be careful of this jewellery
for 'twill be of service to thee." Thereupon Kamar al-Zaman took
the jewels and set out for Bassorah,--And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

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

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Kamar
al-Zaman took the jewels and set out for Bassorah after he had
laid them in a belt, which he buckled about his waist; and he
stayed not till there remained aught but a day's journey between
that city and himself; when the Arabs came out upon him and
stripped him naked and slew his men and servants; but he laid
himself down among the slain and wallowed in their blood, so that
the wildlings took him for dead and left him without even turning
him over and made off with their booty. When the Arabs had gone
their ways, Kamar al-Zaman arose, having naught left but the
jewels in his girdle, and fared on nor ceased faring till he came
to Bassorah. It chanced that his entry was on a Friday and the
town was void of folk, even as the Dervish had informed him. He
found the market-streets deserted and the shops wide open and
full of goods; so he ate and drank and looked about him.
Presently, he heard a band of drums beating and hid himself in a
shop, till the slave-girls came up, when he looked at them; and,
seeing the young lady riding amongst them, love and longing
overcame him and desire and distraction overpowered him, so that
he had no force to stand. After awhile, the people reappeared and
the bazars filled. Whereupon he went to the market and repairing
to a jeweller and pulling out one of his forty gems sold it for a
thousand dinars, wherewith he returned to his place and passed
the night there; and when morning morrowed he changed his clothes
and going to the Hamman came forth as he were the full moon. Then
he sold other four stones for four thousand dinars and sauntered
solacing himself about the main streets of Bassorah, clad in the
costliest of clothes; till he came to a market, where he saw a
barber's shop. So he went in to the barber who shaved his head;
and, clapping up an acquaintance with him, said to him, "O my
father, I am a stranger in these parts and yesterday I entered
this city and found it void of folk, nor was there in it any
living soul, man nor Jinni. Then I saw a troop of slave-girls and
amongst them a young lady riding in state:" and he went on to
tell him all he had seen. Said the barber, "O my son, hast thou
told any but me of this?"; and he said, "No." The other rejoined,
"Then, O my son, beware thou mention this before any but me; for
all folk cannot keep a secret and thou art but a little lad and I
fear lest the talk travel from man to man, till it reach those
whom it concerneth and they slay thee. For know, O my son, that
this thou hast seen, none ever kenned nor knew in other than this
city. As for the people of Bassorah they are dying of this annoy;
for every Friday forenoon they shut up the dogs and cats, to
hinder them from going about the market-streets, and all the
people of the city enter the cathedral-mosques, where they lock
the doors on them[FN#399] and not one of them can pass about the
bazar nor even look out of casement; nor knoweth any the cause of
this calamity. But, O my son, to-night I will question my wife
concerning the reason thereof, for she is a midwife and entereth
the houses of the notables and knoweth all the city news. So
Inshallah, do thou come to me to-morrow and I will tell thee what
she shall have told me." With this Kamar al-Zaman pulled out a
handful of gold and said to him, "O my father, take this gold and
give it to thy wife, for she is become my mother." Then he gave
him a second handful, saying, "Take this for thyself." Whereupon
quoth the barber, "O my son, sit thou in thy place, till I go to
my wife and ask her and bring the news of the true state of the
case." So saying, he left him in the shop and going home,
acquainted his wife with the young man's case, saying, "I would
have thee tell me the truth of this city-business, so I may
report it to this young merchant, for he hath set his heart on
weeting the reason why men and beasts are forbidden the
market-streets every Friday forenoon; and methinks he is a lover,
for he is openhanded and liberal, and if we tell him what he
would trow, we shall get great good of him." Quoth she, "Go back
and say to him, 'Come, speak with thy mother, my wife, who
sendeth her salam to thee and saith to thee, Thy wish is won.'"
Accordingly he returned to the shop, where he found Kamar
al-Zaman sitting awaiting him and repeated him the very words
spoken by his spouse. Then he carried him in to her and she
welcomed him and bade him sit down; whereupon he pulled out an
hundred ducats and gave them to her, saying, "O my mother, tell
me who this young lady may be." Said she, "Know, O my son, that
there came a gem to the Sultan of Bassorah from the King of Hind,
and he was minded to have it pierced. So he summoned all the
jewellers in a body and said to them, 'I wish you to drill me
this jewel. Whoso pierceth it, I will give him whatsoever he
shall ask; but if he break it, I will cut off his head.' At this
they were afraid and said, 'O King of the age, a jewel is soon
spoilt and there are few who can pierce them without injury, for
most of them have a flaw. So do not thou impose upon us a task to
which we are unable; for our hands cannot avail to drill this
jewel. However, our Shaykh[FN#400] is more experienced than we.'
Asked the King, 'And who is your Shaykh?'; and they answered,
'Master Obayd: he is more versed than we in this art and hath
wealth galore and of skill great store. Therefore do thou send
for him to the presence and bid him pierce thee this jewel.'
Accordingly the King sent for Obayd and bade him pierce the
jewel, imposing on him the condition aforesaid. He took it and
pierced it to the liking of the King who said to him, 'Ask a boon
of me, O master'; and said he, 'O King of the age, allow me delay
till to-morrow.' Now the reason of this was that he wished to
take counsel with his wife, who is the young lady thou sawest
riding in procession; for he loveth her with exceeding love, and
of the greatness of his affection for her, he doth naught without
consulting her; wherefore he put off asking till the morrow. When
he went home, he said to her, 'I have pierced the King a jewel
and he hath granted me a boon which I deferred asking till
to-morrow, that I might consult thee. Now what dost thou wish,
that I may ask it?' Quoth she, 'We have riches such as fires may
not consume; but, an thou love me, ask of the King to make
proclamation in the streets of Bassorah that all the townsfolk
shall every Friday enter the mosques, two hours before the hour
of prayer, so none may abide in the town at all great or small
except they be in the mosques or in the houses and the doors be
locked upon them, and that every shop of the town be left open.
Then will I ride with my slave-women through the heart of the
city and none shall look on me from window or lattice; and every
one whom I find abroad I will kill.'[FN#401] So he went in to the
King and begged of him this boon, which he granted him and caused
proclamation to be made amongst the Bassorites,"--And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

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