Chapter VI
COMMENCING WITH PART OF THE THIRTY-SECOND NIGHT, AND ENDING WITH PART OF THIS THIRTY-SIXTH.
THE STORY OF NOOR-ED-DEEN AND ENEES-EL-JELEES.[VI_1]
There was, in El-Baṣrah, a certain King who loved the poor and indigent, and regarded his subjects with benevolence; he bestowed of his wealth upon him who believed in Moḥammad (God bless and save him!) and was such as one of the poets who have written of him hath thus described:--
He used his lances as pens; and the hearts of his enemies, as paper; their blood being his ink: And hence, I imagine, our forefathers applied to the lance the term Khaṭṭeeyeh.[VI_2]
The name of this King was Moḥammad the son of Suleymán Ez-Zeynee; and he had two Wezeers; one of whom was named El-Mo'een[VI_3] the son of Sáwee; and the other, El-Faḍl[VI_4] the son of Kháḳán. El-Faḍl the son of Kháḳán was the most generous of the people of his age, upright in conduct, so that all hearts agreed in loving him, and the wise complied with his counsel, and all the people supplicated for him length of life; for he was a person of auspicious aspect,[VI_5] a preventer of evil and mischief: but the Wezeer El-Mo'een the son of Sáwee hated others, and loved not good; he was a man of inauspicious aspect; and in the same degree that the people loved Faḍl-ed-Deen the son of Kháḳán, so did they abhor El-Mo'een the son of Sáwee, in accordance with the decree of the Almighty.
Now the King Moḥammad the son of Suleymán Ez-Zeynee was sitting one day upon his throne, surrounded by the officers of his court, and he called to his Wezeer El-Faḍl the son of Kháḳán, and said to him, I desire a female slave unsurpassed in beauty by any in her age, of perfect loveliness, and exquisite symmetry, and endowed with all praiseworthy qualities.--Such as this, replied his courtiers, is not to be found for less than ten thousand pieces of gold. And the Sulṭán thereupon called out to the treasurer, saying, Carry ten thousand pieces of gold to the house of El-Faḍl the son of Kháḳán. So the treasurer did as he commanded, and the Wezeer departed, after the Sulṭán had ordered him to repair every day to the market, and to commission the brokers to procure what he had described, and had commanded also that no female slave of a greater price than one thousand pieces of gold should be sold without having been shewn to the Wezeer.
The brokers, therefore, sold no female slave without shewing her to him, and he complied with the King's command, and thus he continued to do for a considerable time, no slave pleasing him: but on a certain day, one of the brokers came to the mansion of the Wezeer El-Faḍl, and found that he had mounted to repair to the palace of the King; and he laid hold upon his stirrup, and repeated these two verses:--
O thou who hast reanimated what was rotten in the state! Thou art the Wezeer ever aided by Heaven. Thou hast revived the noble qualities that were extinct among men. May thy conduct never cease to be approved by God!
He then said, O my master, the female slave for the procuring of whom the noble mandate was issued hath arrived. The Wezeer replied, Bring her hither to me. So the man returned, and, after a short absence, came again, accompanied by a damsel of elegant stature, high-bosomed, with black eyelashes, and smooth cheek, and slender waist, and large hips, clad in the handsomest apparel; the moisture of her lips was sweeter than sirup; her figure put to shame the branches of the Oriental willow; and her speech was more soft than the zephyr passing over the flowers of the garden; as one of her describers hath thus expressed:--
Her skin is like silk, and her speech is soft, neither redundant nor deficient: Her eyes, God said to them, Be,--and they were, affecting men's hearts with the potency of wine. May my love for her grow more warm each night, and cease not until the day of judgment! The locks on her brow are dark as night, while her forehead shines like the gleam of morning.
When the Wezeer beheld her, she pleased him extremely, and he looked towards the broker, and said to him, What is the price of this damsel? The broker answered, The price bidden for her hath amounted to ten thousand pieces of gold, and her owner hath sworn that this sum doth not equal the cost of the chickens which she hath eaten, nor the cost of the dresses which she hath bestowed upon her teachers; for she hath learnt writing and grammar and lexicology, and the interpretation of the Ḳur-án, and the fundamentals of law and religion, and medicine, and the computation of the calendar, and the art of playing upon musical instruments. The Wezeer then said, Bring to me her master:--and the broker immediately brought him; and lo, he was a foreigner, who had lived so long that time had reduced him to bones and skin, as the poet hath said,--
How hath time made me to tremble! For time is powerful and severe. I used to walk without being weary; but now I am weary and do not walk.
And the Wezeer said to him, Art thou content to receive for this damsel ten thousand pieces of gold from the Sulṭán Moḥammad the son of Suleymán Ez-Zeynee? The foreigner answered, As she is for the Sulṭán, it is incumbent on me to give her as a present to him, without price.[VI_6] So the Wezeer, upon this, ordered that the money should be brought, and then weighed the pieces of gold for the foreigner; after which, the slave-broker addressed the Wezeer, and said, With the permission of our lord the Wezeer, I will speak.--Impart what thou hast to say, replied the Wezeer.--It is my opinion, then, said the broker, that thou shouldst not take up this damsel to the Sulṭán to-day; for she hath just arrived from her journey, and the change of air hath affected her, and the journey hath fatigued her; but rather let her remain with thee in thy palace ten days, that she may take rest, and her beauty will improve: then cause her to be taken into the bath, and attire her in clothes of the handsomest description, and go up with her to the Sulṭán: so shalt thou experience more abundant good fortune. And the Wezeer considered the advice of the slave-broker, and approved it. He therefore took her into his palace, and gave her a private apartment to herself, allotting her every day what she required of food and drink and other supplies, and she continued a while in this state of enjoyment.
Now the Wezeer El-Faḍl had a son like the shining full moon, with brilliant countenance, and red cheek, marked with a mole like a globule of ambergris, and with grey down. The youth knew not of this damsel, and his father had charged her, saying, Know that I have purchased thee for the King Moḥammad the son of Suleymán Ez-Zeynee, and that I have a son who hath not left a girl in the quarter without making love to her: therefore keep thyself concealed from him, and beware of shewing him thy face, or suffering him to hear thy voice. The damsel replied, I hear and obey:--and he left her and departed. And it happened, as fate had ordained, that she went one day into the bath which was in the house, and, after certain of the female slaves had bathed her, she attired herself in rich apparel, and her beauty and loveliness increased in consequence. She then went in to the Wezeer's wife, and kissed her hand, and she said to her, May it be favourable,[VI_7] O Enees-el-Jelees! How didst thou find this bath?--O my mistress, she answered, I wanted nothing but thy presence there. And upon this, the mistress of the house said to the female slaves, Arise, and let us go into the bath. And they complied with her command, and went, accompanied by their mistress, who first charged two young slave-girls to keep the door of the private apartment in which was Enees-el-Jelees, saying to them, Suffer no one to go in to the damsel:--and they replied, We hear and obey. But while Enees-el-Jelees was sitting in her chamber, lo, the Wezeer's son, whose name was 'Alee Noor-ed-Deen, came in, and asked after his mother and the family. The two girls answered, They are gone into the bath. Now the damsel Enees-el-Jelees heard the speech of 'Alee Noor-ed-Deen as she sat in her chamber, and she said within herself, I wonder what this youth is like, of whom the Wezeer hath told me that he hath not left a girl in the quarter without making love to her: by Allah, I have a desire to see him. She then rose upon her feet, fresh as she was from the bath, and, approaching the door of the chamber, looked at 'Alee Noor-ed-Deen, and beheld him to be a youth like the full moon. The sight of him occasioned her a thousand sighs; and a look from the youth, at her, affected him also in the same manner. Each was caught in the snare of the other's love, and the youth approached the two slave-girls, and cried out at them; whereupon they fled from before him, and stopped at a distance, looking to see what he would do. He then advanced to the door of the chamber, and, opening it, went in, and said to the damsel, Art thou she whom my father hath purchased for me? She answered, Yes. And upon this, the youth, who was in a state of intoxication, went up to her, and embraced her, while she, in like manner, threw her arms around his neck, and kissed him. But the two slave-girls, having seen their young master enter the chamber of the damsel Enees-el-Jelees, cried out. The youth, therefore, soon ran forth, and fled for safety, fearing the consequence of his intrusion; and when the mistress of the house heard the cry of the two slave-girls, she came out dripping from the bath, saying, What is the cause of this cry in the house? And when she drew near to the two slave-girls whom she had placed at the door of the private chamber, she said to them, Wo to you! What is the matter?--They answered, as soon as they beheld her, Our master 'Alee Noor-ed-Deen came to us and beat us, and we fled from him, and he went into the chamber of Enees-el-Jelees, and when we cried out to thee he fled. The mistress of the house then went to Enees-el-Jelees, and said to her, What is the news?--O my mistress, she answered, as I was sitting here, a youth of handsome person came in to me, and said to me, Art thou she whom my father hath purchased for me?--And I answered, Yes.--By Allah, O my mistress, I believed that what he said was true; and he came up to me and embraced me, and kissed me three times, and he left me overcome by his love.
Upon this, the mistress of the house wept, and slapped her face, and her female slaves did the like, fearing for 'Alee Noor-ed-Deen, lest his father should slay him; and while they were in this state, lo, the Wezeer came in, and inquired what had happened. His wife said to him, Swear that thou wilt listen to that which I shall say. He replied, Well. So she told him what his son had done; and he mourned, and rent his clothes, and slapped his face, and plucked his beard. His wife then said to him, Kill not thyself. I will give thee, of my own property, ten thousand pieces of gold, her price.--But upon this, he raised his head towards her, and said to her, Wo to thee! I want not her price; but I fear the loss of my life and my property.--Wherefore, O my master? she asked.--Knowest thou not, said he, that we have this enemy El-Mo'een the son of Sáwee? When he heareth of this event, he will repair to the Sulṭán, and say to him, Thy Wezeer whom thou imaginest to love thee hath received from thee ten thousand pieces of gold, and purchased therewith a female slave such as no one hath seen equalled, and when she pleased him, he said to his son, Take her; for thou art more worthy of her than the Sulṭán:--and he took her; and the damsel is now with him.--Then the King will say, Thou liest. And he will say to the King, With thy permission, I will break in upon him suddenly, and bring her to thee. And he will give him permission to do so: he will therefore make a sudden attack upon the house, and take the damsel, and conduct her into the presence of the Sulṭán, and he will question her, and she will not be able to deny: he will then say, O my lord, I give thee good counsel, but I am not in favour with thee:--and the Sulṭán will make an example of me, and all the people will make me a gazing-stock, and my life will be lost.--His wife, however, replied, Acquaint no one; for this thing hath happened privily: commit, therefore, thine affair unto God, in this extremity. And upon this, the heart of the Wezeer was quieted, and his mind was relieved.
Such was the case of the Wezeer.--Now as to Noor-ed-Deen, he feared the result of his conduct, and so passed each day in the gardens, not returning to his mother until towards the close of the night: he then slept in her apartment, and rose before morning without being seen by any one else. Thus he continued to do so for the space of a month, not seeing the face of his father; and at length his mother said to his father, O my master, wilt thou lose the damsel and lose the child? For if it long continue thus with the youth, he will flee his country.--And what is to be done? said he. She answered, Sit up this night, and when he cometh, lay hold upon him, and be reconciled to him, and give him the damsel; for she loveth him, and he loveth her; and I will give thee her price. So the Wezeer sat up the whole night, and when his son came, he laid hold upon him, and would have cut his throat;[VI_8] but his mother came to his succour, and said to her husband, What dost thou desire to do unto him? He answered her, I desire to slay him. The youth then said to his father, Am I of so small account in thy estimation? And upon this, the eyes of his father filled with tears, and he said to him, O my son, is the loss of my property and my life of small account with thee?--Listen, O my father, rejoined the youth:--and he implored his forgiveness. So the Wezeer rose from the breast of his son, and was moved with compassion for him; and the youth rose, and kissed his father's hand; and the Wezeer said, O my son, if I knew that thou wouldst act equitably to Enees-el-Jelees, I would give her to thee.--O my father, replied the youth, wherefore should I not act equitably towards her? And his father said, I charge thee, O my son, that thou take not a wife to share her place, and that thou do her no injury, nor sell her. He replied, O my father, I swear to thee that I will neither take a wife to share her place, nor sell her:--and he promised him by oaths to act as he had said, and took up his abode with the damsel, and remained with her a year; and God (whose name be exalted!) caused the King to forget the affair of the female slave; but the matter became known to El-Mo'een the son of Sáwee; yet he could not speak of it, on account of the high estimation in which the other Wezeer was held by the Sulṭán.
After this year had expired, the Wezeer Faḍl-ed-Deen the son of Kháḳán entered the oath, and came out in a state of excessive perspiration, in consequence of which the external air smote him, so that he became confined to his bed, and long remained sleepless; and his malady continued unremittingly; so he called, thereupon, his son 'Alee Noor-ed-Deen, and when he came before him, said to him, O my son, verily the means of life are apportioned, and its period is decreed, and every soul must drink the cup of death. I have nothing with which to charge thee but the fear of God, and forethought with regard to the results of thine actions, and that thou conduct thyself kindly to the damsel Enees-el-Jelees.--O my father, said the youth, who is like unto thee? Thou hast been celebrated for virtuous actions, and the praying of the preachers for thee on the pulpits.--O my son, rejoined the Wezeer, I hope for the approbation of God, whose name be exalted! And then he pronounced the two professions of the faith,[VI_9] and uttered a sigh, and was recorded among the company of the blest. And upon this, the palace was filled with shrieking, and the news reached the ears of the Sulṭán, and the people of the city heard of the death of El-Faḍl the son of Kháḳán, and even the boys in the schools wept for him.[VI_10] His son 'Alee Noor-ed-Deen arose, and prepared his funeral, and the Emeers and Wezeers and other officers of the state attended it, and among them was the Wezeer El-Mo'een the Son of Sáwee; and as the procession passed out from the mansion, one of the mourners recited these verses:--
I said to the man who was appointed to wash him,--Would that he had yielded obedience to my counsel,-- Put away from him the water, and wash him with the tears of honour, shed in lamentation for him: And remove these fragrant substances collected for his corpse, and perfume him rather with the odours of his praise: And order the noble angels to carry him, in honour. Dost thou not behold them attending him? Cause not men's necks to be strained by bearing him: enough are they laden already by his benefits.[VI_11]
'Alee Noor-ed-Deen for a long time remained in a state of violent grief for the loss of his father; but as he was sitting one day in his father's house, a person knocked at the door, and he rose up and opened it, and lo, there was a man who was one of his father's intimate companions, and he kissed the hand of Noor-ed-Deen, and said to him, O my master, he who hath left a son like thee hath not died. This is the destination of the lord of the first and the last among mankind.[VI_12] O my master, cheer up thy heart, and give over mourning.--And upon this, 'Alee Noor-ed-Deen arose, and went to the guest-chamber, and removed thither all that he required, and his companions came together to him, and he took again his slave. Ten of the sons of the merchants became his associates, and he gave entertainment after entertainment, and began to be lavish with presents. His steward, therefore, came in to him, and said to him, O my master Noor-ed-Deen, hast thou not heard the saying, He who expendeth and doth not calculate is reduced to poverty? This profuse expenditure, and these magnificent presents, will annihilate the property.--But when 'Alee Noor-ed-Deen heard these words of his steward, he looked at him, and replied, Of all that thou hast said to me, I will not attend to one word. How excellent is the saying of the poet:--
If I be possessed of wealth and be not liberal, may my hand never be extended, nor my foot raised! Shew me the avaricious who hath attained glory by his avarice, and the munificent who hath died through his munificence.[VI_13]
Know, O Steward, he continued, that if there remain in thy hands what will suffice for my dinner, thou shalt not burden me with anxiety respecting my supper.--So the steward left him, and went his way; and 'Alee Noor-ed-Deen resumed his habits of extravagant generosity: whenever any one of his companions said, Verily this thing is beautiful!--he would reply, It is a present to thee:--and if any said, O my master, verily such a house is delightful!--he would reply, It is a present to thee.
He ceased not to give entertainments to his companions from the commencement of day, one after another, until he had passed in this manner a whole year; after which, as he was sitting with them, he heard the slave-girl recite these two verses:--
Thou thoughtest well of the days when they went well with thee, and fearedst not the evil that destiny was bringing. Thy nights were peaceful, and thou wast deceived by them: in the midst of their brightness there cometh gloom.
And immediately after, a person knocked at the door: so Noor-ed-Deen rose, and one of his companions followed him without his knowledge; and when he opened the door, he beheld his steward, and said to him, What is the news?--O my master, answered the steward, that which I feared on thy account hath happened to thee.--How is that? asked Noor-ed-Deen. The steward answered, Know that there remaineth not of thy property in my hands, anything equivalent to a piece of silver, or less than a piece of silver; and these are the accounts of thy expenses, and of thy original property. When 'Alee Noor-ed-Deen heard these words, he hung down his head towards the ground, and exclaimed, There is no strength nor power but in God! And the man who had followed him secretly to pry into his case, as soon as he heard what the steward told him, returned to his companions, and said to them, See what ye will do; for 'Alee Noor-ed-Deen hath become a bankrupt. So when Noor-ed-Deen returned to them, grief appeared to them in his countenance, and immediately one of them rose, and, looking towards him, said to him, O my master, I desire that thou wouldst permit me to depart.--Why thus depart to-day? said Noor-ed-Deen. His guest answered, My wife is to give birth to a child this night, and it is impossible for me to be absent from her: I desire, therefore, to go and see her. And he gave him leave. Then another rose, and said to him, O my master Noor-ed-Deen, I desire to-day to visit my brother; for he celebrateth the circumcision of his son. Thus each of them asked leave of him deceitfully, and went his way, until all had departed.
So 'Alee Noor-ed-Deen remained alone; and he called his slave-girl, and said to her, O Enees-el-Jelees, seest thou not what hath befallen me? And he related to her what the steward had told him. She replied, O my master, for some nights past, I have been anxious to speak to thee of this affair; but I heard thee reciting these two verses:--
When fortune is liberal to thee, be thou liberal to all others before she escape from thee: For liberality will not annihilate thy wealth when she is favourable; nor avarice preserve it when she deserteth thee.
And when I heard thee repeat these words, I was silent, and would not make any remark to thee.--O Enees-el-Jelees, he rejoined, thou knowest that I have not expended my wealth but on my companions; and I do not think that they will abandon me without relief.--By Allah, said she, they will be of no use to thee. But he said, I will immediately arise and go to them, and knock at their doors: perhaps I shall obtain from them something which I will employ as a capital wherewith to trade, and I will cease from diversion and sport. So he arose instantly, and proceeded without stopping until he arrived at the by-street in which his ten companions resided; for they all lived in that same street: and he advanced to the first door, and knocked; and there came forth to him a slave-girl, who said to him, Who art thou? He answered, Say to thy master,--'Alee Noor-ed-Deen is standing at the door, and saith to thee, Thy slave kisseth thy hands, looking for a favour from thee.--And the girl entered, and acquainted her master; but he called out to her, saying, Return, and tell him, He is not here.--The girl, therefore, returned to Noor-ed-Deen, and said to him, My master, Sir, is not here. And he went on, saying within myself, If this is a knave, and hath denied himself, another is not. He then advanced to the next door, and said as he had before; and the second also denied himself; and Noor-ed-Deen exclaimed,--
They are gone, who, if thou stoodest at their door, would bestow upon thee the bounty thou desirest.
By Allah, he added, I must try all of them: perchance one of them may stand me in the place of all the others. And he went round to all the ten; but found not that one of them would open the door, or shew himself, or even order him a cake of bread; and he recited the following verses:--
A man in prosperity resembleth a tree, around which people flock as long as it hath fruit; But as soon as it hath dropped all that it bore, they disperse from beneath it, and seek another. Perdition to all the people of this age! for I find not one man of integrity among ten.
