The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night Volume V Part 18

AL-AMIN SON OF AL-RASHID AND HIS UNCLE IBRAHIM BIN AL-MAHDI.

Al-Amin,[FN#224] brother of al-Maamun, once entered the house of his uncle Ibrahim bin al-Mahdi, where he saw a slave girl playing upon the lute; and, she being one of the fairest of women, his heart inclined to her. Ibrahim, seeing how it was with him, sent the girl to him, with rich raiment and precious ornaments. When he saw her, he thought that his uncle had lain with her; so he was loath to have to do with her, because of that, and accepting what came with her sent her back to Ibrahim. His uncle learnt the cause of this from one of al-Amin's eunuchs; so he took a shift of watered silk and worked upon its skirt, in letters of gold, these two couplets,

"No! I declare by Him to whom all bow, *

Of nothing 'neath her petticoat I trow: Nor meddle with her mouth; nor aught did I *

But see and hear her, and it was enow!"

Then he clad her in the shift and, giving her a lute, sent her back again to his nephew. When she came into al-Amin's presence, she kissed ground before him and tuning the lute, sang thereto these two couplets,

"Thy breast thou baredst sending back the gift; *

Showing unlove for me withouten shift: An thou bear spite of Past, the Past forgive, *

And for the Caliphate cast the Past adrift."

When she had made an end of her verse, Al-Amin looked at her and, seeing what was upon her skirt, could no longer control him self, And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Four Hundred and Nineteenth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Al-Amin looked at the damsel and saw what was upon her skirt, he could no longer control himself, but drew near unto her and kissed her and appointed her a separate lodging in his palace.

Moreover, he thanked his uncle for this and bestowed on him the government of Rayy. And a tale is told of

AL-FATH BIN KHAKAN AND THE CALIPH AL-MUTAWAKKIL.

Al-Mutawakkil[FN#225] was once taking medicine, and folk sent him by way of solace all sorts of presents and rarities and things costly and precious. Amongst others, al-Fath bin Khakan[FN#226]

sent him a virgin slave, high breasted, of the fairest among women of her time, and with her a vase of crystal, containing ruddy wine, and a goblet of red gold, whereon were graven in black these couplets,

"Since our Imam came forth from medicine, *

Which made him health and heartiness rewin, There is no healing draught more sovereign *

Than well boiled wine this golden goblet in: Then let him break the seal for him secured; *

'Tis best prescription after medicine[FN#227]

Now when the damsel entered, the physician Yohanna[FN#228] was with the Caliph, and as he read the couplets, he smiled and said, "By Allah, O Commander of the Faithful, Fath is better versed than I in the art of healing: so let not the Prince of True Believers gainsay his prescription." Accordingly, the Caliph followed the recipe contained in the poetry and was made whole by the blessing of Allah and won his every wish. And among tales they tell is one of

THE MAN'S DISPUTE WITH THE LEARNED WOMAN CONCERNING THE RELATIVE EXCELLENCE OF MALE AND FEMALE.

Quoth a certain man of learning, "I never saw amongst woman kind one wittier, and wiser, better read and by nature more generously bred; and in manners and morals more perfected than a preacher of the people of Baghdad, by name Sitt al-Masha'ikh.[FN#229] It chanced that she came to Hamah city in the year of the Flight five hundred and sixty and one[FN#230]; and there delivered salutary exhortations to the folk from the professorial chair.

Now there used to visit her house a number of students of divinity and persons of learning and polite letters, who would discuss with her questions of theology and dispute with her on controversial points. I went to her one day, with a friend of mine, a man of years and education; and when we had taken our seats, she set before us a dish of fruit and seated herself behind a curtain. Now she had a brother, a handsome youth, who stood behind us, to serve us. And when we had eaten we fell to disputing upon points of divinity, and I propounded to her a theological question bearing upon a difference between the Imams, the Founders of the Four Schools. She proceeded to speak in answer, whilst I listened; but all the while my friend fell to looking upon her brother's face and admiring his beauties without paying any heed to what she discoursed. Now as she was watching him from behind the curtain; when she had made an end of her speech, she turned to him and said, 'Methinks thou be of those who give men the preference over women!' He replied, 'a.s.suredly,'

and she asked, 'And why so?'; whereto he answered, 'For that Allah hath made the masculine worthier than the feminine,'" --And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Four Hundred and Twentieth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Shaykh replied, " 'For that Allah hath made the masculine worthier than the feminine; and I like the excelling and mislike the excelled.'

