The Thousand and One Nights Volume I Part 38

He ceased not to give entertainments to his companions from the commencement of day, one after another, until he had pa.s.sed 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 G.o.d! 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 circ.u.mcision 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 G.o.d may open to thee a way to obtain a part of this price; and if G.o.d 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, n.o.ble 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 a.s.sembled; so he waited until the rest had come, and the market was filled with all varieties of female slaves, Turkish and Greek and Circa.s.sian 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]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

But, lo, the Wezeer El-Mo'een the son of Sawee 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 Sawee 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 Sawee 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 G.o.d; 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 Sawee, 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 Sawee 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 Sawee (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.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

The Wezeer, the son of Sawee, 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 coa.r.s.e gra.s.s,[VI_19] and went and stood beneath the palace of the Sul?an, 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 Sawee.

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 Sul?an 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 Sul?an; 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 Sul?an, 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 Sul?an 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-Fa?l the son of Kha?an, 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 Sul?an a chamberlain named 'Alam-ed-Deen Senjer, who had been one of the memlooks of El-Fa?l the son of Kha?an, the father of 'Alee Noor-ed-Deen; and when he heard the order of the Sul?an, 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 Sawee hath set up a snare for you, and if ye fall into his hands he will slay you: the Sul?an 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 G.o.d 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, Baghdad. 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 Sul?an 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 Sul?an, 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 Sawee then descended to his house, after the Sul?an 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 Sul?an gave orders to proclaim throughout the city, O all ye people! our lord the Sul?an hath commanded that whoever shall meet with 'Alee Noor-ed-Deen, and bring him to the Sul?an, 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 Baghdad, and the master of the vessel said to them, This is Baghdad, 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 ma??abahs, 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 ma??abahs. 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!

[Ill.u.s.tration]

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 Haroon 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-?a? 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 Ibraheem; 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 Ibraheem went out to transact an affair of business, and found the two sleeping at the garden-gate covered with a single izar; 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 Ibraheem, 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 izar 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 Ibraheem 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 Ibraheem then said to him, O my son, know that the Prophet (G.o.d 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 Ibraheem 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 cl.u.s.ters 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 Khurasan; 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

The sheykh Ibraheem 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 gha?a.[VI_24]--The sheykh Ibraheem 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 Ibraheem, 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 (G.o.d 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 a.s.s, 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 a.s.s:--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 Ibraheem, 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 b.u.t.tery 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 gla.s.s; and he and the damsel began to drink, astonished at the beauty of the things which they beheld. The sheykh Ibraheem 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 Ibraheem 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 Ibraheem 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Upon this, Enees-el-Jelees looked towards the sheykh, and said to him, O sheykh Ibraheem, 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 Ibraheem, 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 Ibraheem, 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 Ibraheem, 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 Ibraheem; 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 Ibraheem 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 Ibraheem, 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 Ibraheem, 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 Ibraheem, 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 G.o.d, 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 Ja?far El-Barmekee! In the twinkling of an eye, Ja?far 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 Baghdad?--What, asked Ja?far, is the occasion of these words? The Khaleefeh answered, If the city of Baghdad 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 Ja?far (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 Ja?far approached the Khaleefeh, and, looking towards the garden, beheld the palace as it were a flame of fire, its light surpa.s.sing that of the moon. He desired, therefore, to make an excuse for the sheykh Ibraheem, 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 Ibraheem last week said to me, O my master Ja?far, 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 circ.u.mcision of my sons in the palace. So I said, Do what thou wilt with respect to the entertainment of thy sons, and, if G.o.d 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 Ja?far, 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 Ibraheem; 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 Ja?far, I forgot.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

The Khaleefeh then said, By my forefathers, I will not pa.s.s 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 Ja?far, the greater part of the night hath pa.s.sed, and they are now about to disperse. But the Khaleefeh said, We must go to them. And Ja?far was silent, and was perplexed in his mind, not knowing what to do. So the Khaleefeh rose upon his feet, and Ja?far 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 Ja?far, how the sheykh Ibraheem 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 Ja?far, 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 Ja?far, 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 Ibraheem 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 Ibraheem, the vein of anger swelled between his eyes, and he descended, and said, O Ja?far, 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, Ja?far was perplexed at his situation; and he climbed up into the tree, and looked, and saw Noor-ed-Deen and the sheykh Ibraheem and the damsel, and the sheykh Ibraheem 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 Ja?far, praise be to G.o.d 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 Ja?far was unable to reply, from his excessive confusion. The Khaleefeh then looked towards him, and said, Who can have brought these persons. .h.i.ther, 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.--Ja?far, 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 Ja?far, 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 Ibraheem 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 Ibraheem, replied Enees-el-Jelees, by Allah, if we had any musical instrument, our happiness were perfect. And when the sheykh Ibraheem heard her words, he rose upon his feet.--The Khaleefeh said to Ja?far, What may he be going to do? Ja?far replied, I know not.--And the sheykh Ibraheem went away, and returned with a lute; and the Khaleefeh, looking attentively at it, saw that it was the lute of Is-?a?, 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 Ja?far said, O Allah, let her not sing well!--Why? asked the Khaleefeh.--That thou mayest crucify all of us, answered Ja?far; 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 Ja?far, never in my life have I heard so enchanting a voice as this!--Perhaps, said Ja?far, the anger of the Khaleefeh hath departed from him?--Yea, he answered; it hath departed. He then descended with Ja?far 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 Ja?far, if thou go up to them, probably they will be troubled by thy presence; and as to the sheykh Ibraheem, he will a.s.suredly die of fear. The Khaleefeh therefore said, O Ja?far, 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 Ja?far 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 Ibraheem, 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

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 coa.r.s.e 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 Ba?labekk, and a melwa?ah[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 litham[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 pa.s.sed 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 gra.s.s, went with it to Ja?far, and stood before him; and Ja?far, 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 Ja?far, he laughed until he fell down upon his back. So Ja?far said, Perhaps thou art our lord the Prince of the Faithful?--Yes, O Ja?far, answered the Khaleefeh, and thou art my Wezeer, and I came with thee hither, and thou knowest me not. How then should the sheykh Ibraheem know me when he is drunk? Remain where thou art until I return to thee.--Ja?far replied, I hear and obey:--and the Khaleefeh advanced to the door of the palace, and knocked. The sheykh Ibraheem arose, therefore, and said, Who is at the door? He answered, I, O sheykh Ibraheem. 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 Ibraheem opened the door, and the Khaleefeh, in his fisherman's disguise, entered, and began by salutation; and the sheykh Ibraheem 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 Ibraheem, 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.