He then returned to his slave: his anxiety had increased, and she said to him, O my master, said I not unto thee that they would not profit thee?--By Allah, he replied, not one of them shewed me his face.--O my master, rejoined she, sell of the moveables of the house a little at a time, and expend the produce. And he did so until he had sold all that was in the house, and there remained nothing in his possession; and upon this he looked towards Enees-el-Jelees, and said to her, What shall we do now?--It is my advice, O my master, she answered, that thou arise immediately, and take me to the market, and sell me; for thou knowest that thy father purchased me for ten thousand pieces of gold, and perhaps God may open to thee a way to obtain a part of this price; and if God have decreed our reunion, we shall meet again. But he replied, O Enees-el-Jelees, it is not easy for me to endure thy separation for one hour.--Nor is the like easy to me, said she: but necessity is imperious. And upon this, he took Enees-el-Jelees, his tears flowing down his cheeks, and went and delivered her to the broker, saying to him, Know the value of that which thou art to cry for sale.--O my master Noor-ed-Deen, replied the broker, noble qualities are held in remembrance. Is she not Enees-el-Jelees, whom thy father purchased of me for ten thousand pieces of gold?--He answered, Yes. And the broker thereupon went to the merchants; but he found that they had not all yet assembled; so he waited until the rest had come, and the market was filled with all varieties of female slaves, Turkish and Greek and Circassian and Georgian and Abyssinian; and when he beheld its crowded state, he arose and exclaimed, O merchants! O possessors of wealth! everything that is round is not a nut; nor is everything long, a banana; nor is everything that is red, meat; nor is everything white, fat; nor is everything that is ruddy, wine; nor is everything tawny, a date! O merchants! this precious pearl, whose value no money can equal, with what sum will ye open the bidding for her?--And one of the merchants answered, With four thousand and five hundred pieces of gold.[VI_14]
But, lo, the Wezeer El-Mo'een the son of Sáwee was in the market, and, seeing 'Alee Noor-ed-Deen standing there, he said within himself, What doth he want here, having nothing left wherewith to purchase female slaves? Then casting his eyes around, and hearing the broker as he stood crying in the market with the merchants around him, he said within himself, I do not imagine anything else than that he hath become a bankrupt, and come forth with the slave-girl to sell her; and if this be the case, how pleasant to my heart! He then called the crier, who approached him, and kissed the ground before him;[VI_15] and the Wezeer said to him, I desire this female slave whom thou art crying for sale. The broker, therefore, being unable to oppose his wish, brought the slave and placed her before him; and when he beheld her, and considered her charms, her elegant figure and her soft speech, he was delighted with her, and said to the broker, To what has the bidding for her amounted? The broker answered, Four thousand and five hundred pieces of gold. And as soon as the merchants heard this, not one of them could bid another piece of silver or of gold; but all of them drew back, knowing the tyrannical conduct of that Wezeer. El-Mo'een the son of Sáwee then looked towards the broker, and said to him, Why standest thou still? Take away the slave-girl for me at the price of four thousand and five hundred pieces of gold, and thou wilt have five hundred for thyself.--So the broker went to 'Alee Noor-ed-Deen, and said to him, O my master, the slave-girl is lost to thee without price.--How so? said Noor-ed-Deen. The broker answered, We opened the bidding for her at four thousand and five hundred pieces of gold; but this tyrant El-Mo'een the son of Sáwee came into the market, and when he beheld the damsel she pleased him, and he said to me, Ask her owner if he will agree for four thousand pieces of gold, and five hundred for thee:--and I doubt not but he knoweth that the slave belongeth to thee; and if he give thee her price immediately, it will be through the goodness of God; but I know, from his injustice, that he will write thee an order upon some of his agents for the money, and then send to them and desire them to give thee nothing; and every time that thou shalt go to demand it of them, they will say to thee, To-morrow we will pay thee:--and they will not cease to promise thee, and to defer from day to day, notwithstanding thy pride; and when they are overcome by thy importunity they will say, Give us the written order:--and as soon as they have received the paper from thee they will tear it in pieces: so thou wilt lose the price of the slave.
When Noor-ed-Deen, therefore, heard these words of the broker, he said to him, What is to be done? The broker answered, I will give thee a piece of advice, and if thou receive it from me, thou wilt have better fortune.--What is it? asked Noor-ed-Deen.--That thou come to me immediately, answered the broker, while I am standing in the midst of the market, and take the slave-girl from me, and give her a blow with thy hand, and say to her, Wo to thee! I have expiated my oath that I swore, and brought thee to the market, because I swore to thee that thou shouldst be exposed in the market, and that the broker should cry thee for sale.--If thou do this, perhaps the trick will deceive him and the people, and they will believe that thou tookest her not to the market but to expiate the oath.--This, replied Noor-ed-Deen, is the right counsel. So the broker returned into the midst of the market, and, taking hold of the hand of the slave-girl, made a sign to the Wezeer El-Mo'een the son of Sáwee, saying, O my lord, this is her owner who hath just come. Then 'Alee Noor-ed-Deen advanced to the broker, and tore the damsel from him, and struck her with his hand, saying to her, Wo to thee! I have brought thee to the market for the sake of expiating my oath. Go home, and disobey me not again. I want not thy price, that I should sell thee; and if I sold the furniture of the house and everything else of the kind over and over again, their produce would not amount to thy price.--But when El-Mo'een the son of Sáwee beheld Noor-ed-Deen, he said to him, Wo to thee! Hast thou anything left to be sold or bought?--And he would have laid violent hands upon him. The merchants then looked towards Noor-ed-Deen (and they all loved him), and he said to them, Here am I before you, and ye have all known his tyranny.--By Allah, exclaimed the Wezeer, were it not for you, I had killed him! Then all of them made signs, one to another, with the eye, and said, Not one of us will interfere between thee and him. And upon this, 'Alee Noor-ed-Deen went up to the Wezeer, the son of Sáwee (and Noor-ed-Deen was a man of courage), and he dragged the Wezeer from his saddle, and threw him upon the ground. There was at that spot a kneading-place for mud,[VI_16] and the Wezeer fell into the midst of it, and Noor-ed-Deen beat him with his fist, and a blow fell upon his teeth, by which his beard became dyed with his blood. Now there were with the Wezeer ten memlooks, and when they saw Noor-ed-Deen treat their master in this manner, they put their hands upon the hilts of their swords, and would have fallen upon him and cut him in pieces; but the people said to them, This is a Wezeer, and this is the son of a Wezeer, and perhaps they may make peace with each other, and ye will incur the anger of both of them; or perhaps a blow may fall upon your master, and ye will all of you die the most ignominious of deaths: it is advisable, therefore, that ye interfere not between them.--And when 'Alee Noor-ed-Deen had ceased from beating the Wezeer, he took his slave-girl, and returned to his house.
The Wezeer, the son of Sáwee, then immediately arose, and his dress, which before was white, was now dyed with three colours, the colour of mud, and the colour of blood, and the colour of ashes;[VI_17] and when he beheld himself in this condition, he took a round mat,[VI_18] and hung it to his neck, and took in his hand two bundles of coarse grass,[VI_19] and went and stood beneath the palace of the Sulṭán, and cried out, O King of the age! I am oppressed!--So they brought him before the King, who looked at him attentively, and saw that he was his Wezeer, El-Mo'een the son of Sáwee. He said, therefore, Who hath done thus unto thee?--and the Wezeer cried and moaned, and repeated these two verses:--
Shall fortune oppress me while thou existest; and the dogs devour me when thou art a lion? Shall all else who are dry drink freely from thy tanks, and I thirst in thine asylum when thou art as rain?
--O my lord, he continued, thus is every one who loveth thee and serveth thee: these afflictions always befall him.--And who, said the King again, hath done thus unto thee?--Know, answered the Wezeer, that I went forth to-day to the market of the female slaves with the idea of buying a cook-maid, and saw in the market a slave-girl the like of whom I had never in my life beheld, and the broker said that she belonged to 'Alee Noor-ed-Deen. Now our lord the Sulṭán had given his father ten thousand pieces of gold to buy for him with it a beautiful female slave, and he bought that girl, and she pleased him; so he gave her to his son; and when his father died, the son pursued the path of prodigality, until he sold all his houses and gardens and utensils; and when he had become a bankrupt, nothing else remaining in his possession, he took the slave-girl to the market to sell her, and delivered her to the broker: so he cried her for sale, and the merchants continued bidding for her until her price amounted to four thousand pieces of gold; whereupon I said to myself, I will buy this for our lord the Sulṭán; for her original price was from him. I therefore said, O my son, receive her price, four thousand pieces of gold. But when he heard my words, he looked at me and replied, O ill-omened old man! I will sell her to the Jews and the Christians rather than to thee.--I then said to him, I would not buy her for myself, but for our lord the Sulṭán, who is our benefactor. As soon, however, as he had heard these words from me, he was filled with rage, and dragged me and threw me down from the horse, notwithstanding my advanced age, and beat me, and ceased not to do so until he left me in the state in which thou seest me. Nothing exposed me to all this ill treatment but my coming to purchase this slave-girl for your majesty.--The Wezeer then threw himself upon the ground, and lay weeping and trembling.
Now when the Sulṭán beheld his condition, and had heard his speech, the vein of anger swelled between his eyes, and he looked towards the members of his court who were attending him; whereupon forty swordsmen stood before him, and he said to them, Descend immediately to the house of 'Alee the son of El-Faḍl the son of Kháḳán, and plunder it and demolish it, and bring hither him and the slave-girl with their hands bound behind them: drag them along upon their faces, and so bring them before me. They replied, We hear and obey:--and went forth to repair to the house of 'Alee Noor-ed-Deen. But there was in the court of the Sulṭán a chamberlain named 'Alam-ed-Deen Senjer, who had been one of the memlooks of El-Faḍl the son of Kháḳán, the father of 'Alee Noor-ed-Deen; and when he heard the order of the Sulṭán, and saw the enemies prepared to slay his master's son, it was insupportable to him; so he mounted his horse, and proceeded to the house of 'Alee Noor-ed-Deen, and knocked at the door. Noor-ed-Deen came forth to him, and, when he saw him, knew him, and would have saluted him; but he said, O my master, this is not a time for salutation, nor for talking. Noor-ed-Deen said, O 'Alam-ed-Deen, what is the news? He replied, Save thyself by flight, thou and the slave-girl; for El-Mo'een the son of Sáwee hath set up a snare for you, and if ye fall into his hands he will slay you: the Sulṭán hath sent to you forty swordsmen, and it is my advice that ye fly before the evil fall upon you. Then Senjer stretched forth his hand to Noor-ed-Deen with some pieces of gold, and he counted them, and found them to be forty pieces; and he said, O my master, receive these, and if I had with me more, I would give it thee: but this is not a time for expostulating. And upon this, Noor-ed-Deen went in to the damsel, and acquainted her with the occurrence, and she was confounded.
The two then went forth immediately from the city, and God let down the veil of his protection upon them, and they proceeded to the bank of the river, where they found a vessel ready to sail: the master was standing in the midst of it, and saying, He who hath anything to do, whether leave-taking or procuring provisions, or who hath forgotten aught, let him do what he desireth and return; for we are going. And they all replied, We have nothing remaining to do, O master. So, upon this, the master said to his crew, Quick! Loose the rope's end, and pull up the stake.[VI_20]--And 'Alee Noor-ed-Deen exclaimed, Whither, O master? He answered, To the Abode of Peace, Baghdád. And Noor-ed-Deen embarked, and the damsel with him, and they set the vessel afloat, and spread the sails, and it shot along like a bird with its pair of wings, carrying them forward with a favourable wind.
Meanwhile, the forty men whom the Sulṭán had sent came to the house of 'Alee Noor-ed-Deen, and broke open the doors and entered, and searched all the chambers, but without success; so they demolished the house, and returned, and acquainted the Sulṭán, who said, Search for them in every place where they may be:--and they replied, We hear and obey. The Wezeer El-Mo'een the son of Sáwee then descended to his house, after the Sulṭán had invested him with a robe of honour, and had said to him, None shall take vengeance for thee but myself. And he greeted the King with a prayer for long life, and his heart was set at ease: and the Sulṭán gave orders to proclaim throughout the city, O all ye people! our lord the Sulṭán hath commanded that whoever shall meet with 'Alee Noor-ed-Deen, and bring him to the Sulṭán, shall be invested with a robe of honour, and he will give him a thousand pieces of gold; and he who shall conceal him, or know where he is, and not give information thereof, will merit the exemplary punishment that shall befall him! So all the people began to search for him; but could not trace him.--Such was the case with these people.
Now as to 'Alee Noor-ed-Deen and his slave, they arrived in safety at Baghdád, and the master of the vessel said to them, This is Baghdád, and it is a city of security: winter with its cold hath departed from it, and the spring-quarter hath come with its roses, and its trees are in blossom, and its waters are flowing. And upon this, 'Alee Noor-ed-Deen landed with his slave-girl, and gave the master five pieces of gold. They then walked a little way, and destiny cast them among the gardens, and they came to a place which they found swept and sprinkled, with long maṣṭabahs, and pots suspended filled with water, and over it was a covering of trellis-work of canes extending along the whole length of a lane, at the upper end of which was the gate of a garden; but this was shut. And Noor-ed-Deen said to the damsel, By Allah, this is a pleasant place!--and she replied, O my master, let us sit down a while upon one of these maṣṭabahs. So they mounted and seated themselves there, and they washed their faces and hands, and enjoyed the current of the zephyr, and slept.--Glory be to Him who sleepeth not!
This garden was called the Garden of Delight, and in it was a palace called the Palace of Diversion, and it belonged to the Khaleefeh Hároon Er-Rasheed, who, when his heart was contracted, used to come to this garden, and enter the palace above mentioned, and there sit. The palace had eighty latticed windows, and eighty lamps were suspended in it, and in the midst of it was a great candlestick of gold; and when the Khaleefeh entered it, he commanded the female slaves to open the windows, and ordered Is-ḥáḳ the cup-companion to sing with them: so his heart became dilated, and his anxiety ceased. There was a superintendent to the garden, an old man, named the sheykh Ibráheem; and it happened that he went forth once to transact some business, and found there persons diverting themselves with women of suspicious character, whereupon he was violently enraged, and having waited until the Khaleefeh came thither some days after, he acquainted him with this occurrence, and the Khaleefeh said, Whomsoever thou shalt find at the gate of the garden, do with him what thou wilt. Now on this day the sheykh Ibráheem went out to transact an affair of business, and found the two sleeping at the garden-gate covered with a single izár; and he said, Do not these two persons know that the Khaleefeh hath given me permission to kill every one whom I find here? But I will only give these two a slight beating, that no one may again approach the gate of the garden. He then cut a green palm-stick, and went forth to them, and raised his hand until the whiteness of his arm-pit appeared, and was about to beat them; but he reflected in his mind, and said, O Ibráheem, how shouldst thou beat them when thou knowest not their case? They may be two strangers, or of the children of the road,[VI_21] whom destiny hath cast here. I will therefore uncover their faces, and look at them.--So he lifted up the izár from their faces, and said, These are two handsome persons, and it is not proper that I should beat them. And he covered their faces again, and, approaching the foot of 'Alee Noor-ed-Deen, began to rub it gently;[VI_22] whereupon Noor-ed-Deen opened his eyes, and saw that he was an old man; and he blushed, and drew in his feet, and, sitting up, took the hand of the sheykh Ibráheem and kissed it; and the sheykh said to him, O my son, whence are ye?--O my master, he answered, we are strangers.--And a tear gushed from his eye. The sheykh Ibráheem then said to him, O my son, know that the Prophet (God bless and save him!) hath enjoined generosity to the stranger. Wilt thou not arise, O my son, and enter the garden, and divert thyself in it, that thy heart may be dilated?--O my master, said Noor-ed-Deen, to whom doth this garden belong? The sheykh answered, O my son, this garden I inherited from my family. And his design in saying this was only that they might feel themselves at ease, and enter the garden. And when Noor-ed-Deen heard his words, he thanked him, and arose, together with his slave, and, the sheykh Ibráheem preceding them, they entered the garden.
The gate was arched, and over it were vines with grapes of different colours; the red, like rubies; and the black, like ebony. They entered a bower, and found within it fruits growing in clusters and singly, and the birds were warbling their various notes upon the branches: the nightingale was pouring forth its melodious sounds; and the turtle-dove filled the place with its cooing; and the blackbird, in its singing, resembled a human being; and the ring-dove, a person exhilarated by wine. The fruits upon the trees, comprising every description that was good to eat, had ripened; and there were two of each kind: there were the camphor-apricot, and the almond-apricot, and the apricot of Khurásán; the plum of a colour like the complexion of beauties; the cherry delighting the sense of every man; the red, the white, and the green fig, of the most beautiful colours; and flowers like pearls and coral; the rose, whose redness put to shame the cheeks of the lovely; the violet, like sulphur in contact with fire; the myrtle, the gilliflower, the lavender, and the anemone; and their leaves were bespangled with the tears of the clouds; the chamomile smiled, displaying its teeth, and the narcissus looked at the rose with its negroes' eyes; the citrons resembled round cups; the limes were like bullets of gold; the ground was carpeted with flowers of every colour, and the place beamed with the charms of spring; the river murmured by while the birds sang, and the wind whistled among the trees; the season was temperate, and the zephyr was languishing.
The sheykh Ibráheem conducted them into the elevated saloon,[VI_23] and they were charmed with its beauty and the extraordinary elegances which it displayed, and seated themselves in one of the windows; and Noor-ed-Deen, reflecting upon his past entertainments, exclaimed, By Allah, this place is most delightful! It hath reminded me of past events, and quenched in me an anguish like the fire of the ghaḍà.[VI_24]--The sheykh Ibráheem then brought to them some food, and they ate to satisfaction, and washed their hands, and Noor-ed-Deen, seating himself again in one of the windows, called to his slave, and she came to him; and they sat gazing at the trees laden with all kinds of fruits; after which, Noor-ed-Deen looked towards the sheykh, and said to him, O sheykh Ibráheem, hast thou not any beverage? For people drink after eating.--So the sheykh brought him some sweet and cold water: but Noor-ed-Deen said, This is not the beverage I desire.--Dost thou want wine? asked the sheykh.--Yes, answered Noor-ed-Deen. The sheykh exclaimed, I seek refuge with Allah from it! Verily, for thirteen years I have done nothing of that kind; for the Prophet (God bless and save him!) cursed its drinker and its presser and its carrier.--Hear from me two words, said Noor-ed-Deen. The sheykh replied, Say what thou wilt. So he said, If thou be neither the presser of the wine, nor its drinker, nor its carrier, will aught of the curse fall upon thee? The sheykh answered, No.--Then take this piece of gold, rejoined Noor-ed-Deen, and these two pieces of silver, and mount the ass, and halt at a distance from the place, and whatsoever man thou findest to buy it, call to him, and say to him, take these two pieces of silver, and with this piece of gold buy some wine, and place it upon the ass:--so, in this case, thou wilt be neither the carrier, nor the presser, nor the buyer; and nothing will befall thee of that which befalleth the rest.