She laughed and presently said, 'Wilt thou deal fairly with me in debate, if I battle the matter with thee?' and he rejoined, 'Yes.' Then quoth she, 'What is the evidence of the superiority of the male to the female?' Quoth he, 'It is of two kinds, traditional and reasonable. The authoritative part deriveth from the Koran and the Traditions of the Apostle. As for the first we have the very words of Almighty Allah, 'Men shall have the pre-eminence above women because of those advantages wherein Allah hath caused the one of them to excel the other;[FN#231] and again, 'If there be not two men, let there be one man and two women;'[FN#232] and again, when treating of inheritance, 'If there be brothers and sisters let a male have as much as the portion of two females.'[FN#233] Thus Allah (extolled and exalted be He!) hath in these places preferred the male over the female and teacheth that a woman is as the half of a man, for that he is worthier than she. As for the Sunnah traditions, is it not reported of the Prophet (whom Allah save and a.s.sain!) that he appointed the blood money for a woman to be half that of a man.

And as for the evidence of reason, the male is the agent and active and the female the patient and pa.s.sive.'[FN#234] Rejoined she, 'Thou hast said well, O my lord, but, by Allah, thou hast proved my contention with thine own lips and hast advanced evidence which telleth against thee, and not for thee. And thus it is: Allah (extolled and exalted be He!) preferred the male above the female solely because of the inherent condition and essential quality of masculinity; and in this there is no dispute between us. Now this quality of male-hood is common to the child, the boy, the youth, the adult and the old man; nor is there any distinction between them in this. If, then, the superior excellence of male masculant belong to him solely by virtue of manhood, it behoveth that thy heart incline and thy sole delight in the graybeard, equally with the boy; seeing that there is no distinction between them, in point of male-hood. But the difference between thee and me turneth upon the accident of qualities that are sought as const.i.tuting the pleasure of intercourse and its enjoyment; and thou hast adduced no proof of the superiority of the youth over the young girl in this matter of non-essentials.' He made answer, 'O reverend lady, knowest thou not that which is peculiar to the youth of limber shape and rosy cheeks and pleasant smile and sweetness of speech? Youths are, in these respects superior to women; and the proof of this is what they traditionally report of the Prophet (whom Allah bless and preserve!) that he said, 'Stay not thy gaze upon the beardless, for in them is a momentary eye glance at the black eyed girls of Paradise.' Nor indeed is the superiority of the lad over the la.s.s hidden to any of mankind, and how well saith Abu Nowas,[FN#235]

'The least of him is the being free *

From monthly courses and pregnancy.'

And the saying of another poet,

'Quoth our Imam, Abu Nowas, who was *

For mad debauch and waggishness renowned: 'O tribe that loves the cheeks of boys, take fill *

Of joys in Paradise shall ne'er be found!'

So if any one enlarge in praise of a slave girl and wish to enhance her value by the mention of her beauties, he likeneth her to a youth,'" --And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Four Hundred and Twenty-first Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Shaykh continued, "'So if any one enlarge in praise of a slave girl and wish to enhance her value by the mention of her beauties, he likeneth her to a youth, because of the ill.u.s.trious qualities that belong to the male, even as saith the poet,

'Boy like of backside, in the deed of kind, *

She sways, as sways the wand like boughs a-wind.'

An youths, then, were not better and fairer than girls, why should these be likened to them? And know also (Almighty Allah preserve thee!) that a youth is easy to be led, adapting himself to every rede, pleasant of converse and manners, inclining to a.s.sent rather than dissent, especially when his side face is newly down'd and his upper lip is first embrowned, and the purple lights of youth on his cheeks abound, so that he is like the full moon sound; and how goodly is the saying of Abu Tammam[FN#236],

'The slanderers said 'There's hair upon his cheeks'; *

Quoth I, 'Exceed not, that's no blemish there.'

When he could bear that haling of his hips *

And pearl-beads shaded by mustachio hair;[FN#237]

And Rose swore solemn, holiest oath that is, *

From that fair cheek she nevermore would fare I spoke with eyelids without need of speech, *

And they who answered me his eyebrows were.

He's even fairer than thou knewest him, *

And cheek down guards from all would overdare.

Brighter and sweeter now are grown his charms, *

Since down robes lip and cheek before were bare.

And those who blame me for my love of him, *

When him they mention say of him, 'Thy Fair'!'

And quoth al-Hariri[FN#238] and quoth excellently well,

'My censors say, 'What means this pine for him? *

Seest not the flowing hair on cheeks a flowing?'

I say, 'By Allah, an ye deem I dote, *

Look at the truth in those fine eyes a-showing!

But for the down that veils his cheek and chin, *