{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_5244/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_5244","id":"gutenberg_5244","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/5244","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Adventure","Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore","Category: Romance","Fairy tales -- Arab countries","Folklore -- Arab countries"],"text":"TALES FROM THE ARABIC\n\n       Of the Breslau and Calcutta (1814-18) editions of\n\n         The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night\n\n     not occurring in the other printed texts of the work,\n\n                  Now first done into English\n\n                         By John Payne\n\n                       In Three Volumes:\n\n\n\n                       VOLUME THE THIRD.\n\n\n\n                              1901\n\n                         Delhi Edition\n\n\n                 Contents of The Third Volume.\n\n\n\n                         Breslau Text.\n\n16.  Noureddin Ali of Damascus and the Damsel Sitt El Milah\n17.  El Abbas and the King's Daughter of Baghdad\n18.  The Two Kings and the Vizier's Daughters\n19.  The Favourite and Her Lover\n20.  The Merchant of Cairo and the Favourite of the Khalif El\n     Mamoun El Hakim Bi Amrillah\n     Conclusion\n\n\n\n\n\n                    Calcutta (1814-18) Text.\n\n\n\n21.  Story of Sindbad the Sailor and Hindbad the Porter\n     a.   The Sixth Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor\n     b.   The Seventh Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor\nNote\nTable of Contents of the Calcutta (1839-42) and Boulac Editions\nTable of Contents of the Breslau Edition\nTable of Contents of the Calcutta Edition\nAlphabetical Table of the First Lines of the Verse in the \"Tales\nfrom the Arabic\"\nIndex to the Names of the \"Tales from the Arabic\"\n\n\n\n\n\n                         Breslau Text.\n\n\n\n               NOUREDDIN ALI OF DAMASCUS AND THE\n                  DAMSEL SITT EL MILAH.[FN#1]\n\n\n\nThere was once, of old days and in bygone ages and times, a\nmerchant of the merchants of Damascus, by name Aboulhusn, who had\nmoney and riches and slaves and slave-girls and lands and houses\nand baths; but he was not blessed with a child and indeed his\nyears waxed great; wherefore he addressed himself to supplicate\nGod the Most High in private and in public and in his inclining\nand his prostration and at the season of the call to prayer,\nbeseeching Him to vouchsafe him, before his admittance [to His\nmercy], a son who should inherit his wealth and possessions; and\nGod answered his prayer. So his wife conceived and the days of\nher pregnancy were accomplished and her months and her nights and\nthe pangs of her travail came upon her and she gave birth to a\nmale child, as he were a piece of the moon. He had not his match\nfor beauty and he put to shame the sun and the resplendent moon;\nfor he had a shining face and black eyes of Babylonian\nwitchery[FN#2] and aquiline nose and ruby lips; brief, he was\nperfect of attributes, the loveliest of the folk of his time,\nwithout doubt or gainsaying.\n\nHis father rejoiced in him with the utmost joy and his heart was\nsolaced and he was glad; and he made banquets to the folk and\nclad the poor and the widows. He named the boy Sidi[FN#3]\nNoureddin Ali and reared him in fondness and delight among the\nslaves and servants. When he came to seven years of age, his\nfather put him to school, where he learned the sublime Koran and\nthe arts of writing and reckoning: and when he reached his tenth\nyear, he learned horsemanship and archery and to occupy himself\nwith arts and sciences of all kinds, part and parts.[FN#4] He\ngrew up pleasant and subtle and goodly and lovesome, ravishing\nall who beheld him, and inclined to companying with brethren and\ncomrades and mixing with merchants and travellers. From these\nlatter he heard tell of that which they had seen of the marvels\nof the cities in their travels and heard them say, \"He who\nleaveth not his native land diverteth not himself [with the sight\nof the marvels of the world,] and especially of the city of\nBaghdad.\"\n\nSo he was concerned with an exceeding concern for his lack of\ntravel and discovered this to his father, who said to him, \"O my\nson, why do I see thee chagrined?