The sheykh Ibráheem, after laughing at his words, replied, By Allah, I have never seen one more witty than thou, nor heard speech more sweet. And Noor-ed-Deen said to him, We have become dependant upon thee, and thou hast nothing to do but to comply with our wishes: bring us, therefore, all that we require.--O my son, said the sheykh, my buttery here is before thee (and it was the store-room furnished for the Prince of the Faithful): enter it then, and take from it what thou wilt; for it containeth more than thou desirest. So Noor-ed-Deen entered the store-room, and beheld in it vessels of gold and silver and crystal, adorned with a variety of jewels; and he took out such of them as he desired, and poured the wine into the vessels of earthenware and bottles of glass; and he and the damsel began to drink, astonished at the beauty of the things which they beheld. The sheykh Ibráheem then brought to them sweet-scented flowers, and seated himself at a distance from them; and they continued drinking, in a state of the utmost delight, until the wine took effect upon them, and their cheeks reddened, and their eyes wantoned like those of the gazelle, and their hair hung down:[VI_25] whereupon the sheykh Ibráheem said, What aileth me that I am sitting at a distance from them? Why should I not sit by them? And when shall I be in the company of such as these two, who are like two moons?--He then advanced, and seated himself at the edge of the raised portion of the floor; and Noor-ed-Deen said to him, O my master, by my life I conjure thee to approach and join us. So he went to them; and Noor-ed-Deen filled a cup, and, looking at the sheykh, said to him, Drink, that thou mayest know how delicious is its flavour. But the sheykh Ibráheem exclaimed, I seek refuge with Allah! Verily, for thirteen years I have done nothing of that kind.--And Noor-ed-Deen, feigning to pay no attention to him, drank the cup, and threw himself upon the ground, pretending that intoxication had overcome him.
Upon this, Enees-el-Jelees looked towards the sheykh, and said to him, O sheykh Ibráheem, see how this man hath treated me.--O my mistress, said he, what aileth him? She rejoined, Always doth he treat me thus: he drinketh a while, and then sleepeth, and I remain alone, and find no one to keep me company over my cup. If I drink, who will serve me? And if I sing, who will hear me?--The sheykh, moved with tenderness and affection for her by her words, replied, It is not proper that a cup-companion be thus. The damsel then filled a cup, and, looking at the sheykh Ibráheem, said to him, I conjure thee, by my life that thou take it and drink it; reject it not, but accept it, and refresh my heart. So he stretched forth his hand, and took the cup, and drank it; and she filled for him a second time, and handed it to him, saying, O my master, this remaineth for thee. He replied, By Allah, I cannot drink it: that which I have drunk is enough for me. But she said, By Allah, it is indispensable:--and he took the cup, and drank it. She then gave him the third; and he took it, and was about to drink it, when, lo, Noor-ed-Deen raised himself, and said to him, O sheykh Ibráheem, what is this? Did I not conjure thee a while ago, and thou refusedst, and saidst, Verily, for thirteen years I have not done it?--The sheykh Ibráheem, touched with shame, replied, By Allah, I am not in fault; for she pressed me. And Noor-ed-Deen laughed, and they resumed their carousal, and the damsel, turning her eyes towards her master, said to him, O my master, drink thou, and do not urge the sheykh Ibráheem; that I may divert thee with the sight of him. So she began to fill and to hand to her master, and her master filled and gave to her, and thus they continued to do, time after time; till at length the sheykh Ibráheem looked towards them and said, What meaneth this? And what sort of carousal is this? Wherefore do ye not give me to drink, since I have become your cup-companion?--At this they both laughed until they became almost senseless; and then drank, and gave him to drink; and they continued thus until the expiration of a third of the night, when the damsel said, O sheykh Ibráheem, with thy permission shall I rise and light one of the candles which are arranged here?--Rise, he answered; but light not more than one candle. But she sprang upon her feet, and, beginning with the first candle, proceeded until she had lighted eighty. She then sat down again; and presently Noor-ed-Deen said, O sheykh Ibráheem, in what favour am I held with thee? Wilt thou not allow me to light one of these lamps?--The sheykh answered, Arise, and light one lamp, and be not thou also troublesome. So he arose, and, beginning with the first lamp, lighted all the eighty; and the saloon seemed to dance. And after this, the sheykh Ibráheem, overcome by intoxication, said to them, Ye are more frolicksome than I:--and he sprang upon his feet, and opened all the windows, and sat down again with them, and they continued carousing and reciting verses; and the place rang with their merriment.
Now God, the All-seeing and All-knowing, who hath appointed a cause to every event, had decreed that the Khaleefeh should be sitting that night at one of the windows looking towards the Tigris, by moonlight; and he looked in that direction, and saw the light of lamps and candles reflected in the river, and, turning his eyes up towards the palace in the garden, he beheld it beaming with those candles and lamps, and exclaimed, Bring hither to me Jaạfar El-Barmekee! In the twinkling of an eye, Jaạfar stood before the Prince of the Faithful; and the Khaleefeh said to him, O dog of Wezeers, dost thou serve me and not acquaint me with what happeneth in the city of Baghdád?--What, asked Jaạfar, is the occasion of these words? The Khaleefeh answered, If the city of Baghdád were not taken from me, the Palace of Diversion were not enlivened with the light of the lamps and candles, and its windows were not opened. Wo to thee! Who could do these things unless the office of Khaleefeh were taken from me?--Who, said Jaạfar (the muscles of his side quivering from fear), informed thee that the lamps and candles were lighted in the Palace of Diversion, and that its windows were opened? The Khaleefeh replied, Advance hither to me, and look. So Jaạfar approached the Khaleefeh, and, looking towards the garden, beheld the palace as it were a flame of fire, its light surpassing that of the moon. He desired, therefore, to make an excuse for the sheykh Ibráheem, the superintendent, thinking, from what he beheld, that the event might have occurred through his permission: and accordingly he said, O Prince of the Faithful, the sheykh Ibráheem last week said to me, O my master Jaạfar, I am desirous of entertaining my children during my life and the life of the Prince of the Faithful.--And what, said I, is thy design in saying this? He answered, It is my wish that thou wouldst obtain for me permission from the Khaleefeh that I may celebrate the circumcision of my sons in the palace. So I said, Do what thou wilt with respect to the entertainment of thy sons, and, if God will, I shall have an interview with the Khaleefeh, and will acquaint him with it. And he left me thus; and I forgot to acquaint thee.--O Jaạfar, said the Khaleefeh, thou wast guilty of one offence against me, and then thine offence became two: for thou hast erred in two points: the first, thy not acquainting me with this affair; and the second, thy not accomplishing the desire of the sheykh Ibráheem; for he did not come to thee and address thee with these words but to hint a request for some money by the aid of which to effect his design, and thou neither gavest him anything nor acquaintedst me that I might give him.--O Prince of the Faithful, replied Jaạfar, I forgot.
The Khaleefeh then said, By my forefathers, I will not pass the remainder of my night but with him, for he is a just man, who frequenteth the sheykhs,[VI_26] and attendeth to the poor, and favoureth the indigent; and I imagine all his acquaintances are with him this night; so I must repair to him: perhaps one of them may offer up for us a prayer productive of good to us in this world and the next; and probably some advantage may accrue to him from my presence, and he will receive pleasure from this, together with his friends.--O Prince of the Faithful, replied Jaạfar, the greater part of the night hath passed, and they are now about to disperse. But the Khaleefeh said, We must go to them. And Jaạfar was silent, and was perplexed in his mind, not knowing what to do. So the Khaleefeh rose upon his feet, and Jaạfar rose and preceded him, and Mesroor the eunuch went with them. The three walked on reflecting, and, departing from the palace, proceeded through the streets, in the attire of merchants; until they arrived at the gate of the garden above mentioned; and the Khaleefeh, approaching it, found it open; and he was surprised, and said, See, O Jaạfar, how the sheykh Ibráheem hath left the gate open until this hour, which is not his usual custom. They then entered, and came to the end of the garden, where they stopped beneath the palace; and the Khaleefeh said, O Jaạfar, I desire to take a view of them secretly before I go up to them, that I may see how the sheykhs are occupied in the dispensing of their blessings and the employment of their miraculous powers; for they have qualities which distinguish them both in their private retirements and in their public exercises; and now we hear not their voices, nor discover any indication of their presence. Having thus said, he looked around, and, seeing a tall walnut tree, he said, O Jaạfar, I would climb this tree (for its branches are near to the windows) and look at them. And accordingly he ascended the tree, and climbed from branch to branch until he came to that which was opposite to one of the windows, and there he sat, and, looking in through this window of the palace, beheld a damsel and a young man, like two moons (extolled be the perfection of Him who created them!); and he saw the sheykh Ibráheem sitting with a cup in his hand, and saying, O mistress of beauties, drinking unaccompanied by merry sounds is not pleasant. Hast thou not heard the saying of the poet?--
Circulate it in the large cup, and in the small; and receive it from the hand of the shining moon:[VI_27] And drink not without merry sounds; for I have observed that horses drink to the sound of whistling.
When the Khaleefeh witnessed this conduct of the sheykh Ibráheem, the vein of anger swelled between his eyes, and he descended, and said, O Jaạfar, I have never seen anything of the miraculous performances of the just such as I have beheld this night: ascend, therefore, thyself also, into this tree, and look, lest the blessings of the just escape thee.[VI_28]--On hearing the words of the Prince of the Faithful, Jaạfar was perplexed at his situation; and he climbed up into the tree, and looked, and saw Noor-ed-Deen and the sheykh Ibráheem and the damsel, and the sheykh Ibráheem had the cup in his hand. As soon as he beheld this, he made sure of destruction; and he descended, and stood before the Prince of the Faithful, and the Khaleefeh said, O Jaạfar, praise be to God who hath made us to be of the number of those who follow the external ordinances of the holy law, and averted from us the sin of disguising ourselves by the practice of hypocrisy! But Jaạfar was unable to reply, from his excessive confusion. The Khaleefeh then looked towards him, and said, Who can have brought these persons hither, and admitted them into my palace? But the like of this young man and this damsel, in beauty and loveliness and symmetry of form, mine eye hath never beheld.--Jaạfar, now conceiving a hope that the Khaleefeh might be propitiated, replied, Thou hast spoken truly, O Prince of the Faithful. And the Khaleefeh said, O Jaạfar, climb up with us upon this branch which is opposite them, that we may amuse ourselves by observing them. So they both climbed up into the tree, and, looking at them, heard the sheykh Ibráheem say, O my mistress, I have relinquished decorum by the drinking of wine; but the pleasure of this is not complete without the melodious sounds of stringed instruments.--O sheykh Ibráheem, replied Enees-el-Jelees, by Allah, if we had any musical instrument, our happiness were perfect. And when the sheykh Ibráheem heard her words, he rose upon his feet.--The Khaleefeh said to Jaạfar, What may he be going to do? Jaạfar replied, I know not.--And the sheykh Ibráheem went away, and returned with a lute; and the Khaleefeh, looking attentively at it, saw that it was the lute of Is-ḥáḳ, the cup-companion; and said, By Allah, if this damsel sing not well, I will crucify you all; but if she sing well, I will pardon them, and crucify thee. So Jaạfar said, O Allah, let her not sing well!--Why? asked the Khaleefeh.--That thou mayest crucify all of us, answered Jaạfar; and then we shall cheer one another by conversation. And the Khaleefeh laughed: and the damsel took the lute, and tuned its strings, and played upon it in a manner that would melt iron, and inspire an idiot with intellect; after which she sang with such sweetness that the Khaleefeh exclaimed, O Jaạfar, never in my life have I heard so enchanting a voice as this!--Perhaps, said Jaạfar, the anger of the Khaleefeh hath departed from him?--Yea, he answered; it hath departed. He then descended with Jaạfar from the tree, and, looking towards him, said, I am desirous of going up to them, to sit with them, and to hear the damsel sing before me.--O Prince of the Faithful, replied Jaạfar, if thou go up to them, probably they will be troubled by thy presence; and as to the sheykh Ibráheem, he will assuredly die of fear. The Khaleefeh therefore said, O Jaạfar, thou must acquaint me with some stratagem by means of which I may learn the truth of the affair without their knowing that I have discovered them. And he and Jaạfar walked towards the Tigris, reflecting upon this matter; and lo, a fisherman stood beneath the windows of the palace, and he threw his net, hoping to catch something by means of which to obtain his subsistence.--Now the Khaleefeh had, on a former occasion, called to the sheykh Ibráheem, and said to him, What was that noise that I heard beneath the windows of the palace?--and he answered, The voices of the fishermen, who are fishing:--so he said, Go down and forbid them from coming to this place. They were therefore forbidden to come thither; but this night there came a fisherman named Kereem, and, seeing the garden-gate open, he said within himself, This is a time of inadvertence, and perhaps I may catch some fish on this occasion:--so he took his net, and threw it into the river, and then recited some verses, contrasting the condition of the poor fisherman, toiling throughout the night, with that of the lord of the palace, who, awaking from a pleasant slumber, findeth the fawn in his possession; and as soon as he had finished his recitation, lo, the Khaleefeh, unattended, stood at his head. The Khaleefeh knew him, and exclaimed, O Kereem!--and the fisherman, hearing him call him by his name, turned towards him; and when he beheld the Khaleefeh, the muscles of his side quivered, and he said, By Allah, O Prince of the Faithful, I did not this in mockery of the mandate; but poverty and the wants of my family impelled me to the act of which thou art witness. The Khaleefeh replied, Throw thy net for my luck. And the fisherman advanced, rejoicing exceedingly, and cast the net, and, having waited until it had attained its limit and become steady at the bottom, drew it in again, and there came up in it a variety of fish that could not be numbered.
The Khaleefeh was delighted at this, and said, O Kereem, strip off thy clothes:--and he did so. He was clad in a jubbeh[VI_29] in which were a hundred patches of coarse woollen stuff, containing vermin of the most abominable kind, and among them fleas in such numbers that he might almost have been transported by their means over the face of the earth; and he took from his head a turban which for three years he had never unwound; but when he happened to find a piece of rag he twisted it around it: and when he had taken off the jubbeh and turban, the Khaleefeh pulled off from his own person two vests of silk of Alexandria and Baạlabekk, and a melwaṭah[VI_30] and a farajeeyeh,[VI_31] and said to the fisherman, Take these, and put them on. The Khaleefeh then put on himself the fisherman's jubbeh and turban, and, having drawn a lithám[VI_32] over his face, said to the fisherman, Go about thy business;--and he kissed the feet of the Khaleefeh, and thanked him, reciting these two verses:--
Thou hast granted me favours beyond my power to acknowledge, and completely satisfied all my wants. I will thank thee, therefore, as long as I live; and when I die, my bones will thank thee in their grave.[VI_33]
But scarcely had he finished his verses, when the vermin overran the person of the Khaleefeh, and he began to seize them with his right hand and his left from his neck, and to throw them down; and he exclaimed, O fisherman, wo to thee! What are these abundant vermin in this jubbeh?--O my lord, he answered, at present they torment thee; but when a week shall have passed over thee, thou wilt not feel them, nor think of them. The Khaleefeh laughed, and said to him, How can I suffer this jubbeh to remain upon me? The fisherman replied, I wish to tell thee something; but I am ashamed, through my awe of the Khaleefeh. Impart, said the Khaleefeh, what thou hast to tell me. So he said to him, It hath occurred to my mind, O Prince of the Faithful, that thou desirest to learn the art of fishing, in order that thou mayest be master of a trade that may profit thee; and if such be thy desire, this jubbeh is suitable to thee. And the Khaleefeh laughed at his words.
The fisherman then went his way, and the Khaleefeh took the basket of fish, and, having put upon it a little grass, went with it to Jaạfar, and stood before him; and Jaạfar, thinking that he was Kereem the fisherman, feared for him, and said, O Kereem, what brought thee hither? Save thyself by flight; for the Khaleefeh is here this night.--And when the Khaleefeh heard the words of Jaạfar, he laughed until he fell down upon his back. So Jaạfar said, Perhaps thou art our lord the Prince of the Faithful?--Yes, O Jaạfar, answered the Khaleefeh, and thou art my Wezeer, and I came with thee hither, and thou knowest me not. How then should the sheykh Ibráheem know me when he is drunk? Remain where thou art until I return to thee.--Jaạfar replied, I hear and obey:--and the Khaleefeh advanced to the door of the palace, and knocked. The sheykh Ibráheem arose, therefore, and said, Who is at the door? He answered, I, O sheykh Ibráheem. The sheykh said, Who art thou?--and the Khaleefeh answered, I am Kereem the fisherman: I heard that there were guests with thee, and have therefore brought thee some fish; for it is excellent.--Now Noor-ed-Deen and the damsel were both fond of fish, and when they heard the mention of it they rejoiced exceedingly, and said, O my master, open to him, and let him come in to us with the fish which he hath brought. So the sheykh Ibráheem opened the door, and the Khaleefeh, in his fisherman's disguise, entered, and began by salutation; and the sheykh Ibráheem said to him, Welcome to the robber, the thief, the gambler! Come hither, and shew us the fish which thou hast brought.--He therefore shewed it to them; and lo, it was alive, and moving; and the damsel exclaimed, By Allah, O my master, this fish is excellent! I wish it were fried!--By Allah, said the sheykh Ibráheem, thou hast spoken truth. Then, addressing the Khaleefeh, he said, O fisherman, I wish thou hadst brought this fish fried. Arise, and fry it for us, and bring it.--On the head be thy commands, replied the Khaleefeh: I will fry it, and bring it.--Be quick, said they, in doing it.
The Khaleefeh therefore arose and ran back to Jaạfar, and said, O Jaạfar, they want the fish fried.--O Prince of the Faithful, replied he, give it me, and I will fry it. But the Khaleefeh said, By the tombs of my ancestors, none shall fry it but myself; with my own hand will I do it! He then repaired to the hut of the superintendent, and, searching there, found in it everything that he required, the frying-pan, and even the salt, and wild marjoram, and other things. So he approached the fire-place, and put on the frying-pan, and fried it nicely; and when it was done, he put it upon a banana-leaf, and having taken from the garden some limes, he went up with the fish, and placed it before them. The young man, therefore, and the damsel and the sheykh Ibráheem advanced and ate; and when they had finished, they washed their hands, and Noor-ed-Deen said, By Allah, O fisherman, thou hast done us a kindness this night. Then putting his hand into his pocket, he took forth for him three pieces of gold, of those which Senjer had presented to him when he was setting forth on his journey, and said, O fisherman, excuse me; for, by Allah, if I had known thee before the events that have lately happened to me, I would have extracted the bitterness of poverty from thy heart: but take this as accordant with my present circumstances. So saying, he threw the pieces of gold to the Khaleefeh, who took them, and kissed them,[VI_34] and put them in his pocket. The object of the Khaleefeh in doing this was only that he might hear the damsel sing: so he said to him, Thou hast treated me with beneficence, and abundantly recompensed me; but I beg of thy unbounded indulgence that this damsel may sing an air, that I may hear her. Noor-ed-Deen therefore said, O Enees-el-Jelees! She replied, Yes.--By my life, said he, sing to us something for the gratification of this fisherman; for he desireth to hear thee. And when she had heard what her master said, she took the lute, and tried it with her fingers, after she had twisted its pegs, and sang to it these two verses:--
The fingers of many a fawn-like damsel have played upon the lute, and the soul hath been ravished by the touch. She hath made the deaf to hear her songs; and the dumb hath exclaimed, Thou hast excelled in thy singing!
Then she played again, in an extraordinary manner, so as to charm the minds of her hearers, and sang the following couplet:--
We are honoured by your visiting our abode, and your splendour hath dispelled the darkness of the moonless night: It is therefore incumbent upon me to perfume my dwelling with musk and rose-water and camphor.
Upon this, the Khaleefeh was affected with violent emotion, and overcome by ecstasy, so that he was no longer master of himself from excessive delight; and he began to exclaim, Allah approve thee! Allah approve thee! Allah approve thee! So Noor-ed-Deen said to him, O fisherman, have the damsel and her art in striking the chords pleased thee?--Yea, by Allah! exclaimed the Khaleefeh. And Noor-ed-Deen immediately said, She is bestowed upon thee as a present from me, the present of a generous man who will not revoke his gift. And he rose upon his feet, and took a melwaṭah, and threw it upon the Khaleefeh in the fisherman's disguise, ordering him to depart with the damsel. But she looked towards him, and said, O my master, wilt thou part from me without bidding me farewell? If we must be separated, pause while I take leave of thee.--And she recited the following couplet:--
If you depart from me, still your abode will be in my heart, in the recess of my bosom. I implore the Compassionate to grant our reunion; and a boon such as this, God will grant to whom He pleaseth.
And when she had finished, Noor-ed-Deen thus replied to her:--
She bade me farewell on the day of separation, saying, while she wept from the pain that it occasioned, What wilt thou do after my departure?--Say this, I replied, unto him who will survive it.
The Khaleefeh, when he heard this, was distressed at the thought of separating them, and, looking towards the young man, he said to him, O my master, art thou in fear on account of any crime, or art thou in debt to any one? Noor-ed-Deen answered, By Allah, O fisherman, a wonderful event, and an extraordinary adventure, happened to me and this damsel: if it were engraved on the understanding, it would be a lesson to him who would be admonished.--Wilt thou not, rejoined the Khaleefeh, relate to us thy story, and acquaint us with thy case? Perhaps thy doing so may be productive of relief; for the relief of God is near.--So Noor-ed-Deen said, Wilt thou hear our story in poetry or in prose?--Prose, answered the Khaleefeh, is mere talk; and verse, words put together like pearls. And Noor-ed-Deen hung down his head towards the ground, and then related his story in a series of verses: but when he had finished, the Khaleefeh begged him to explain his case more fully. He therefore acquainted him with the whole of his circumstances from beginning to end; and when the Khaleefeh understood the affair, he said to him, Whither wouldst thou now repair? He answered, God's earth is wide. The Khaleefeh then said to him, I will write for thee a letter which thou shalt convey to the Sulṭán Moḥammad the son of Suleymán Ez-Zeynee, and when he shall have read it, he will do thee no injury.--Is there in the world, said Noor-ed-Deen, a fisherman who correspondeth with Kings? Verily this is a thing that can never be.--Thou hast spoken truly, rejoined the Khaleefeh; but I will acquaint thee with the cause. Know that I read in the same school with him, under a master, and I was his monitor; and after that, prosperity was his lot, and he became a Sulṭán, while God made me to be a fisherman: yet I have never sent to request anything of him, but he hath performed my wish; and if I sent to him every day to request a thousand things of him, he would do what I asked. When Noor-ed-Deen, therefore, heard his words, he said to him, Write, that I may see. And he took an inkhorn and a pen, and wrote (after the phrase, In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful).--To proceed.--This letter is from Hároon Er-Rasheed the son of El-Mahdee, to his highness Moḥammad the son of Suleymán Ez-Zeynee, who hath been encompassed by my beneficence, and whom I constituted my viceroy of a portion of my dominions. I acquaint thee that the bearer of this letter is Noor-ed-Deen the son of El-Faḍl the son of Kháḳán the Wezeer, and on his arrival in thy presence thou shalt divest thyself of the regal authority, and seat him in thy place; for I have appointed him to the office to which I formerly appointed thee: so disobey not my commands: and peace be on thee.--He then gave the letter to 'Alee Noor-ed-Deen, who took it and kissed it and put it in his turban, and immediately set forth on his journey.
The sheykh Ibráheem now looked towards the Khaleefeh in his fisherman's disguise, and said to him, O most contemptible of fishermen, thou hast brought us two fish worth twenty half-dirhems,[VI_35] and received three pieces of gold, and desirest to take the slave also. But when the Khaleefeh heard these words, he cried out at him, and made a sign to Mesroor, who immediately discovered himself, and rushed in upon him. Jaạfar, meanwhile, had sent one of the attendants of the garden to the porter of the palace to demand a suit of clothing of him for the Prince of the Faithful; and the man went, and brought the dress, and kissed the ground before the Khaleefeh, who took off and gave to him that with which he was then clad, and put on this suit. The sheykh Ibráheem was sitting on a chair: the Khaleefeh paused to see the result: and the sheykh was astounded, and began to bite the ends of his fingers through his confusion, saying, Am I asleep or awake? The Khaleefeh then looked at him, and said, O sheykh Ibráheem, what is this predicament in which thou art placed? And upon this, the sheykh recovered from his intoxication, and, throwing himself upon the ground, implored forgiveness: and the Khaleefeh pardoned him; after which he gave orders that the damsel should be conveyed to the palace where he resided; and when she had arrived there, he appropriated to her a separate lodging, and appointed persons to wait upon her, and said to her, Know that I have sent thy master as Sulṭán of El-Baṣrah, and, if God please, I will despatch to him a dress of honour, and send thee also to him with it.
As to Noor-ed-Deen, he continued his journey until he entered El-Baṣrah, and went up to the palace of the Sulṭán, when he uttered a loud cry, whereupon the Sulṭán desired him to approach; and when he came into the presence of the King, he kissed the ground before him, and produced the letter, and handed it to him. And as soon as the Sulṭán saw the superscription in the handwriting of the Prince of the Faithful, he rose upon his feet, and, having kissed it three times, said, I hear and pay obedience to God (whose name be exalted!) and to the Prince of the Faithful. He then summoned before him the four Ḳáḍees,[VI_36] and the Emeers, and was about to divest himself of the regal office: but, lo, the Wezeer El-Mo'een the son of Sáwee was before him, and the Sulṭán gave him the letter of the Prince of the Faithful, and when he saw it, he rent it in pieces, and put it into his mouth, and chewed it, and threw it down. The Sulṭán, enraged, cried, Wo to thee! What hath induced thee to act thus?--He answered, This man hath had no interview with the Khaleefeh nor with his Wezeer; but is a young wretch, an artful devil, who, having met with a paper containing the handwriting of the Khaleefeh, hath counterfeited it, and written what he desired: wherefore then shouldst thou abdicate the sovereignty, when the Khaleefeh hath not sent to thee an envoy with a royal autographical mandate; for if this affair were true, he had sent with him a Chamberlain or a Wezeer; but he came alone.--What then is to be done? said the Sulṭán. The Wezeer answered, Send away this young man with me, and I will take charge of him, and despatch him in company with a Chamberlain to the city of Baghdád; and if his words be true, he will bring us a royal autographical mandate and diploma of investiture; and if not true, they will send him back to us with the Chamberlain, and I will take my revenge upon my offender.
When the Sulṭán heard what the Wezeer said, it pleased him; and the Wezeer took him away,[VI_37] and cried out to the pages, who threw down Noor-ed-Deen, and beat him until he became insensible. He then ordered to put a chain upon his feet, and called to the jailer; and when he came, he kissed the ground before him. This jailer was named Ḳuṭeyṭ;[VI_38] and the Wezeer said to him, O Ḳuṭeyṭ, I desire that thou take this person, and cast him into one of the subterranean cells which are in thy prison, and torture him night and day. The jailer replied, I hear and obey:--and he put Noor-ed-Deen into the prison, and locked the door upon him; but after having done this, he gave orders to sweep a maṣṭabah within the door, and furnished it with a prayer-carpet and a pillow, and seated Noor-ed-Deen upon it, and loosed his chain, and treated him with kindness. The Wezeer every day sent to him, commanding him to beat him; and the jailer pretended that he tortured him, while, on the contrary, he treated him with benignity.
Thus he continued to do for forty days; and on the forty-first day, there came a present from the Khaleefeh, and when the Sulṭán saw it, it pleased him, and he conferred with the Wezeers upon the subject; but one said, Perhaps this present was designed for the new Sulṭán. Upon this, the Wezeer El-Mo'een the son of Sáwee remarked, It were proper to have slain him on his arrival:--and the Sulṭán exclaimed, Now thou hast reminded me of him, go down and bring him, and I will strike off his head. The Wezeer replied, I hear and obey:--and arose, saying, I desire to proclaim throughout the city, He who wisheth to witness the decapitation of Noor-ed-Deen 'Alee the son of El-Faḍl the son of Kháḳán, let him come to the palace:--so that all the people may come to behold it, and I may gratify my heart, and mortify my enviers. The Sulṭán said, Do what thou wilt. So the Wezeer descended, full of joy and happiness, and went to the Wálee, and ordered him to make this proclamation; and when the people heard the crier, they all grieved and wept, even the boys in the schools, and the tradesmen in their shops; and numbers of the people strove together to take for themselves places where they might behold the spectacle, while others repaired to the prison, to accompany him thence. The Wezeer then went forth, attended by ten memlooks, to the prison: and Ḳuṭeyṭ the jailer said to him, What dost thou desire, O our lord the Wezeer?--Bring forth to me, said the Wezeer, this young wretch. The jailer replied, He is in a most miserable state from the excessive beating that I have inflicted upon him. And he entered, and found him reciting some verses, commencing thus:--
Who is there to aid me in my affliction? For my pain hath become intense, and my remedy is scarce procurable!
And the jailer pulled off from him his clean clothes, and, having clad him in two dirty garments, brought him out to the Wezeer. Noor-ed-Deen then looked at him, and saw that he was his enemy who had incessantly desired his destruction; and when he beheld him, he wept, and said to him, Art thou secure from misfortune? Hast thou not heard the saying of the poet?--
They made use of their power, and used it tyrannically; and soon it became as though it never had existed.
O Wezeer, know that God (whose perfection be extolled, and whose name be exalted!) is the doer of whatsover He willeth.--O 'Alee, replied the Wezeer, wouldst thou frighten me by these words? I am now going to strike off thy head, in spite of the people of El-Baṣrah; and I will pay no regard to thy counsel; but I will rather attend to the saying of the poet:--
Let fortune do whatever it willeth, and bear with cheerful mind the effects of fate.
How excellent also is the saying of another poet:--
He who liveth after his enemy a single day, hath attained his desire.
The Wezeer then ordered his pages to convey him on the back of a mule; whereupon they said to him (being distressed to obey), Suffer us to stone him and cut him in pieces, though our lives should be sacrificed in consequence. But he replied, Never do it. Have ye not heard what the poet hath said:--
A decreed term is my inevitable lot; and as soon as its days have expired, I die. If the lions dragged me into their forest, they could not close it while aught of it remained.
So they proceeded to proclaim before Noor-ed-Deen, This is the smallest recompense of him who forgeth a letter from the Khaleefeh to the Sulṭán. And they continued to parade him throughout El-Baṣrah until they stationed him beneath the window of the palace, and in the place of blood,[VI_39] when the executioner approached him, and said to him, I am a slave under command; and if thou hast any want, acquaint me with it, that I may perform it for thee; for there remaineth not of thy life any more than the period until the Sulṭán shall put forth his face from the window. And upon this, Noor-ed-Deen looked to the right and left, and recited these verses:--
Is there among you a merciful friend, who will aid me? I conjure you by Allah to answer me! My life hath passed, and my death is at hand! Is there any who will pity me, to obtain my recompense,[VI_40] And consider my state, and relieve my anguish, by a draught of water that my torment may be lightened?
And the people were excited to tears for him; and the executioner took some water to hand it to him; but the Wezeer arose from his place, and struck the ḳulleh[VI_41] of water with his hand, and broke it, and called to the executioner, commanding him to strike off his head; whereupon he bound Noor-ed-Deen's eyes. The people, however, called out against the Wezeer, and raised a tumultuous cry against him, and many words passed between them; and while they were in this state, lo, a dust rose, and filled the sky and the open tracts; and when the Sulṭán beheld it, as he sat in the palace, he said to his attendants, See what is the news. The Wezeer said, After thou shalt first have beheaded this man. But the Sulṭán replied, Wait thou until we see what is the news.
Now this dust was the dust of Jaạfar, the Wezeer of the Khaleefeh, and of his attendants; and the cause of their coming was this:--The Khaleefeh had passed thirty days without remembering the affair of 'Alee the son of El-Faḍl the son of Kháḳán, and no one mentioned it to him, until he came one night to the private apartment of Enees-el-Jelees, and heard her lamenting, as she recited, with a soft voice, the saying of the poet:--
Thine image [is before me] whether distant or near, and my tongue never ceaseth to mention thee.
Her lamentation increased, and lo, the Khaleefeh opened the door, and entered the chamber, and saw Enees-el-Jelees weeping. On beholding the Khaleefeh, she fell at his feet, and, having kissed them three times, recited these two verses:--
O thou of pure origin, and of excellent birth; of ripe-fruitful branch, and of unsullied race! I remind thee of the promise thy beneficence granted, and far be it from thee that thou shouldst forget it.
The Khaleefeh said to her, Who art thou? She answered, I am the present given to thee by 'Alee the son of El-Faḍl the son of Kháḳán; and I request the fulfilment of the promise which thou gavest me, that thou wouldst send me to him with the honorary gift; for I have now been here thirty days, and have not tasted sleep. And upon this, the Khaleefeh summoned Jaạfar El-Barmekee, and said to him, For thirty days I have heard no news of 'Alee the son of El-Faḍl the son of Kháḳán, and I imagine nothing less than that the Sulṭán hath killed him: but, by my head! by the tombs of my ancestors! if any evil event hath happened to him, I will destroy him who hath been the cause of it, though he be the dearest of men in my estimation! I desire, therefore, that thou journey immediately to El-Baṣrah, and bring me an account of the conduct of the King Moḥammad the son of Suleymán Ez-Zeynee to 'Alee the son of El-Faḍl the son of Kháḳán.
So Jaạfar obeyed his commands, and set forth on his journey, and when he approached, and saw this tumult and crowd, he said, What is the occasion of this crowd? They related to him, therefore, the situation in which they were with regard to Noor-ed-Deen; and when he heard their words, he hastened to go up to the Sulṭán, and, having saluted him, acquainted him with the cause of his coming, and told him, that if any evil event had happened to 'Alee Noor-ed-Deen, the Khaleefeh would destroy him who was the cause of it. He then arrested the Sulṭán, and the Wezeer El-Mo'een the son of Sáwee, and gave orders to liberate 'Alee Noor-ed-Deen, and enthroned him as Sulṭán in the place of the Sulṭán Moḥammad the son of Suleymán Ez-Zeynee; after which he remained in El-Baṣrah three days, the usual period of entertainment; and on the morning of the fourth day, 'Alee Noor-ed-Deen said to Jaạfar, I have a longing desire to see the Prince of the Faithful. So Jaạfar said to the King Moḥammad the son of Suleymán, Prepare thyself for travelling; for we will perform the morning-prayers, and depart to Baghdád. He replied, I hear and obey:--and they performed the morning-prayers, and mounted all together, with the Wezeer El-Mo'een the son of Sáwee, who now repented of what he had done. As to 'Alee Noor-ed-Deen, he rode by the side of Jaạfar: and they continued their journey until they arrived at Baghdád, the Abode of Peace.
They then presented themselves before the Khaleefeh, and related to him the case of Noor-ed-Deen; whereupon the Khaleefeh addressed him, saying, Take this sword, and strike off with it the head of thine enemy. And he took it, and approached El-Mo'een the son of Sáwee; but he looked at him, and said to him, I did according to my nature, and do thou according to thine. And Noor-ed-Deen threw down the sword from his hand, and, looking towards the Khaleefeh, said, O Prince of the Faithful, he hath beguiled me. So the Khaleefeh said, Do thou leave him:--and he said to Mesroor, O Mesroor, advance thou, and strike off his head. Mesroor, therefore, did so: and upon this, the Khaleefeh said to 'Alee the son of El-Faḍl the son of Khákán, Request of me what thou wilt. He replied, O my lord, I have no want of the sovereignty of El-Baṣrah, and desire nothing but to have the honour of serving thee.--Most willingly I assent, said the Khaleefeh:--and he summoned the damsel, and when she had come before him, he bestowed favours upon them both: he gave to them one of the palaces of Baghdád, and assigned to them regular allowances, and made Noor-ed-Deen one of his companions at the table; and he remained with him until death overtook him.
NOTES TO CHAPTER SIXTH.
NOTE 1. In the old version, the person here named Enees-el-Jelees is called "The Fair Persian;" but I do not find her so described in any copy of the original. The name here given to her may be rendered "the Companion's Cheerer;" "Enees" being a term applied to any person or thing serving as an agreeable, cheering companion; and "Jelees" signifying "a companion," or "one in the habit of sitting with another."
NOTE 2. "Khaṭṭeeyeh" is derived from "khaṭṭ," which signifies "writing," but which is also the name of a place (Khaṭṭ Hejer) in the province of El-Baḥreyn, a famous mart for spears. Of the figure of speech employed in the couplet in which this word occurs (considered by the Arabs an elegant mode of ætiology, and called by them "ḥosn et-taạleel") my sheykh gives the following example in a marginal note:--
"And the rain fell not but for the purpose of kissing the ground before thee."
NOTE 3. "El-Mo'een" signifies "the Aider," or "the Assistant."
NOTE 4. "El-Faḍl," signifying "the Excellence," is here, as a proper name, an abbreviation of "Faḍl-ed-Deen," "the Excellence of the Religion."
NOTE 5. This phrase (a person of auspicious aspect[345]) is often used by the modern Arabs and the Turks, and signifies "a virtuous or beneficent man."
NOTE 6. This answer is not to be understood in its literal sense; it has become a common form of speech which an Arab often uses for the purpose of obtaining something more than he would venture to demand.
NOTE 7. "May it be favourable," or "----beneficial," is a compliment usually addressed to a person who has just been to the bath, and to a man who has just had his head shaved. The reply is, "May God bestow favours upon thee."
NOTE 8.--On the Law respecting Murder and unintentional Homicide. The Ḳur-án ordains that murder shall be punished with death; or, rather, that the free shall die for the free, the slave for the slave, and a woman for a woman; or that the perpetrator of the crime shall pay, to the heirs of the person whom he has killed, if they will allow it, a fine, which is to be divided according to the laws of inheritance.[346] It also ordains, that unintentional homicide shall be expiated by freeing a believer from slavery, and paying, to the family of the person killed, a fine, unless they remit it.[347] But these laws are amplified and explained by the same book and by the Imáms.--A fine is not to be accepted for murder unless the crime has been attended by some palliating circumstance. This fine, the price of blood, is a hundred camels; or a thousand deenárs (about 500_l._) from him who possesses gold; or, from him who possesses silver, twelve thousand dirhems[348] (about 300_l._). This is for killing a free man; for a woman, half that sum; for a slave, his or her value, but that must fall short of the price of blood for the free. A person unable to free a believer must fast two months as in Ramaḍán. The accomplices of a murderer are liable to the punishment of death. By the Sunneh also, a man is obnoxious to capital punishment for the murder of a woman; and by the Ḥanafee law, for the murder of another man's slave. But he is exempted from this punishment who kills his own child or other descendant, or his own slave, or his son's slave, or a slave of whom he is part-owner: so also are his accomplices: and according to Esh-Sháfe'ee, a Muslim, though a slave, is not to be put to death for killing an infidel, though the latter be free. A man who kills another in self-defence, or to defend his property from a robber, is exempt from all punishment. The price of blood is a debt incumbent on the family, tribe, or association, of which the homicide is a member. It is also incumbent on the inhabitants of an enclosed quarter, or the proprietor or proprietors of a field, in which the body of a person killed by an unknown hand is found; unless the person has been found killed in his own house.
Hence it appears, that the punishment with which the Wezeer El-Faḍl threatened his son is not to be regarded as a grave criminal act; especially when we consider the nature of the son's offence: for the slave was the property of the king, and it was not allowable to any other man even to see her without his permission. Many of the characters depicted in the present work would seem incongruous in the extreme, if judged according to European notions of justice and other moral qualities.
NOTE 9. "The two professions of the faith," "There is no deity but God," and "Moḥammad is God's Apostle," are generally repeated by a dying Muslim.
NOTE 10. This is said to imply (as my sheykh has remarked in a marginal note) that El-Faḍl was a charitable person who bestowed pensions upon the professors of the Ḳur-án and of science. There are many among the modern Muslims who do so, and numbers also who found and endow public schools.