\" And he answered, \"I would fain\ntravel.\" Quoth Aboulhusn, \"O my son, none travelleth save those\nwhose occasion is urgent and those who are compelled thereunto\n[by need]. As for thee, O my son, thou enjoyest ample fortune; so\ndo thou content thyself with that which God hath given thee and\nbe bounteous [unto others], even as He hath been bounteous unto\nthee; and afflict not thyself with the toil and hardship of\ntravel, for indeed it is said that travel is a piece of\ntorment.\"[FN#5] But the youth said, \"Needs must I travel to\nBaghdad, the abode of peace.\"\n\nWhen his father saw the strength of his determination to travel,\nhe fell in with his wishes and equipped him with five thousand\ndinars in cash and the like in merchandise and sent with him two\nserving-men. So the youth set out, trusting in the blessing of\nGod the Most High, and his father went out with him, to take\nleave of him, and returned [to Damascus]. As for Noureddin Ali,\nhe gave not over travelling days and nights till he entered the\ncity of Baghdad and laying up his loads in the caravanserai, made\nfor the bath, where he did away that which was upon him of the\ndirt of the road and putting off his travelling clothes, donned a\ncostly suit of Yemen stuff, worth an hundred dinars. Then he put\nin his sleeve[FN#6] a thousand mithcals[FN#7] of gold and sallied\nforth a-walking and swaying gracefully as he went. His gait\nconfounded all those who beheld him, as he shamed the branches\nwith his shape and belittled the rose with the redness of his\ncheeks and his black eyes of Babylonian witchcraft; indeed, thou\nwouldst deem that whoso looked on him would surely be preserved\nfrom calamity; [for he was] even as saith of him one of his\ndescribers in the following verses:\n\nThy haters say and those who malice to thee bear A true word,\n     profiting its hearers everywhere;\n\"The glory's not in those whom raiment rich makes fair, But those\n     who still adorn the raiment that they wear.\"\n\nSo he went walking in the thoroughfares of the city and viewing\nits ordinance and its markets and thoroughfares and gazing on its\nfolk. Presently, Abou Nuwas met him. (Now he was of those of whom\nit is said, \"They love the fair,\"[FN#8] and indeed there is said\nwhat is said concerning him.[FN#9] When he saw Noureddin Ali, he\nstared at him in amazement and exclaimed, \"Say, I take refuge\nwith the Lord of the Daybreak!\"[FN#10] Then he accosted the young\nDamascene and saluting him, said to him, \"Why do I see my lord\nalone and forlorn? Meseemeth thou art a stranger and knowest not\nthis country; so, with my lord's permission, I will put myself at\nhis service and acquaint him with the streets, for that I know\nthis city.\" Quoth Noureddin, \"This will be of thy favour, O\nuncle.\" Whereat Abou Nuwas rejoiced and fared on with him,\nshowing him the markets and thoroughfares, till they came to the\nhouse of a slave-dealer, where he stopped and said to the youth,\n\"From what city art thou?\" \"From Damascus,\" answered Noureddin;\nand Abou Nuwas said, \"By Allah, thou art from a blessed city,\neven as saith of it the poet in the following verses:\n\nDamascus is all gardens decked for the pleasance of the eyes; For\n     the seeker there are black-eyed girls and boys of Paradise.\"\n\nNoureddin thanked him and they entered the slave-merchant's\nhouse. When the people of the house saw Abou Nuwas, they rose to\ndo him worship, for that which they knew of his station with the\nCommander of the Faithful. Moreover, the slave-dealer himself\ncame up to them with two chairs, and they seated themselves\nthereon. Then the slave-merchant went into the house and\nreturning with the slave-girl, as she were a willow-wand or a\nbamboo-cane, clad in a vest of damask silk and tired with a black\nand white turban, the ends whereof fell down over her face,\nseated her on a chair of ebony; after which quoth he to those who\nwere present, \"I will discover to you a face as it were a full\nmoon breaking forth from under a cloud.\" And they said, \"Do so.