NOTE 11.--On the Washing, Shrouding, and Burial of the Dead. The ceremonies attendant upon death and burial are nearly the same in the cases of men and women. The face or the head of the dying person is turned towards the direction of Mekkeh. When the spirit is departing, the eyes are closed; and then, or immediately after, the women of the house commence a loud lamentation, in which many of the females of the neighbourhood generally come to join. Hired female mourners are also usually employed; each of whom accompanies her exclamations of "Alas for him!" &c., by beating a tambourine. If possible, the corpse is buried on the day of the death; but when this cannot be done, the lamentation of the women is continued during the ensuing night; and a recitation of several chapters, or of the whole, of the Ḳur-án is performed by one or more men hired for the purpose.
The washing consists, first, in the performance of the ordinary ablution which is preparatory to prayer, with the exception of the cleansing of the mouth and nose; and secondly, in an ablution of the whole body with warm water and soap, or with water in which some leaves of the lote-tree have been boiled. The jaw is bound up, the eyes are closed, and the nostrils &c., are stuffed with cotton; and the corpse is sprinkled with a mixture of water, pounded camphor, dried and pounded leaves of the lote-tree, and sometimes other dried and pulverized leaves, &c., and with rose-water. The ankles are bound together; and the hands placed upon the breast.
The grave-clothing of a poor man consists of a piece or two of cotton, or a kind of bag: but the corpse of a man of wealth is generally wrapped first in muslin; then, in cotton cloth of a thicker texture; next, in a piece of striped stuff of silk and cotton intermixed, or in a ḳafṭán (a long vest) of similar stuff, merely stitched together; and over these is wrapped a Kashmeer shawl. The colours most approved for the grave-clothes are white and green. The body thus shrouded is placed in a bier, which is usually covered with a Kashmeer shawl, and borne on the shoulders of three or four men, generally friends of the deceased.
There are some slight differences in the funeral-ceremonies observed in different Arab countries; but a sufficient notion of them will be conveyed by briefly describing those which prevail in Cairo. The procession to the tomb is generally headed by a number of poor men, mostly blind, who, walking two and two, or three and three, together, chant, in a melancholy tone, the profession (or two professions) of the faith, mentioned above (in Note 9), or sometimes other words. They are usually followed by some male relations and friends of the deceased; and these, by a group of schoolboys, chanting in a higher tone, and one of them bearing a copy of the Ḳur-án, or of one of its thirty sections, placed upon a kind of desk formed of palm-sticks, and covered with an embroidered kerchief. Then follows the bier, borne head-foremost. Friends of the deceased relieve one another in the office of carrying it; and casual passengers often take part in this service, which is esteemed highly meritorious. Behind the bier walk the female mourners, composing a numerous group, often more than a dozen; or, if of a wealthy family, they ride. Each of those who belong to the family of the deceased has a strip of cotton stuff or muslin, generally blue, bound round her head, over the head-veil, and carries a handkerchief, usually dyed blue (the colour of mourning), which she sometimes holds over her shoulders, and at other times twirls with both hands over her head or before her face, while she cries and shrieks almost incessantly; and the hired female mourners, accompanying the group, often celebrate the praises of the deceased in the manner described in the preceding tale, though this was forbidden by the Prophet.--The funeral-procession of a man of wealth is sometimes preceded by several camels, bearing bread and water to give to the poor at the tomb; and closed by the led horses of some of the attendants, and by a buffalo or other animal to be sacrificed at the tomb, where its flesh is distributed to the poor, to atone for some of the minor sins of the deceased.[349]
The bier used for conveying the corpse of a boy or a female has a cover of wood, over which a shawl is spread; and at the head is an upright piece of wood: upon the upper part of this, in the case of a boy, is fixed a turban, with several ornaments of female head-dress; and in the case of a female, it is similarly decked, but without the turban.
A short prayer is recited over the dead, either in a mosque or in a place particularly dedicated to this service in, or adjacent to, the burial-ground. The body is then conveyed, in the same manner as before, to the tomb. This is a hollow, oblong vault, one side of which faces the direction of Mekkeh, generally large enough to contain four or more bodies, and having an oblong monument of stone or brick constructed over it, with a stela at the head and foot. Upon the former of these two stelæ (which is often inscribed with a text from the Ḳur-án, and the name of the deceased, with the date of his death), a turban, cap, or other head-dress, is sometimes carved, shewing the rank or class of the person or persons buried beneath; and in many cases, a cupola supported by four walls, or by columns, &c., is constructed over the smaller monument. The body is laid on its right side, or inclined by means of a few crude bricks, so that the face is turned towards Mekkeh; and a person is generally employed to dictate to the deceased the answers which he should give when he is examined by the two angels Munkar and Nekeer, whom I have mentioned in No. 21 of the Notes to the Introduction. If the funeral be that of a person of rank or wealth, the bread and water &c. before mentioned are then distributed to the poor.[350]
The principal ceremonies observed after the funeral have been described in Note 15 to Chapter iv.
NOTE 12. "The lord (or chief) of the first and the last among mankind" is one of the many appellations of honour given by the Muslims to their Prophet.
NOTE 13. My sheykh remarks, that this is said merely to excite men to generosity; for literally it is not true, as is shown by the memorable example of Kaạb the son of Mámeh, who preferred giving the water with which he was provided to another, and in consequence himself died of thirst.
NOTE 14. We are not to understand that such a slave as Enees-el-Jelees was exposed to the public gaze in a market to which all persons indiscriminately were admitted (for this would be at variance with Eastern usages); but in a special mart to which none were allowed access but persons of wealth who expressed a desire to purchase.
NOTE 15.--On Kissing the Ground, as a Mode of Obeisance. This and several other passages in the present work shew that we are often to understand the expression "kissing the ground before a person" as signifying "touching the ground, and then the lips and forehead, or turban, with the right hand;" and I believe this expression should generally be so understood. When I wrote the fourteenth note to the Introduction, I inclined to a contrary opinion, chiefly from recollecting to have read the following translation of a passage of El-Maḳreezee, by the learned De Sacy:--"Ce khalife [El-Ḥákim] ordonna qu'à l'avenir on ne baiseroit plus la terre devant lui; que personne, en le saluant dans les marches publiques, ne baiseroit sa main ou son etrier, parce que cette coutume de se prosterner devant une créature étoit une invention des Grecs."[351] But on referring to the original, I find that the words which he renders "cette coutume de se prosterner" signify literally "the bending towards the ground." I suppose, therefore, that his deviating from the literal sense in one case was owing to his adhering to it in another; and not meeting with the proof which I had fancied to exist of his being right, I venture to differ from him in this instance, without fear of being suspected of arrogance, as the kind of obeisance above described is often called "kissing the ground" both by the Arabs and the Persians. I should add that, except in the house, I do not remember to have ever seen the ground actually touched, but nearly so, in making this obeisance, which is still called "kissing the ground" when thus imperfectly performed.
NOTE 16. By this is meant, a place where mud was kneaded to be employed in building. The mortar generally used in the construction of Arab houses is composed of mud in the proportion of one-half, with a fourth part of lime, and the remaining part of the ashes of straw and rubbish.
NOTE 17. See the note immediately preceding.
NOTE 18. In Arabic, "bursh." This kind of mat, composed of palm-leaves (and sometimes, I believe, of the coarse grass mentioned in the next note), is used by the poor to sit upon.
NOTE 19. This kind of grass, called in Arabic "ḥalfeh," and more properly "ḥalfà" (by botanists, poa multiflora, and poa cynosyroïdes), and the "'áḳool" (or hedysarum alhagi), overspread spontaneously most of the alluvial tracts in Egypt which are above the reach of the inundation, and in consequence left uncultivated. The former is used in the manufacture of coarse mats, and the latter serves as pasture for camels. The Wezeer, by taking the round mat and the two bundles of ḥalfà, seems to indicate that he is degraded to a condition as low as that of a maker of coarse mats. [The practice mentioned in the passage to which this note refers is aptly illustrated in El-Maḳreezee's Khiṭaṭ. In his description of the palaces of the Fáṭimee Khaleefehs, he says, "There was in the Great Palace a place known by the name of the Saḳeefeh, where complainants of injustice used to station themselves; and it was a custom of the Khaleefeh to sit there every night, for those of the complainants of injustice who might come to him. When any one, therefore, was wronged, he would stand under the Saḳeefeh, and say, in a loud voice, 'There is no deity but God, Moḥammad is the Apostle of God, 'Alee is the Friend (Welee) of God;' and the Khaleefeh would hear him, and command him to be brought to him, or he would intrust his case to the Wezeer," &c.--ED.]
NOTE 20. The boats used by the Arabs in the navigation of rivers are generally moored by means of a rope attached to a stake which is driven into the bank.
NOTE 21. By "children of the road" are meant "travellers."
NOTE 22. See Note 55 to Chapter iii.
NOTE 23. The word which I render elevated (mo'allaḳah) is applied to a structure raised upon columns or pillars, &c.
NOTE 24. The "ghaḍà" is a tree of a very inflammable nature, which, in burning, gives out a fierce heat. It grows chiefly in sandy tracts, and is described as resembling the "athl" (or tamarisk), but as being smaller than this tree.
NOTE 25.--On Shaving the Head. I do not know when the custom of shaving the head became general among the Arabs of the towns; but from a remark of Es-Suyooṭee, I think it was not so common about the commencement of the tenth century of the Flight (that is, about the period which this work best illustrates) as it is at present, when it is almost universal among all classes; for in his time, its legality was doubted. He writes thus:--"The Imán El-Ghazálee hath said, 'There is no harm in it in the case of him whose object is cleanliness:' and the apparent sense of his words is, that it is improper in him who desireth to beautify himself for any worldly purpose, as is done by people of bad disposition."[352] It is added in a marginal note in the copy from which I translate this, "Persons differ respecting the shaving of the head. The opinion generally prevailing is, that it is improper to him who wears not a turban, and allowable to him who does wear one, since he has a substitute:"--"that it is also lawful, unquestionably, in the case of any disease of the head:"--and "that the hanging of the rosary to the neck, and the shaving of the head without a legal necessity, are innovations,"--Hároon Er-Rasheed generally wore the hair of his head sufficiently long to reach below his ears; but shaved it when he performed the pilgrimage;[353] and many other Muslims in early times did the same. Those who shave the head generally leave a small tuft upon the crown; but most persons of the literary and religious professions, and many others, disapprove of this tuft.
NOTE 26. By the term "sheykhs" we are here to understand "persons of sanctity and of learning." See Note 9 to Chapter i.
NOTE 27. By "the shining moon" is meant "the beautiful cup-bearer, whose face is like the shining moon."
NOTE 28. The Muslims believe that a blessing is derived from witnessing and hearing the devout exercises, recitations, &c., of holy men.
NOTE 29. The "jubbeh" worn in Eastern countries, is a long outer vest, with sleeves which reach nearly to the wrist. It is now generally made of cloth, and is worn by most tradesmen and other persons of the middle and higher classes. It differs somewhat in form in different countries.
NOTE 30. The "melwaṭah" is a garment of which I was unable to obtain a description until I inquired of my friend Mr. Salamé, who informed me that it was the name of a large outer garment which used to be worn over the farajeeyeh. But I afterwards found it stated in one of the marginal notes to a later tale, that the term above mentioned is now pronounced "mellooṭah," and is applied in the present day to an article of dress of cloth or other costly material; particularly to a jubbeh; but that it is also employed, in allusion to a jubbeh, &c., in a contemptuous sense, or, as I infer, ironically.
NOTE 31. See Note 41 to Chapter iv.
NOTE 32. The "lithám" is a piece of drapery with which a Bedawee often covers the lower part of his face. It frequently prevents his being recognised by another Arab who might make him a victim of blood-revenge; and is a means of disguise seldom employed but by Arabs of the desert.
NOTE 33. The meaning is, that the act would speak for itself, and be long remembered; that the grave of the fisherman would be pointed out as that of one to whom the Khaleefeh had shewn signal favours.
NOTE 34. It is a common custom of Arabs of the lower orders to put the money which they receive, especially when it is the first of the day's gains, to the lips and forehead before depositing it in the pocket; and the same is sometimes done by persons of the middle class.
NOTE 35. Literally, "twenty nuṣfs." See Note 17 to Chapter iii.
NOTE 36. These are the Ḳáḍees of the four great sects, or persuasions, of the Sunnee Muslims. See Note 1 to the Introduction.
NOTE 37. The words "and the Wezeer took him away" are omitted in the Cairo edition.
NOTE 38. "Ḳuṭeyṭ" is the diminutive of "ḳiṭṭ," vulgo "ḳuṭṭ," a "cat," and properly a "he-cat."
NOTE 39. The words which I translate "the place of blood" literally signify "the place of the stagnation of blood;" and are applied to the usual place of decapitation, because the blood is left there to soak into the ground.
NOTE 40. The recompense here alluded to is one to be received at the final retribution; not in the present life.
NOTE 41. This kind of "ḳulleh" is a small, porous, earthen bottle, with a wide mouth. Some specimens of it are figured beneath.
[344] See De Sacy, Chrestomathie Arabe, vol. ii. pp. 99 and 120, 2nd ed.
[345] In Arabic, "maḥḍaru kheyrin" (vulg., "maḥḍar kheyr"); in Turkish, "neek maḥẓar."Return to passage
[346] Ch. ii. v. 173.Return to passage
[347] Ch. iv. v. 34.Return to passage
[348] Or, according to some, ten thousand dirhems.Return to passage
[349] More than one is unusual; but, at the funeral of Moḥammad 'Alee Báshà, which I witnessed in Cairo, about eighty buffaloes were thus driven in the procession: in the narrow streets of the city, however, many of them disappeared, one after another, so that few reached the tomb.--ED.Return to passage
[350] If the reader desire more detailed information on the subject of this note, I refer him to my work on the Modern Egyptians, vol. ii. ch. xv.Return to passage
[351] Chrestomathie Arabe, vol. i. p. 106; 2nd ed.Return to passage
[352] Nuzhet el-Mutaämmil wa-Murshid el-Mutaäh-hil, sect. 7.Return to passage
[353] Elmacini Historia Saracenica, page 120.Return to passage
Chapter VII
COMMENCING WITH PART OF THE THIRTY-SIXTH NIGHT, AND ENDING WITH PART OF THE FORTY-FOURTH.
THE STORY OF GHÁNIM THE SON OF EIYOOB, THE DISTRACTED SLAVE OF LOVE.
It hath been told me, O happy King, said Shahrazád, that there was, in ancient times, a certain merchant of Damascus,[VII_1] possessed of wealth, who had a son like the moon at the full, of eloquent tongue, called Ghánim the son of Eiyoob,[VII_2] the Distracted Slave of Love; and this son had a sister, named Fitneh,[VII_3] on account of her excessive beauty and loveliness. Their father died, leaving them large property, among which were a hundred loads[VII_4] of silk and brocade, and bags[VII_5] of musk, and upon these loads was written, This is intended for Baghdád:--it having been his desire to journey to that city.
So, when God (whose name be exalted!) had taken his soul, and some time had elapsed, his son took these loads, and journeyed with them to Baghdád.--This was in the time of Hároon Er-Rasheed.--He took leave of his mother and relations and townspeople before his departure, and went forth, placing his dependence upon God (whose name be exalted!), and God decreed him safety, so that he arrived at Baghdád, whither there travelled in his company a party of merchants. He hired for himself a handsome house, and furnished it with carpets and cushions, and suspended curtains in it; and there he deposited those loads, together with the mules and camels, and remained until he had rested himself; and the merchants of Baghdád, and its great men, came and saluted him. He then took a wrapper containing ten pieces of costly stuff, with the prices written upon them, and went forth with them to the market of the merchants, who met him and saluted him, treated him with honour and welcomed him, and seated him at the shop of the Sheykh of the market; and he sold the pieces, gaining, for every piece of gold, two. So Ghánim rejoiced; and he proceeded to sell the stuffs by little and little, and continued to do so for a whole year.
After this, on the first day of the following year, he came to the same market, but found its gate shut, and, inquiring the cause of this, he was answered, One of the merchants hath died, and all the rest of them have gone to walk in his funeral-procession. Wilt thou then, added his informant, gain a recompense[VII_6] by walking with them?--He replied, Yes;--and he asked respecting the place of the funeral. So they guided him thither; and he performed the ablution,[VII_7] and walked with the other merchants until they arrived at the place of prayer, where they prayed over the dead. The merchants then walked all together before the corpse to the burial-ground, Ghánim following them, until the procession arrived at the burial-ground outside the city, and they proceeded among the tombs until they came to that in which the corpse was to be deposited. They found that the family of the deceased had pitched a tent over the tomb, and placed there the candles and lamps; and they buried the dead, and the readers sat reciting the Ḳur-án at the tomb. The merchants sat with them; and so also did Ghánim the son of Eiyoob; but he was overcome by bashfulness, saying within himself, I cannot quit them until I have departed with them. They sat listening to the recitation of the Ḳur-án until the period of nightfall, when the servants placed before them the supper and sweetmeats, and they ate till they were satisfied, and washed their hands, and resumed their seats.
The heart of Ghánim was now troubled with reflections upon his merchandize, and he was fearful of the thieves, and said within himself, I am a stranger, and suspected of possessing wealth, and if I pass the night far away from my abode, the thieves will steal the money and the loads. So, fearing for his property, he arose and went forth from among the company, asking their leave to depart on account of some business that he had to transact, and followed the beaten track until he came to the gate of the city: but it was then midnight, and he found the gate of the city shut, and saw no one coming or going, and heard not a sound save the barking of the dogs, and the howling of the wolves; whereupon he exclaimed, There is no strength nor power but in God! I was in fear for my property, and came hither on account of it, and have found the gate shut, and now I have become in fear for my life!--He then returned to seek for himself a place in which to sleep until the morning: and, finding a private burial-place enclosed by four walls, with a palm-tree within it, and a gate-way of hard stone, open, he entered it, and desired to sleep; but sleep came not to him.
Tremor and gloom overcame him, thus lying among the tombs, and he rose upon his feet, and, opening the door, looked out, and beheld a light gleaming in the distance in the direction of the city-gate. He advanced a few steps, and saw the light approaching in the way which led to the burial-place in which he was taking refuge; whereupon Ghánim feared for himself, and hastily closed the door, and climbed up into the palm-tree, and concealed himself in the midst of its branches. The light continued to approach the tomb by little and little until it came very near; and as he looked attentively at it, he perceived three black slaves, two of whom were bearing a chest, the other having in his hand an adze and a lantern; and as they drew near, one of the two slaves who were bearing the chest said, What aileth thee, O Ṣawáb?[VII_8]--to which the other of the two replied, What aileth thee, O Káfoor?[VII_9] The former rejoined, Were we not here at the hour of nightfall, and did we not leave the door open?--Yes, answered the other: what thou sayest is true.--See then, resumed the first speaker, it is shut and barred.--Upon this, the third, who was carrying the adze and light, and whose name was Bakheet,[VII_10] said, How small is your sense! Know ye not that the owners of the gardens go forth from Baghdád and repair hither, and, evening overtaking them, enter this place, and shut the door upon themselves, through fear, lest the blacks, like ourselves, should take them and roast them and eat them?[VII_11]--Thou hast spoken truth, they answered; but there is none among us of less sense than thyself.--Verily, he replied, ye will not believe me until we enter the burial-place and find some one in it: and I imagine that, if any one be in it, and have seen the light, he hath betaken himself to the top of the palm-tree.
When Ghánim heard these words of the slave, he said within himself, How cunning is this slave! May Allah disgrace the blacks for their malice and villainy! There is no strength nor power but in God, the High, the Great! What will deliver me from this difficulty?--The two who were bearing the chest then said to him who had the adze, Climb over the wall, and open to us the door, O Bakheet; for we are fatigued with carrying the chest upon our necks: and if thou open to us the door, we will give thee one of the persons whom we take, and we will fry him for thee excellently, so that not a drop of his fat shall be lost. But he replied, I am afraid of a thing that my little sense hath suggested to me: let us throw over the chest behind the door; for it is our deposite. They said to him, If we throw it, it will break.--I am afraid, he rejoined, that there may be, within the tomb, robbers who slay men and steal their property; for when evening overtaketh them they enter these places to divide what they have taken.--O thou of little sense, exclaimed the two others; can they enter here?--They then put down the chest, and climbed up the wall, and descended, and opened the door, while the third slave, Bakheet, stood waiting for them with the light, and a basket containing some plaster: after which they seated themselves, having closed the door; and one of them said, O my brother, we are tired with walking and taking up and putting down, and opening the door and shutting it, and it is now midnight, and we have not strength remaining to open the tomb and to bury the chest; wherefore we will sit here three hours to rest ourselves, and then rise and accomplish our business: but each of us shall in the mean time tell his story, and relate all that hath happened to him from beginning to end. So the first, who carried the light, told his story; but it was of a nature unfit to be here repeated;[VII_12] after which, another of the slaves thus began.
THE STORY OF THE SLAVE KÁFOOR.[VII_13]
Know, O my brothers, that I was, at the commencement of my career, a boy of eight years, and I used to tell one lie to the slave-merchants every year, so that they fell out with each other in consequence, and the slave-merchant my master, becoming impatient of me, committed me to the broker, desiring him to cry, Who will buy this slave with his fault? He was therefore asked, What is his fault?--and answered, He telleth one lie every year. And a merchant approached the broker, and said to him, How much have they bidden for this slave with his fault? He answered, They have bidden six hundred pieces of silver.--Then thou shalt have twenty for thyself, replied the merchant. So the broker introduced him to the slave-merchant, who received from him the money, and the broker conveyed me to the dwelling of the merchant, and took his brokerage.
The merchant clad me in a dress suitable to my condition, and I continued with him for the remainder of the year, until the new year commenced with prosperity. It was a blessed year, plenteous in the produce of the earth, and the merchants began to give entertainments, every day one taking his turn to do so, until it was my master's turn to give an entertainment in a garden within the city. So he went, and the other merchants also, and he took for them what they required of food and other provisions, and they sat eating and drinking and carousing till noon, when my master wanted something from the house, and said, O slave, mount the mule, and go to the house, and bring, from thy mistress, such a thing, and return quickly.
I obeyed, therefore, and went to the house; but when I approached it, I shrieked out, and shed tears; whereupon the people of the quarter assembled together, old and young; and my master's wife and daughters, hearing my cry, opened the door, and asked me what was the matter. I answered them, My master was sitting beneath an old wall, he and his friends, and it fell upon them; and when I beheld what happened to them, I mounted the mule, and came in haste to inform you. And when his children and wife heard these words, they shrieked, and tore their clothes, and slapped their faces, and the neighbours came to them. Then my master's wife overturned the furniture of the house, one thing upon another, and pulled down its shelves, and broke its shutters and its windows, and smeared its walls with mud and indigo, and said to me, Wo to thee, O Káfoor! Come hither and help me, and demolish these cupboards, and smash these vessels and this China-ware.--So I went to her, and destroyed with her the shelves of the house and all that was upon them, and its cupboards and what they contained, and went about over the terraces and through every place until I had laid waste the whole, crying all the while, Oh my master! My mistress then went forth, with her face uncovered, and only with her head-veil, and the girls and boys went with her, saying to me, O Káfoor, walk on before us, and shew us the place where thy master lieth dead beneath the wall, that we may take him forth from under the ruins, and carry him in a bier, and bring him to the house, and convey his corpse in a handsome manner to the burial. So I walked before them, crying, Oh my master!--and they followed me with their faces and heads uncovered,[VII_14] crying, Oh our misfortune! Oh our calamity!--and there was none among the men, nor among the women, nor among the children, nor a maiden, nor an old woman, [in the quarter,] who did not accompany us; and all of them slapped themselves in the excess of their lamentation. Thus I went with them through the city; and the people asking the news, they informed them of that which they had heard from me; and the people exclaimed, There is no strength nor power but in God, the High, the Great! We will go to the Wálee, and acquaint him.--And when they arrived before the Wálee, they informed him; and he mounted, and took with him labourers with axes and baskets, and they followed my footsteps, accompanied by a crowd of people.
I preceded them, weeping and crying out, and throwing dust upon my head, and slapping my face; and when I came to the party in the garden, and my master beheld me, I slapped my face, and exclaimed, Oh my mistress! who will have pity upon me after my mistress? Would that I had been her sacrifice!--When my master, therefore, saw me, he was confounded, his countenance became pale, and he said, What aileth thee, O Káfoor, and what is this predicament, and what is the news? I answered him, When thou sentest me to the house to bring thee what thou wantedst, I went thither and entered the house, and found that the wall of the saloon had fallen, and that the whole saloon had tumbled down upon my mistress and her children.--And did not thy mistress, said he, escape? I answered, No: not one of them escaped; and the first of them that died was my mistress the elder.--But did my youngest daughter escape? he asked. I answered, No.--And what, said he, hath become of the mule that I ride: is she safe?--No, O my master, I answered: for the walls of the house and the walls of the stable tumbled down upon all that was in the house; even upon the sheep and the geese and the hens, and all of them became a mass of flesh beneath the ruins; not one of them escaped. He then said to me, And thy master the elder? I answered, No: not one escaped; and now there remains neither house nor inhabitant, nor any trace of them; and as to the sheep and the geese and the hens, the cats and dogs have now eaten them.--And when my master heard my words, the light became darkness before his face, and he was no longer master of his senses nor of his reason, and was unable to stand upon his feet: he was paralyzed, and the strength of his back failed him, and he rent his clothes and plucked his beard and slapped his face and threw his turban from his head, and ceased not to slap his face until the blood flowed from it: and he began to cry, Ah! Oh my children! Ah! Oh my wife! Ah! Oh my misfortune! Unto whom hath happened the like of that which hath happened to me?--The merchants, also, his companions, joined with him in cries and lamentations, and were moved with pity for his case, and rent their clothes; and my master went forth from the garden, beating himself for the calamity that had [as he supposed] befallen him, and redoubled the blows upon his face, seeming as though he were drunk.
And as the party thus went out from the gate of the garden, they beheld a great dust, and heard tumultuous cries, and, looking in that direction, saw the crowd approaching them. This crowd was the Wálee and his attendants, and a concourse of people who had come to gratify their curiosity, with the merchant's family behind them, shrieking and crying with violent lamentation and excessive grief; and the first who accosted my master were his wife and children. On beholding these, he was confounded, and laughed, and said to them, How are ye; and what hath happened to you in the house, and what hath befallen you? And when they saw him, they exclaimed, Praise be to God for thy safety! And they threw themselves upon him, and his children clung to him, crying out, Oh our father! Praise be to God for thy safety, O our father!--and his wife said to him, Praise be to God who hath shewn us thy face in safety!--and she was stupified, and her reason fled from her at that which she beheld. She then said to him, How didst thou escape with thy friends?--And how, said he, were ye in the house?--We were all well, they answered, in prosperity and health, and no evil hath befallen our house, save that thy slave Káfoor came to us with his head uncovered and his clothes rent, crying out, Oh my master! Oh my master!--and we said to him, What is the matter, O Káfoor?--and he answered, My master was sitting under a wall in the garden, and it fell upon him, and he died.--By Allah, replied my master, he came to me just now, crying, Oh my mistress! Oh the children of my mistress!--and said, My mistress and her children are all dead!
He then looked aside, and, seeing me with my turban falling from my head, while I still cried out and wept violently and threw dust upon my head, he called out to me: so I approached him, and he said to me, Wo to thee! O malevolent slave! O misbegotten wretch! O thou of accursed race! What events hast thou brought about! But, by Allah, I will strip off thy skin from thy flesh, and cut thy flesh from thy bones!--By Allah, replied I, thou canst not do to me anything; for thou boughtest me with my fault, on this condition, the witnesses testifying that thou boughtest me with my fault, thou knowing it, and it was, that I was accustomed to tell one lie every year; and this is but half a lie, and when the year is complete I will tell the other half of it; so it will be an entire lie. But upon this, he cried out at me, O most accursed of slaves! is this but half a lie? Nay, it is an exceeding calamity! Depart from me; for thou art free![VII_15]--By Allah, I replied, if thou liberate me, I will not liberate thee until the year be complete, and I tell the remaining half of the lie; and when I have completed it, then take me to the market, and sell me as thou boughtest me with my fault, and liberate me not; for I have no trade by means of which to procure my subsistence: this is a legal proposition that I have stated to thee, laid down by the lawyers in the Chapter of Emancipation.[VII_16]--While we were thus talking, the crowd approached, with the people of the quarter, women and men, come to mourn, and the Wálee with his attendants: and my master and the other merchants went to the Wálee, and acquainted him with the case, and that this was but half a lie; and when the people who were present heard this, they were astonished at this lie, and struck with the utmost wonder; and they cursed and reviled me; while I stood laughing, and saying, How can my master kill me when he bought me with this fault?
So when my master went to the house, he found it in a state of ruin (and it was I who destroyed the greater part, and broke in it things worth a large sum of money); and his wife said to him, It was Káfoor who broke the vessels and the China-ware. Upon this, his rage increased, and he exclaimed, By Allah! in my life I have never seen such a misbegotten wretch as this slave; yet he calleth it half a lie! What then would have been the result had it been a whole lie! In that case he had destroyed a city, or two cities!--Then, in the excess of his rage, he went to the Wálee, who inflicted upon me a severe beating, so that I became insensible, and swooned away; after which, my master contrived means of obtaining for me a high price, and I ceased not to excite disturbances in the places into which I was sold, and was transferred from Emeer to Emeer and from Grandee to Grandee, by sale and purchase, until I entered the palace of the Prince of the Faithful, and now my spirit is broken, and my strength hath failed.
CONTINUATION OF THE STORY OF GHÁNIM THE SON OF EIYOOB, THE DISTRACTED SLAVE OF LOVE.
When the other slaves had heard his story, they laughed at it, and said to him, Verily thou art a villain, the son of a villain: thou hast told an abominable lie. The first and second then said to the third slave, Relate to us thy story.--O sons of my uncle, he replied, all that hath just been related is nonsense: but my story is long, and this is not a time to tell it; for the morning, O sons of my uncle, is near, and perhaps it may overtake us with this chest still before us, and we shall be disgraced among the public, and our lives will be lost; haste then to work, and when we have finished, and returned home, I will relate to you my story. So they put down the light, and dug a trench of the size of the chest between four tombs; Káfoor digging, and Ṣawáb removing the earth in baskets, until they had dug to the depth of half a fathom, when they put the chest into the trench, and replaced the earth over it, and went forth from the enclosure, and, having closed the gate, disappeared from before the eyes of Ghánim the son of Eiyoob.
When, therefore, they had left the place vacant unto Ghánim, and he knew that he was alone, his mind became busied respecting the contents of the chest, and he said within himself, What can this chest contain? He waited until daybreak gleamed and shone forth, and then descended from the palm-tree, and removed the earth with his hand until he had uncovered the chest and disengaged it, when he took a stone, and struck with it the lock, and broke it; and lifting up the cover, he looked in, and beheld a sleeping damsel, stupified with benj,[VII_17] but still breathing: she was of beautiful and lovely person, and decked with ornaments of gold, and necklaces of jewels, worth a kingdom, and of a value that no money would equal. When Ghánim the son of Eiyoob beheld her, he knew that she had been the object of a plot, and, being convinced of this, he pulled her up until he had lifted her out of the chest, and laid her upon her back; and as soon as she scented the breeze, and the air entered her nostrils and her mouth and throat, she sneezed, and then was choked, and coughed, whereupon there fell from her throat a round piece of benj, of such potency that if an elephant smelt it he would sleep from one night to another. She then opened her eyes, and, looking round, said, with an eloquent voice, Wo to thee, O wind! Thou neither satisfiest the thirsty, nor cheerest by thy presence the satisfied with drink! Where is Zahr-el-Bustán?--But no one answered her. Then looking aside, she exclaimed, Ṣabeeḥah! Shejeret-ed-Durr! Noor-el-Hudà! Nejmet-eṣ-Ṣubḥ! Art thou awake?[VII_18] Nuzheh! Ḥulweh! Ẓareefeh! Speak ye!--But no one answered her. And she looked round about her, and exclaimed, Alas for me, that I am transported to the tombs! O Thou who knowest the secrets of the breasts, and recompensest on the day of resurrection! who hath brought me from among the curtains and the veils, and placed me amid four tombs?
While she was saying all this, Ghánim stood still; but he now said to her, O my mistress, there are neither veils nor palaces nor tombs for thee here: this is none other than thy slave Ghánim the son of Eiyoob, whom the King who is omniscient with respect to hidden things hath impelled hither that he may deliver thee from these troubles, and that the utmost of thy desires may be accomplished unto thee.--And he was silent; and when she became convinced of the truth of the case, she exclaimed, I testify that there is no deity but God, and I testify that Moḥammad is God's Apostle! Then looking towards Ghánim, with her hands placed upon her breast, she said to him, with a sweet voice, O auspicious youth, who brought me unto this place? For now I have recovered my senses.--O my mistress, he answered, three eunuchs came bearing this chest:--and he related to her all that had happened, and how the evening had overtaken him, so that he became the means of her preservation, and that otherwise she had died of suffocation; and he inquired of her respecting her history.--O youth, she replied, praise be to God who hath cast me into the hands of one like thee! Rise therefore now, and put me into the chest, and go forth to the road, and as soon as thou shalt find any one who lets out asses or other beasts, or a muleteer, hire him to transport this chest, and convey me to thy house; and when I am in thy abode it will be well, and I will relate to thee my story, and acquaint thee with my tale, and good fortune will accrue to thee through my means.--So Ghánim rejoiced, and he went forth into the desert tract.
The day had begun to gleam, the sun rose in splendour, and the people come walking forth; and Ghánim hired a man with a mule, and brought him to the burial-place. He then lifted the chest, after he had put the damsel into it, and, with his heart smitten by love for her, proceeded with her, full of joy, for she was a damsel worth ten thousand pieces of gold, and was decked with ornaments and apparel of enormous value. Scarcely had he found himself at his house when he put down the chest, and opened it, and took forth from it the damsel, who looked, and saw that the place was a handsome dwelling furnished with variegated carpets, and she observed the gay colours and various embellishments, and beheld stuffs packed up, and loads of goods, and other property: so she knew that he was a great merchant, and a man of wealth. She then uncovered her face, and looked at him, and observed him to be a handsome young man, and loved him; and she said to him, Bring us something to eat. He answered her, On the head and the eye be thy commands:--and went to the market, and bought a roasted lamb, and a dish of sweetmeat, and procured some dried fruits, and candles and wine, and the requisite apparatus for perfumes. Then returning to the house, he took in the things, and when the damsel saw him, she laughed, and kissed him, and embraced him, and began to caress him, so that the love which he felt increased, and took entire possession of his heart. They then ate and drank until the approach of night, and their love was mutual: for they were both of the same age, and both equal in comeliness; and when the night approached, the Distracted Slave of Love, Ghánim the son of Eiyoob, rose and lighted the candles and lamps, and the chamber glistened: he then brought forth the wine-service, and prepared the table, and sat down with her; he filling and handing to her, and she filling and handing to him, while they both toyed and laughed and recited verses: their gaiety increased, and they were engrossed by mutual love.--Extolled be the perfection of the Uniter of Hearts!--Thus they continued until it was near morning, when sleep overcame them, and each of them slept apart from the other till morning came.
Ghánim the son of Eiyoob then arose, and went forth to the market, and bought what was requisite of vegetables and meat and wine and other provisions, and brought them to the house; and he again sat with her to eat, and they ate until they were satisfied; after which he brought the wine, and they drank and toyed together till their cheeks reddened and their eyes became more intensely black;[VII_19] and Ghánim said, O my mistress, have compassion on the captive of thy love, and him whom thine eyes have slain. I had remained sound of heart but for thee.--Then he wept a while; and she replied, O my master, and light of mine eye, By Allah, I love thee and confide in thee; but I know that thou canst not be united to me.--And what hindereth? said he. She answered, I will this night relate to thee my story, that thou mayest accept my excuse. But they continued thus a whole month; and after this, one night, when Ghánim was complaining to her of his passion, she said to him, I will now explain to thee my case, that thou mayest know my dignity, and that my secret may be revealed to thee, and my excuse become manifest to thee. He replied, Well. And she took hold of a band which confined a part of her dress, and said to him, O my master, read what is on this border. So he took the border in his hand, and looked at it, and found worked upon it in gold, I am thine, and thou art mine, O descendant of the Prophet's Uncle.[VII_20] And when he had read this, he let fall his hand, and said to her, Reveal to me thy history. She answered, Well:--and thus began:--
Know that I am a favourite slave of the Prince of the Faithful, and my name is Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob.[VII_21] The Prince of the Faithful, after he had reared me in his palace, and I had grown up, observed my qualities, and the beauty and loveliness with which my Lord had endowed me, and loved me excessively: he took me and lodged me in a private apartment, and appointed me ten female slaves to serve me, and then gave me those ornaments which thou seest with me. After this, the Khaleefeh went forth one day on a journey to one of the surrounding provinces, and the lady Zubeydeh came to one of the female slaves who were in my service, and said, When thy mistress Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob sleepeth, put this piece of benj into her nose and her drink, and thou shalt receive from me a sum of money that will satisfy thee. The slave replied, Most willingly:--and she received the benj from her, rejoicing on account of the money, and because she had been originally Zubeydeh's slave; and she insinuated the benj into me, whereupon I fell upon the floor, with my head bent down to my feet, and seemed to be in another world. And when she could devise no other stratagem, she put me into that chest, and privily summoned the black slaves, and, after having given presents to them and to the door-keepers, sent me with the black slaves on the night when thou wast reposing at the top of the palm-tree: and they did with me as thou sawest, and my deliverance was effected through thy means. Then thou broughtest me unto this place, where thou hast treated me with the utmost kindness. This is my story; and I know not what hath happened to the Khaleefeh during my absence. Know, therefore, my dignity; and divulge not my case.
When Ghánim the son of Eiyoob heard these words of Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob, and discovered that she was the favourite of the Khaleefeh, he drew back, in his awe of the Khaleefeh, and sat alone at one side of the chamber, blaming himself, and reflecting upon his situation, perplexed by love of her to whom he could not be united; and he wept from the violence of his desire, and the fierceness of his passion and distraction, and began to complain of fortune and its injustice.--Extolled be the perfection of Him who causeth the hearts of the generous to be troubled with love, and endueth not the mean with so much of it as equalleth the weight of a grain!--And upon this, Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob rose to him, and embraced and kissed him, and, her heart being entirely captivated by his love, she revealed what she had hidden of the extent of her passion, and encircled his neck with her arms, and kissed him again; but he withdrew from her embrace, in his fear of the Khaleefeh. They then conversed a while, drowned in the sea of mutual love, and so remained until day, when Ghánim arose, and went forth to the market as usual, and procured what was requisite, and, returning to the house, found Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob weeping: but as soon as she beheld him, she ceased from her tears, and smiled, and said to him, Thou hast made me desolate by thine absence, O beloved of my heart! By Allah, this hour during which thou hast been away from me hath appeared as a year; for I cannot endure thy separation; and see, I have thus shewn thee my state, through the violence of my passion. Arise therefore now, and mind not what hath happened, but take me as thy wife.--But he replied, I seek refuge with Allah! This is a thing that cannot be. How should the dog sit in the place of the lion? What belongeth to my lord is forbidden me to approach.--He then tore himself from her, and sat apart; and she increased in love through his refusal.--In this manner they passed three long months; and whenever she made any advances to him he withdrew from her, and said, Whatever belongeth to the master is forbidden to the slave.--Such was the case of the Distracted Slave of Love, Ghánim the son of Eiyoob.