\"\nSo he unveiled the damsel's face and behold, she was like the\nshining sun, with comely shape and day-bright face and slender\n[waist and heavy] hips; brief, she was endowed with elegance, the\ndescription whereof existeth not, [and was] even as saith of her\nthe poet:\n\nA fair one, to idolaters if she herself should show, They'd leave\n     their idols and her face for only Lord would know;\nAnd if into the briny sea one day she chanced to spit, Assuredly\n     the salt sea's floods straight fresh and sweet would grow.\n\nThe dealer stood at her head and one of the merchants said, \"I\nbid a thousand dinars for her.\" Quoth another, \"I bid eleven\nhundred dinars;\" [and a third, \"I bid twelve hundred\"]. Then said\na fourth merchant, \"Be she mine for fourteen hundred dinars.\" And\nthe biddings stood still at that sum. Quoth her owner, \"I will\nnot sell her save with her consent. If she desire to be sold, I\nwill sell her to whom she willeth.\" And the slave-dealer said to\nhim, \"What is her name?\" \"Her name is Sitt el Milah,\"[FN#11]\nanswered the other; whereupon the dealer said to her, \"By thy\nleave, I will sell thee to yonder merchant for this price of\nfourteen hundred dinars.\" Quoth she, \"Come hither to me.\" So he\ncame up to her and when he drew near, she gave him a kick with\nher foot and cast him to the ground, saying, \"I will not have\nthat old man.\" The slave-dealer arose, shaking the dust from his\nclothes and head, and said, \"Who biddeth more? Who is desirous\n[of buying?]\" Quoth one of the merchants, \"I,\" and the dealer\nsaid to her, \"O Sitt el Milah, shall I sell thee to this\nmerchant?\" \"Come hither to me,\" answered she; but he said \"Nay;\nspeak and I will hearken to thee from my place, for I will not\ntrust myself to thee,\" And she said, \"I will not have him.\"\n\nThen he looked at her and seeing her eyes fixed on the young\nDamascene, for that in very deed he had ravished her with his\nbeauty and grace, went up to the latter and said to him, \"O my\nlord, art thou a looker-on or a buyer? Tell me.\" Quoth Noureddin,\n\"I am both looker-on and buyer. Wilt thou sell me yonder\nslave-girl for sixteen hundred dinars?\" And he pulled out the\npurse of gold. So the dealer returned, dancing and clapping his\nhands and saying, \"So be it, so be it, or not [at all]!\" Then he\ncame to the damsel and said to her, \"O Sitt el Milah, shall I\nsell thee to yonder young Damascene for sixteen hundred dinars?\"\nBut she answered, \"No,\" of shamefastness before her master and\nthe bystanders; whereupon the people of the bazaar and the\nslave-merchant departed, and Abou Nuwas and Ali Noureddin arose\nand went each his own way, whilst the damsel returned to her\nmaster's house, full of love for the young Damascene.\n\nWhen the night darkened on her, she called him to mind and her\nheart clave to him and sleep visited her not; and on this wise\nshe abode days and nights, till she sickened and abstained from\nfood. So her lord went in to her and said to her, \"O Sitt el\nMilah, how findest thou thyself?\" \"O my lord,\" answered she, \"I\nam dead without recourse and I beseech thee to bring me my\nshroud, so I may look on it before my death.\" Therewithal he went\nout from her, sore concerned for her, and betook himself to a\nfriend of his, a draper, who had been present on the day when the\ndamsel was cried [for sale]. Quoth his friend to him, \"Why do I\nsee thee troubled?\" And he answered, \"Sitt el Milah is at the\npoint of death and these three days she hath neither eaten nor\ndrunken. I questioned her to-day of her case and she said, 'O my\nlord, buy me a shroud, so I may look on it before my death.'\"\nQuoth the draper, \"Methinks nought ails her but that she is\nenamoured of the young Damascene and I counsel thee to mention\nhis name to her and avouch to her that he hath foregathered with\nthee on her account and is desirous of coming to thy house, so he\nmay hear somewhat of her singing. If she say, 'I reck not of him,\nfor there is that to do with me which distracteth me from the\nDamascene and from other than he,' know that she saith sooth\nconcerning her sickness; but, if she say to thee other than this,\nacquaint me therewith.'\"\n\nSo the man returned to his lodging and going in to his\nslave-girl, said to her, \"O Sitt el Milah, I went out on thine\noccasion and there met me the young man of Damascus, and he\nsaluted me and saluteth thee. Indeed, he seeketh to win thy\nfavour and would fain be a guest in our dwelling, so thou mayst\nlet him hear somewhat of thy singing.