Meanwhile, Zubeydeh, during the absence of the Khaleefeh, having acted thus with Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob, became perplexed, saying within herself, What shall I say to the Khaleefeh when he cometh and inquireth respecting her; and what shall be my answer to him? She then called for an old woman who resided with her, and acquainted her with her secret, and said to her, What shall I do, now that Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob is no more? The old woman answered, when she understood the affair, Know, O my mistress, that the return of the Khaleefeh is near; but I will send to a carpenter, and desire him to make a wooden image of a corpse, and they shall dig for it a grave, and thou shalt light candles and lamps around it, and command every one who is in the palace to wear black,[VII_22] and order thy female slaves and eunuchs, as soon as they know of the Khaleefeh's return from his journey, to raise lamentations in the vestibules, and when he enters and asks the news, they shall answer him, Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob is dead; and may God abundantly compensate thee for the loss of her!--and from the esteem with which she was regarded by our mistress, she hath buried her in her own palace. So when he heareth this, he will weep, and the event will distress him. Then he will cause the readers to sit up by night at her tomb to perform recitations of the Ḳur-án: and if he say within himself, Surely the daughter of my uncle, through her jealousy, hath been led to destroy Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob,--or the distraction of love overpower him, and he give orders to take her forth from the tomb, fear not from that; for if they dig down to the image in the form of a human being, and take it forth, shrouded in costly grave-clothes, and the Khaleefeh desire to remove the grave-clothes from it, to behold her, do thou prevent him, and the fear of the world to come will withhold him; and do thou say to him, To behold her corpse uncovered is unlawful. Then he will believe her death, and will return her image to its place, and thank thee for thy conduct, and thou shalt escape, if it please God, from this difficulty.--When the lady Zubeydeh, therefore, heard what she said, she approved it, and bestowed upon her a dress of honour, and commanded her to do this, having given her a sum of money. So the old woman set about the business immediately, and ordered the carpenter to make for her an image as above described; and when it was finished, she brought it to the lady Zubeydeh, and she shrouded it, and lighted the candles and lamps, and spread the carpets around the tomb, and clad herself in black, ordering the female slaves to do the same; and the news was spread through the palace, that Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob had died.
Some time after this, the Khaleefeh returned from his journey, and went up to his palace; but his mind was occupied only with Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob; and seeing the pages and eunuchs and female slaves all clad in black, his heart was agitated; and when he entered the palace of the lady Zubeydeh, and beheld her also clad in black, he inquired the reason of it, and they informed him of the death of Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob. Upon hearing this, he fell down in a swoon; and when he recovered, he asked where was her tomb; and the lady Zubeydeh answered, Know, O Prince of the Faithful, that, on account of the esteem in which she was held by me, I buried her in my palace. So the Khaleefeh, entering the palace in his travelling-dress, proceeded to visit the tomb of Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob, and found the carpets spread, and the candles and lamps lighted; and when he beheld this, he thanked her for what she had done. But afterwards he became perplexed, and wavered a while between belief and disbelief, until suspicion overcame him, and he gave orders to open the tomb and to take her out: when, however, he saw the grave-clothes, and was about to remove them that he might behold her, he feared God (whose name be exalted!), and the old woman said, Restore her to her place. Then immediately the Khaleefeh commanded to bring the professors of religion and law, and the readers, and they performed recitations of the whole of the Ḳur-án at her tomb, while he sat by the side of it weeping until he became insensible.
He continued to frequent the tomb for the space of a month; after which it happened that he entered the Ḥareem, after the emeers and wezeers had dispersed from before him to their houses, and he slept a while, and a female slave sat at his head, and another at his feet; and after sleep had overcome him he awoke, and opened his eyes, and heard the damsel who was at his head say to her who was at his feet, Wo to thee, O Kheyzurán!--Wherefore, O Ḳaḍeeb?[VII_23] said the other.--Our lord, rejoined the first, is ignorant of what hath happened; so he sitteth up by night at a tomb in which there is nothing but a carved image, the work of the carpenter.--And what then, asked the other damsel, hath befallen Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob? Her companion answered, Know that our mistress Zubeydeh sent some benj by a female slave, and she stupified her with it, and when the benj had taken effect upon her, she put her in a chest, and sent her away with Ṣawáb and Káfoor, commanding them to throw her into the tomb. Upon this, Kheyzurán said, Wo to thee, O Ḳaḍeeb! Is not the lady Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob dead?--Heaven preserve her youth from death! answered Ḳaḍeeb: I heard the lady Zubeydeh say that Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob was with a young merchant named Ghánim of Damascus, and that she had been with him, including this day, four months; and our lord here weepeth and passeth sleepless nights at a tomb in which there is no corpse.--Thus they conversed together, while the Khaleefeh heard their words; and when they had finished their conversation, and he had become acquainted with the event, that this tomb was a false one, and that Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob had been with Ghánim the son of Eiyoob for the space of four months, he was violently incensed, and arose, and summoned the emeers of his court; whereupon the Wezeer Jaạfar El-Barmekee presented himself and kissed the ground before him, and the Khaleefeh said to him, in anger, Descend, O Jaạfar, with a body of men, and inquire for the house of Ghánim the son of Eiyoob, and assault it suddenly, and bring him hither with my female slave Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob; and I will assuredly torture him.
Jaạfar replied, I hear and obey;--and he went forth with his attendants, the Wálee also accompanying him, and they proceeded until they arrived at Ghánim's house. Ghánim had just before gone out and brought a pot of meat, and was about to stretch forth his hand to eat of it with Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob, when she looked out, and found that the house was beset on all sides, and the Wezeer and the Wálee and the officers of violence and the memlooks with drawn swords were surrounding it as the black surrounds the pupil of the eye; and upon this she knew that tidings of her situation had reached the ears of the Khaleefeh her lord, and she made sure of destruction; her countenance became pale, and her beauty changed, and, looking towards Ghánim, she said to him, O my beloved, save thyself!--How shall I do, said he, and whither shall I flee, when my wealth and means of subsistence are in this house? But she answered, Delay not, lest thou perish, and thy wealth also be lost.--O my mistress, and light of mine eye, rejoined he, how can I contrive to go forth when they are surrounding the house?--Fear not, she answered:--and she pulled off his clothes, and clad him in worn-out, ragged garments, and, taking the pot that had contained the meat, placed it upon his head, and put in it a little bread and a saucer of meat, and said to him, Go forth by the help of this stratagem, and thou hast nothing to fear with respect to me, for I know what I am able to do with the Khaleefeh. When Ghánim, therefore, heard the words of Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob, and the advice which she gave him, he went forth through the midst of them, bearing the pot, and Providence protected him so that he escaped from the snares and injuries which menaced him, by the blessing of his good conscience.
And when the Wezeer Jaạfar arrived at the house, he dismounted from his horse, and entered, and looked at Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob, who had adorned herself, and filled a chest with gold and ornaments and jewels and rarities, such as were light to carry and of great value; and when Jaạfar came in to her, she rose upon her feet, and kissed the ground before him, saying to him, O my master, the Pen hath written what God hath decreed.[VII_24] But Jaạfar, when he beheld her situation, replied, By Allah, O my mistress, he gave me no order but to arrest Ghánim the son of Eiyoob. And she said, Know that he hath packed up some bales of merchandise, and gone with them to Damascus, and I know nothing more than this; and I request thee to take care of this chest for me, and to convey it to the palace of the Prince of the Faithful. So Jaạfar answered, I hear and obey:--and he took the chest, and gave orders that it should be conveyed, together with Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob, to the palace of the Khaleefeh, treating her with honour and respect. This took place after they had plundered the house of Ghánim; and they went to the Khaleefeh, and Jaạfar related to him all that had happened; whereupon the Khaleefeh appointed to Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob a dark chamber, and there lodged her, commissioning an old woman to serve her; for he imagined that Ghánim had acted dishonestly towards her.
He then wrote a letter to the Emeer Moḥammad the son of Suleymán Ez-Zeynee, who was viceroy of Damascus, containing as follows:--As soon as this letter cometh to thy hands, thou shalt arrest Ghánim the son of Eiyoob, and send him unto me.--So when the mandate was brought to him, he kissed it, and put it upon his head, and caused it to be proclaimed through the market-street, Whosoever desireth to plunder, let him repair to the house of Ghánim the son of Eiyoob. And they came to the house, and found that the mother of Ghánim, and his sister, had made for them a tomb, and sat by it weeping; and they laid hold upon them, and plundered the house, and the mother and sister knew not the cause: and when they brought them before the Sulṭán,[VII_25] he inquired of them respecting Ghánim the son of Eiyoob; and they answered him, For the space of a year we have obtained no tidings of him.--And they restored them to their place.[VII_26]
In the mean time, Ghánim the son of Eiyoob, the Distracted Slave of Love, when his wealth had been seized, was perplexed, and began to weep for himself so as to break his heart. He walked on, and ceased not on his way to the close of day, suffering from excessive hunger and fatigue, until he arrived at a village, where he entered a mosque, and seated himself upon a round mat,[VII_27] and he leaned his back against one of the walls of the building, and then threw himself down, under the influence of extreme hunger and weariness. There he remained until the morning, his heart palpitating from want of food; vermin attacked his body, his breath became fetid, and he was altogether changed; and the people of that village, coming to perform the morning-prayers, found him lying there sick through want of food, yet exhibiting evident traces of former affluence; and when they approached him, they found him cold and hungry. They clad him, therefore, with an old garment having ragged sleeves, and said to him, Whence art thou, O stranger, and what is the cause of thine infirmity? And Ghánim opened his eyes and looked at them and wept; but he returned them no answer. Then one of them, knowing the violence of his hunger, went and brought him a saucer of honey and two cakes of bread, and he ate, while they sat around him until the sun rose, when they departed to their several occupations.--In this state he remained among them for a month, and his infirmity and disease increased; so the people, commiserating him, consulted together respecting his case, and agreed to transport him to the hospital at Baghdád.
Now while they were thus conversing, lo, two women, beggars, came in to him; and they were his mother and sister; and when he beheld them, he gave them the bread that was at his head, and they slept by him the next night; but he knew them not. And on the following day, the people of the village came to him, bringing a camel, and said to its owner, Convey this sick person on the camel, and when thou hast arrived at Baghdád, put him down at the door of the hospital: perhaps he may recover his health, and thou wilt receive a recompense. He answered them, I hear and obey. So they brought forth Ghánim the son of Eiyoob from the mosque, and placed him, with the round mat upon which he was sleeping, on the camel; and his mother and sister came to look at him among the other people; but they knew him not. Then observing him attentively, they said, Verily he resembleth our Ghánim! Can he be this sick person or not?--But as to Ghánim, he awoke not until he was mounted on the camel, and he began to weep and moan; and the people of the village saw his mother and sister weeping for him, though they did not know him. Then his mother and sister journeyed onwards to Baghdád, while the camel-driver also proceeded without stopping until he had deposited Ghánim at the door of the hospital, when he took his camel, and returned.
Ghánim remained lying there until the morning; and when the people began to pass along the street, they beheld him. He had become so emaciated that his form resembled that of a toothpick, and the people ceased not to gaze at him until the Sheykh of the market came and repelled them from him, and said, I will gain Paradise by means of this poor person; for if they take him into the hospital they will kill him in one day. He then ordered his young men to carry him, and they conveyed him to his house, where he spread for him a new bed, and put for him a new cushion, and said to his wife, Serve him faithfully. She replied, On the head:--and she tucked up her sleeves, and, having heated for him some water, washed his hands and feet and body, and clothed him in a vest of one of her female slaves. She then gave him to drink a cup of wine, and sprinkled rose-water upon him: so he recovered his senses; and he remembered his beloved, Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob, and his anguish increased.--Thus did it happen to Ghánim.
Now as to Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob,--when the Khaleefeh, incensed against her, had lodged her in the dark chamber, she remained there in the same state for eighty days; and it happened that the Khaleefeh passed one day by that place, and heard her reciting verses; and when she had finished her recitation of them, she exclaimed, O my beloved! O Ghánim! How kind art thou, and how chaste is thy disposition! Thou hast acted with kindness unto him who hath injured thee, and hast guarded the honour of him who hath violated thine, and hast protected his ḥareem and he hath enslaved both thee and thy family; but thou wilt assuredly stand, with the Prince of the Faithful, before a Just Judge, and thou wilt obtain justice against him on the day when the judge shall be God; and the witnesses, the angels!--And when the Khaleefeh heard her words, and understood her complaint, he knew that she was injured; and he entered his palace, and sent the eunuch to her, and when she came before him she hung down her head, with weeping eye, and sorrowful heart; and he said to her, O Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob, I see that thou complainest of my oppression, and accusest me of tyranny, and thinkest that I have injured him who hath acted kindly unto me. Who then is he who hath guarded my honour and I have violated his; and who hath protected my ḥareem and I have enslaved his?[VII_28]--She answered him, Ghánim the son of Eiyoob; for he hath not attempted any dishonest action towards me, by thy beneficence, O Prince of the Faithful!--Upon this the Khaleefeh exclaimed, There is no strength nor power but in God!--and then added, O Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob, desire of me what thou wilt, and I will grant thy wish. So she replied, I desire of thee my beloved, Ghánim the son of Eiyoob. And when he heard her words, he said, I will cause him to be brought hither, if it be the will of God, in honour.--O Prince of the Faithful, she rejoined, when thou shalt have caused him to be brought, wilt thou present me to him? He answered, When I have had him brought, I will present thee to him, the present of a generous man who will not revoke his gift. So she said, O Prince of the Faithful, permit me to search about for him: perhaps God may unite me with him. And he replied, Do as thou wilt.
Upon this she rejoiced, and went forth, taking with her a thousand pieces of gold and visited the sheykhs, and gave alms for the sake of Ghánim:[VII_29] and on the following day she went to the market of the merchants, and gave to the chief of the market some money, saying to him, Bestow it in alms upon the strangers. Then again, in the following week, she went forth, taking with her a thousand pieces of gold, and, entering the market of the goldsmiths and jewellers, summoned the chief of the market, and he came, and she gave him the thousand pieces of gold, and said to him, Bestow it in alms upon the strangers: whereupon the chief, who was the Sheykh of the market before mentioned, looked at her, and said to her, Wilt thou go with me to my house, to look at a young stranger there, and see how elegant he is, and how perfectly charming? For it is probable that he is Ghánim the son of Eiyoob, the Distracted Slave of Love.--But the chief had no knowledge of him, and imagined that he was a poor person involved in debt, whose wealth had been taken from him, or a lover parted from his beloved. And when she heard his words, her heart beat, and her affections were engrossed by him, and she answered, Send with me some one to conduct me to thy house. So he sent with her a young boy, who conducted her to the house where the stranger was lodged, and she thanked him for doing so; and when she entered the house, and saluted the chief's wife, the latter arose, and kissed the ground before her; for she knew her. Then Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob said to her, Where is the sick person who is with you? And she wept, and answered, Here he is, O my mistress: but he is of a respectable family, and exhibiteth traces of former affluence. And Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob looked towards the bed upon which he was lying, and, regarding him narrowly, beheld him as though he were Ghánim himself; but his condition was changed, and he had become so emaciated that he resembled a toothpick, and the truth of his case was disguised from her, so that she did not discover him to be the person whom she sought; but she was moved with compassion for him, and she wept, and exclaimed, Verily, strangers are objects of pity, though they be emeers in their own countries! She then ordered for him supplies of wine and medicines, and sat at his head a while, and mounted, and returned to her palace; and she continued to go forth to every market for the purpose of searching for Ghánim.
Soon after, the chief of the market brought the mother of Ghánim, and his sister Fitneh, and went with them to Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob, and said to her, O most charitable lady, there have entered our city this day a woman and a girl of respectable origin, bearing evident traces of former affluence, but they are clad in garments of hair-cloth, and each of them hath a wallet hung to her neck, and their eyes are weeping, and their hearts sorrowful: so I have brought them unto thee, that thou mayest give them refuge, and preserve them from the disgrace of beggary; for they are not persons suited to ask alms of the sordid; and if it please God, we shall enter Paradise by their means.--By Allah, O my master, she replied, thou hast made me long to behold them! Where are they? Order them to come in.--So, upon this, Fitneh and her mother came in to Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob, who, when she saw them, and observed that they were both distinguished by beauty, wept for them, and said, By Allah, they are persons of an affluent family, and traces of wealth are conspicuous in their appearance.--O my mistress, replied the chief of the market, we love the poor and indigent for the sake of future recompense;[VII_30] and probably the extortioners have oppressed these two persons, and plundered them of their wealth, and ruined their houses. Then these two females wept violently, and, remembering Ghánim the son of Eiyoob, the Distracted Slave of Love, their wailing increased, and Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob wept with them; and the mother of Ghánim exclaimed, We pray God to unite us with him whom we seek, and he is my son Ghánim the son of Eiyoob. When Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob, therefore, heard these words, she knew that this woman was the mother of her beloved, and that the other was his sister, and she wept until she fell down in a swoon; and when she recovered, she approached them, and said to them, Ye have nothing to fear; for this day is the first of your prosperity, and the last of your adversity: therefore grieve not. She then ordered the chief of the market to take them to his house, and to let his wife conduct them into the bath, and attire them in handsome clothing, and take care of them, and treat them with the utmost honour; and she gave him a sum of money.
Then, on the following day, Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob mounted and went again to the house of the chief of the market, and went in to visit his wife, who rose to her, and kissed the ground before her, and thanked her for her charity; and she saw that his wife had conducted the mother of Ghánim, and his sister, to the bath, and taken off their former clothes, and that the traces of their original affluence had become more conspicuous in consequence; and she sat a while conversing with them; after which she asked the wife of the chief of the market respecting the sick person who was with her. She answered, He is in the same state. And Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob said, Arise, and let us look at him and visit him. So they both arose, with Ghánim's mother and sister, and went in to him, and seated themselves by him; and when Ghánim the son of Eiyoob, the Distracted Slave of Love, heard one of them mention Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob, emaciated as he was in body and limbs, his soul returned to him, and he raised his head from the pillow, and called out, O Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob! She looked at him, therefore, and knew him, and cried, saying, Yes, O my beloved! He then said to her, Draw near to me. And she asked him, Art thou Ghánim the son of Eiyoob, the Distracted Slave of Love? He answered her, Yes: I am he. And upon this, she fell down in a swoon; and when his sister and his mother heard their words, they cried out, Oh, our joy!--and in like manner fainted. And when they recovered, Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob said to Ghánim, Praise be to God who hath united us with thee and with thy mother and sister! Then, approaching him, she related to him all that had happened to her with the Khaleefeh, adding, I said to him, I have declared to thee the truth, O Prince of the Faithful:--and he believed my words, and approved thee; and he is now desiring to see thee. And she said to him, The Khaleefeh hath given me to thee:--whereupon he was filled with the utmost joy: and Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob said to them all, Quit not this place until I come again.
She then arose immediately, and departed to her palace, and removed thence the chest that she had brought from Ghánim's house, and took forth from it some pieces of gold, which she gave to the chief of the market, saying to him, Take these pieces of gold, and buy for each of them four complete suits of dress of the best kinds of stuff, and twenty handkerchiefs, and whatever else they require. And after this, she conducted them to the bath, and gave orders to wash them, and prepared for them boiled meats, and infusion of galangal, and apple-water, after they had come forth from the bath and dressed themselves. For three days she remained with them, feeding them with fowls and with boiled meats, and giving them sherbet of refined sugar to drink; and after the three days their spirits returned to them. Then she conducted them again to the bath, and they came forth, and she changed their clothes, and, leaving them in the house of the chief of the market, went to the Khaleefeh, and kissed the ground before him, and related to him the story, telling him that her master, Ghánim the son of Eiyoob, the Distracted Slave of Love, had come, and that his mother and sister also had arrived. When the Khaleefeh, therefore, heard these words of Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob, he said to the eunuchs, Bring hither to me Ghánim. And Jaạfar went down with them to bring him: but Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob had gone before him; and she went in unto Ghánim, and said to him, The Khaleefeh hath sent to thee to bring thee before him: have a care then to display eloquence of tongue, and firmness of heart, and sweetness of speech. And she attired him in a magnificent dress, and gave him pieces of gold in abundance, saying to him, Bestow plentifully upon the domestics of the Khaleefeh as thou goest in to him. And lo, Jaạfar approached him, mounted upon his mule, and Ghánim advanced to meet him, and greeted him with a prayer for long life, kissing the ground before him.
The planet of his prosperity had appeared, and the star of his glory had risen aloft, and Jaạfar took him, and they proceeded until they entered into the presence of the Prince of the Faithful; and when Ghánim came before him, he looked towards the wezeers and emeers and chamberlains and lieutenants and the other officers of the court, and the warriours, and, being eloquent of tongue, firm of heart, delicate in the style of his language, and pleasing in the allusions it conveyed, he hung down his head towards the ground, and then looked towards the Khaleefeh, and addressed him in a series of complimentary verses. And when he had finished his recitation, the Khaleefeh was delighted with the graces of his person, and pleased with the eloquence of his tongue and the sweetness of his speech; and he said to him, Approach me. He therefore approached him, and the Khaleefeh said to him, Explain to me thy tale, and acquaint me with the truth of thy history. So Ghánim sat, and related to the Khaleefeh all that had happened to him from beginning to end; and when the Khaleefeh knew that he spoke truth, he bestowed upon him a dress of honour, and admitted him into his favour, and said to him, Acquit me of responsibility.[VII_31] And he did so, and said to him, O Prince of the Faithful, the slave and all that his hands possess belong to his master:--and the Khaleefeh rejoiced. He then gave orders to appropriate a palace to him exclusively, and appointed him abundant pensions and allowances, and removed to him his mother and his sister. And the Khaleefeh, hearing that his sister Fitneh was, in beauty (as her name imported), a temptation, demanded her of him in marriage. Ghánim therefore replied, She is thy handmaid,[VII_32] and I am thy memlook. And the Khaleefeh thanked him, and gave him a hundred thousand pieces of gold,[VII_33] and summoned the Ḳáḍee and witnesses, and they performed the marriage-contract. Then he and Ghánim visited their wives on the same day, the Khaleefeh going to Fitneh, and Ghánim the son of Eiyoob to Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob; and on the following morning, the Khaleefeh ordered that all that had happened to Ghánim, from first to last, should be committed to writing and inserted in the records, that his posterity might consider it, and wonder at the disposals of destiny, and commit their affairs unto the Creator of the night and the day.[VII_34]
NOTES TO CHAPTER SEVENTH.
NOTE 1. Damascus is afterwards mentioned in the original as the abode of this merchant's family; but not here.
NOTE 2. "Ghánim" signifies "a taker of spoil," "a fortunate acquirer of anything;" and "Eiyoob" is the name which we call "Job."
NOTE 3. "Fitneh" signifies "temptation," "seduction," "disturbance," &c.
NOTE 4. By the term "loads" we are always to understand "camel-loads," unless it is otherwise expressed. A camel-load is generally about three hundred-weights.
NOTE 5. Or vesicles of musk. In the original, "nawáfeḥ" is put for "nawáfij."
NOTE 6. A great recompense in the world to come is to be the lot of him who takes part in a funeral-procession.
NOTE 7. The ablution was necessary to qualify Ghánim for joining in the prayer over the dead.
NOTE 8. "Ṣawáb" signifies "rectitude."
NOTE 9. "Káfoor" is the Arabic for "camphor." Instances of antiphrasis in the names given to black slaves are very common.
NOTE 10. "Bakheet" signifies "fortunate," from "bakht" ("fortune"), a word borrowed from the Persian.
NOTE 11. I am not sure that this is to be understood as a jest; for I have been assured, by a slave-dealer and other persons in Cairo, that sometimes slaves brought to that city are found to be cannibals; and that a proof lately occurred there; an infant having been eaten by its black nurse. I was also told that these cannibals are generally distinguished by an elongation of the os coccygis; or in other words, that they have tails!
NOTE 12. The story here alluded to is inserted in the original; but, being extremely objectionable, and too short and simple to be abridged, I have been compelled to omit it altogether.
NOTE 13. This story is not in the old version; but I think the reader will consider it worthy of insertion in the present series, as an amusing illustration of the customs which are often observed by the Arabs on the occasion of the death of the master of a family. I can bear testimony to the general correctness of the picture which it presents; or rather state, that the greatest of the extravagances which it describes are not unfrequently practised in the present day.
NOTE 14. As the Arab women are much more reluctant to uncover the upper and back part of the head than they are to shew the face, before strange men, such a scene as that which is here described is very seldom witnessed; but I have seen not so unfrequently a woman with her face uncovered, and besmeared with mud, on her receiving the news of the sudden death of a near relation.
NOTE 15. This, to some readers, may require explanation. To free a slave who has no means of providing for himself, and not to grant him any means to do so, is almost the heaviest punishment that can be inflicted upon him; and to do this, unless for a heinous crime, is considered disgraceful.
NOTE 16. This is not just; for as soon as the slave is emancipated he is legally free, without doubt: but it is inserted in the tale as a jest.[354]
NOTE 17. See Note 46 to Chapter ii.--This mode of disposing of a rival in the ḥareem is said to have been not very unfrequently adopted.
NOTE 18. I suspect that the original presents here an error, which I have endeavoured to correct.--The names which the lady ejaculates are to be understood as those of female slaves, her attendants. "Zahr-el-Bustán" signifies "Flower of the Garden;" "Ṣabeeḥah," "Beautiful;" "Shejeret-ed-Durr," "Tree of Pearls" (this is the vulgar mode of pronouncing "Shejer-ed-Durr," which was the name of the wife of the Sulṭán Eṣ-Ṣáleḥ Nejm-ed-Deen, afterwards Queen of Egypt); "Noor-el-Hudà," "Light of Day," or "Light of Guidance;" "Nejmet-eṣ-Ṣubḥ," "Star of the Morning;" "Nuzheh," "Delight;" "Ḥulweh," "Sweet;" and "Ẓareefeh," "Elegant."
NOTE 19. From this point, to the relation of the stratagem employed by Zubeydeh, I omit much that is unsuitable for insertion in the translation, as approaching to licentiousness.
NOTE 20. Perhaps it is unnecessary to mention, that "the Prophet's Uncle" here alluded to was El-'Abbás; and that the "descendant" was Hároon Er-Rasheed.
NOTE 21. "Ḳoot-el-Ḳuloob" signifies "Food (or Sustenance) of Hearts."
NOTE 22. As black, which was the distinguishing colour of the banners and dress of the 'Abbásee Khaleefehs, was originally assumed in token of mourning for such of their relations as were victims of the Umawees, it may have continued for a long time to be used for a similar purpose: but the modern colour of mourning among the Arabs is blue; and it is remarkable that the term which properly signifies "black" is commonly applied by them to dark blue.--On the subject of mourning, see Note 52 to Chapter ii.
NOTE 23. "Kheyzurán" and "Ḳaḍeeb" signify respectively, "a Cane" (particularly "Indian Cane"), and "a Rod," or "a long and slender Branch."
NOTE 24. See note 85 to Chapter iii.
NOTE 25. By "the Sulṭán" is meant the Viceroy of Damascus, though the title is improperly used in this sense.
NOTE 26. The account of the disgusting treatment of Ghánim's mother and sister, which follows in this place in the old version, is not in either of the copies of the original which I possess, containing this tale. Hence, and as it is extremely inconsistent with Arab customs and feelings, I have little doubt of its being an interpolation by some ignorant copyist.
NOTE 27. See Note 18 to Chapter vi.
NOTE 28, By Ghánim's ḥareem, we are here to understand his mother and sister; the term "ḥareem" being often used to signify a man's female relations residing in his house.
NOTE 29. It is implied that she visited the sheykhs (by which are here meant the devotees) to request the aid of their prayers; and gave alms for the sake (or in the name) of Ghánim in order to propitiate Providence in his favour.
NOTE 30.--On the Charitable Disposition of the Arabs. Some remarks which I have made on this subject with reference to the Egyptians, in a former work, are equally applicable to the Arabs in general. "Benevolence and charity to the poor are virtues which the Egyptians possess in an eminent degree, and which are instilled into their hearts by religion; but from their own profession it appears that they are as much excited to the giving of alms by the expectation of enjoying corresponding rewards in heaven, as by pity for the distresses of their fellow-creatures, or a disinterested wish to do the will of God. It may be attributed, in some measure, to the charitable disposition of the inhabitants, that beggars are so numerous in Cairo. The many handsome Sebeels, or public fountains (buildings erected and endowed for the gratuitous supply of water to passengers), which are seen in this city, and the more humble structures of the same kind in the villages and fields, are monuments of the same virtue."[355] So also the numerous Kháns for the reception of travellers, in countries occupied by the Arabs, bear testimony to the charity of this people.
NOTE 31. This is often said by an Arab to a person against whom he knows or fears himself to have committed an offence. The most urgent reason for doing so may be seen by reverting to No. 9 of the notes to Chapter iv.
NOTE 32. This compliment has occasioned, in the old version, an error of the most serious kind, by its having been understood in its literal sense. Ghánim is made to propose that the Khaleefeh should take his sister as one of his favourites (i. e. concubines); which, as she was a free woman, would be a crime of the foulest nature.
NOTE 33. We are to understand this sum of money as being Fitneh's dowry.--Here it may be mentioned, that the Khaleefeh, by marrying Fitneh, severely punished Zubeydeh: for he thus gave her a wife, instead of a concubine, as a rival.
NOTE 34.--On the Passion of Love among the Arabs. A few remarks on this subject may be inserted to justify the picture of love presented in the foregoing tale. That sensual passion is most prevalent among the Arabs cannot be doubted; but I think it unjust to suppose them generally incapable of a purer feeling, worthy, if constancy be a sufficient test, of being termed true love. That they are not so, appears evident to almost every person who mixes with them in familiar society; for such a person must have opportunities of being acquainted with many Arabs sincerely attached to wives whose personal charms have long vanished, and who have neither wealth nor influence of their own, nor wealthy nor influential relations, to induce their husbands to refrain from divorcing them. It very often happens, too, that an Arab is sincerely attached to a wife possessed, even in the best portion of her age, of few charms; and that the lasting favourite among two or more wives is not the most handsome. This opinion, I am sorry to observe, is at variance, as far as the Arabs of the towns are concerned, with that entertained by one of the most intelligent and experienced of modern travellers, who long resided among this people,--the justly-celebrated Burckhardt:[356] but it is confirmed by numerous facts related by respectable Arab authors (and therefore not regarded by them as of an incredible nature), as well as by cases which have fallen under my own observation. The tale of Leylà and Mejnoon, "the Juliet and Romeo of Arabia," is too well known to be here repeated; but among many other anecdotes of strong and constant love, the following may be inserted:--
The Khaleefeh Yezeed the son of 'Abd-El-Melik, it is said, had two female slaves; one of whom was named Ḥabbábeh, and the other, Selámeh; to the former of whom he was most ardently attached: he had purchased her for a hundred thousand dirhems; and the other, for ten thousand. In the company of these two females he sometimes shut himself up for three months together, utterly neglecting the affairs of his people. At length, being reproved for this conduct by his brother Meslemeh, he promised to return to his duty: but the two slaves diverted him from his purpose; and on the following morning, excited by their songs and caresses, and by wine, he became frantic with pleasure, and danced and sang like a madman, till a fatal accident put a stop to his joy: Ḥabbábeh, eating a pomegranate, was choked by one of the grains, and immediately died. The grief of Yezeed was so poignant that he would not quit the corpse, but continued to kiss and fondle it until it became putrid. Being then admonished by his attendants that proper respect required its burial, he consented to commit it to the earth: after five days, however, his desire again to behold the object of his love induced him to open the grave, and though the corpse had become hideous, he declared that it was lovely as ever in his eyes. At the earnest request of Meslemeh, he ordered the grave to be closed again; but he was unable to exist when deprived of the sight of the remains of her who was at the same time his slave and his mistress: he threw himself upon his bed, speechless; and after lingering seventeen nights, expired, and was buried by the side of Ḥabbábeh. "May God," says the narrator, "have mercy on them both!"[357]
In the same work from which the above is taken, it is related that Hároon Er-Rasheed, visiting Suleymán the son of Aboo-Jaạfar, one of his chief officers, saw with him a female slave, named Ḍa'eefeh, of excessive beauty, and being smitten by her charms, demanded her as a present. His request was granted; but Suleymán from grief at the loss of his mistress, fell sick; and during his illness was heard to exclaim,--
"I appeal unto God against the affliction which He hath sent upon me through the Khaleefeh. The world heareth of his justice; but he is a tyrant in the affair of Ḍa'eefeh.[358] Love of her is fixed in my heart as ink upon the surface of paper."
Er-Rasheed, being informed of his complaint, restored to him his mistress, and, with her, his peace of mind.--This anecdote is given as a proof of strong love; but perhaps may not be thought much to the purpose. The following, from the same work, is more apt.
During the hottest hour of an excessively sultry day, the Khaleefeh Mo'áwiyeh the son of Aboo-Sufyán was sitting in a chamber which was open on each side to allow free passage to the air, when he beheld a barefooted Bedawee approaching him. Wondering what could induce this man to brave the scorching heat, he declared to his attendants that, if he were come to demand of him any favour or aid or act of justice, his request should be granted. The Bedawee addressed him, in verse, with a pathetic appeal for justice against the tyranny of Marwán the son of El-Ḥakam (afterwards Khaleefeh, Mo'áwiyeh's fourth successor), by whom he had been forcibly deprived of his beloved wife, named Soạdà. The Khaleefeh requiring a more particular account of his case, he related the following facts. He had a wife, the daughter of his paternal uncle, excessively beloved by him, and he possessed a number of camels, which enabled him to live in comfort; but a year of terrible drought deprived him of his property, and reduced him to utter want: his friends deserted him, and his wife was taken away from him by her father. To seek redress, he repaired to Marwán, the Governor of his district, at El-Medeeneh, who, having summoned the father of his wife, and herself, was so smitten by the beauty of the woman that he determined to obtain her for himself in marriage; to accomplish which, he threw the husband into prison, and offered the father of the woman a thousand deenárs and ten thousand dirhems for his consent to his marriage with her, promising to compel her actual husband to divorce her; and this latter object, having obtained the father's approval, he gained by severely torturing the unfortunate Bedawee. It would have been vain for the woman to attempt resistance; and so she became the wife of Marwán.--The oppressed Bedawee, having related these circumstances, fell down in a swoon, and lay on the floor senseless, coiled up like a dead snake. As soon as he recovered, the Khaleefeh wrote a poetical epistle to Marwán, severely reproaching him for his baseness, and commanding him, on pain of death, to divorce the woman and send her with his messenger. She was accordingly divorced and sent, with an answer composed in the same measure and rhyme, assuring the Khaleefeh that the sight of Soạdà would convince him that her charms were irresistible; and this proved too true. Mo'áwiyeh himself no sooner saw her than he coveted the possession of her, and offered to give the Bedawee, if he would resign her to him, three virgins from among his female slaves, together with a thousand deenárs, and an ample annual pension. The Bedawee shrieked with dismay, as though he had received his death-blow; and indignantly rejected the offer. The Khaleefeh then said to him, "Thou confessest that thou hast divorced her, and Marwán has married her and acknowledged that he has divorced her: we will therefore give her her choice: if she desire any other than thee as her husband we will marry her to him, and if she prefer thee we will restore her to thee." She however preferred the destitute Bedawee, and the Khaleefeh gave her up to him, with a present of ten thousand dirhems.
Numerous instances of unreasonable love are recorded in the writings of Arabs. It is related that a man fell in love with a female from seeing the impression of her hand upon a wall; and being unable to obtain possession of her, died. Many men are said, to have conceived a violent passion for females seen in dreams: others, again, to have been thus affected merely by the ear. An author relates his having been acquainted with an accomplished schoolmaster who lost his heart from hearing a man sing the praises of a woman named Umm-'Amr, and two days after, shut himself up in his house to mourn for her death, in consequence of his hearing the same man sing,--
"The ass went away with Umm-'Amr; and she returned not, nor did the ass return."[359]
But a few anecdotes may be considered as rare exceptions to a general rule. I think, however, that strong evidences of the existence of true love among all classes of the Arabs are afforded by their very numerous tales of fiction descriptive of this passion.
[354] Marginal note by my sheykh.
[355] Modern Egyptians, vol. i. ch. xiii.
[356] I may suffer in public estimation for my differing in opinion from this accomplished traveller and most estimable man; but I cannot, on that account, abstain from the expression of my dissent. Our difference, I think, may be thus explained. He conformed, in a great degree, to the habits of the Arabs; but not to such an extent as I consider necessary to obtain from them that confidence in his sympathy which would induce them to lay open to him their character; and when a man is often treated with coldness and reserve, I doubt whether the people from whom he experiences such treatment can be judged by him with strict impartiality. To be received on terms of equality by Arabs of the more polished classes, an undeviating observance of their code of etiquette is absolutely indispensable: but Burckhardt, I have been assured, often violated this code, by practices harmless enough to our notions, and probably, also, in the opinion of the Arabs of the Desert, but extremely offensive to the people who enjoyed the least share of his esteem: his most intimate acquaintances in Cairo generally refused, in speaking of him, to designate him by the title of "sheykh" which he had adopted; and yet the heaviest charge that I heard brought against him was his frequent habit of whistling!--This fact has been mentioned, as corroborating an observation of the same kind, by Mr. Urquhart ("Spirit of the East," vol. i. pp. 417 and 418), all of whose opinions relating to the East, expressed in the work here referred to, and especially those regarding the characteristics of the Eastern mind, are entitled to the highest respect.
[A very remarkable instance, confirming Mr. Lane's opinion of the existence of true love among the Arabs, occurred during my residence with him in Cairo. The wife of a man of good birth, and holding a high position in that city, was accused of carrying on an intrigue while visiting the tombs of her relations. Her family claimed her in accordance with the law, and threatened to put her to death, as the law would undoubtedly have justified them in doing, if the case were proved against her. Her husband was much attached to her--she was his first and only wife--and he believed, with reason, that the accusation was false: at the same time he knew that she would in all likelihood find it impossible to clear herself in a court of law, where justice is only accidentally awarded, and had good cause to fear that her male relations would put her to death without a hearing. He therefore adopted the extraordinary expedient of taking her secretly to the house of a married European gentleman of his acquaintance. There she remained concealed for some time, her husband visiting her daily, and shewing the most perfect confidence in his friend; while the latter was almost confined to one room, never venturing into the ḥareem without calling "Permission!" at every few steps. In the mean time, the indignation of the lady's friends cooled, and the affair was cleared up. She has since lived in perfect happiness with her husband.
To any one familiar with Eastern customs and modes of thought, a stronger proof of sincere love could scarcely be given, than that a man should thus set aside the strongest prejudices of his nation to save the honour, and perhaps the life, of his wife, disbelieving a report which, from its plausibility, might have been accepted without hesitation. The facilities afforded by the visits to the cemeteries are notorious, and the state of morals among the women of Egypt unfortunately makes their defence difficult in a suspicious case.--ED.]
[357] Kitáb el-'Onwán fee Mekáïd en-Niswán (MS. in my possession).Return to passage
[358] This word slightly varied (changed to ḍa'eefih) bears another meaning; namely, "his weak one:" the final vowel being suppressed by the rule of waḳf.Return to passage
[359] Kitáb el-'Onwán, &c.Return to passage