\" When she heard speak of\nthe young Damascene, she gave a sob, that her soul was like to\ndepart her body, and answered, saying, \"He knoweth my plight and\nis ware that these three days past I have eaten not nor drunken,\nand I beseech thee, O my lord, by the Great God, to accomplish\nthe stranger his due and bring him to my lodging and make excuse\nto him for me.\"\n\nWhen her master heard this, his reason fled for joy and he went\nto his friend the draper and said to him, \"Thou wast right in the\nmatter of the damsel, for that she is enamoured of the young\nDamascene; so how shall I do?\" Quoth the other, \"Go to the bazaar\nand when thou seest him, salute him and say to him, 'Indeed, thy\ndeparture the other day, without accomplishing thine occasion,\nwas grievous to me; so, if thou be still minded to buy the girl,\nI will abate thee an hundred dinars of that which thou badest for\nher, by way of hospitable entreatment of thee and making myself\nagreeable to thee; for that thou art a stranger in our land.' If\nhe say to thee, 'I have no desire for her' and hold off from\nthee, know that he will not buy; in which case, let me know, so I\nmay contrive thee another device; and if he say to thee other\nthan this, conceal not from me aught.\n\nSo the girl's owner betook himself to the bazaar, where he found\nthe youth seated at the upper end of the merchants' place of\nsession, selling and buying and taking and giving, as he were the\nmoon on the night of its full, and saluted him. The young man\nreturned his salutation and he said to him, \"O my lord, be not\nthou vexed at the girl's speech the other day, for her price\nshall be less than that [which thou badest], to the intent that I\nmay propitiate thy favour. If thou desire her for nought, I will\nsend her to thee, or if thou wouldst have me abate thee of her\nprice, I will well, for I desire nought but what shall content\nthee; for that thou art a stranger in our land and it behoveth us\nto entreat thee hospitably and have consideration for thee.\" \"By\nAllah,\" answered the youth, \"I will not take her from thee but at\nan advance on that which I bade thee for her aforetime; so wilt\nthou now sell her to me for seventeen hundred dinars?\" And the\nother answered,\" O my lord, I sell her to thee, may God bless\nthee in her.\"\n\nSo the young man went to his lodging and fetching a purse,\nreturned to the girl's owner and counted out to him the price\naforesaid, whilst the draper was between them. Then said he,\n\"Bring her forth;\" but the other answered, \"She cannot come forth\nat this present; but be thou my guest the rest of this day and\nnight, and on the morrow thou shall take thy slave-girl and go in\nthe protection of God.\" The youth fell in with him of this and he\ncarried him to his house, where, after a little, he let bring\nmeat and wine, and they [ate and] drank. Then said Noureddin to\nthe girl's owner, \"I beseech thee bring me the damsel, for that I\nbought her not but for the like of this time.\" So he arose and\n[going in to the girl], said to her, \"O Sitt el Milan, the young\nman hath paid down thy price and we have bidden him hither; so he\nhath come to our dwelling and we have entertained him, and he\nwould fain have thee be present with him.\"\n\nTherewithal the damsel rose briskly and putting off her clothes,\nwashed and donned sumptuous apparel and perfumed herself and went\nout to him, as she were a willow-wand or a bamboo-cane, followed\nby a black slave girl, bearing the lute. When she came to the\nyoung man, she saluted him and sat down by his side. Then she\ntook the lute from the slave-girl and tuning it, smote thereon in\nfour-and-twenty modes, after which she returned to the first mode\nand sang the following verses:\n\nUnto me the world's whole gladness is thy nearness and thy sight;\n     All incumbent thy possession and thy love a law of right.\nIn my tears I have a witness; when I call thee to my mind, Down\n     my cheeks they run like torrents, and I cannot stay their\n     flight.\nNone, by Allah, 'mongst all creatures, none I love save thee\n     alone! Yea, for I am grown thy bondman, by the troth betwixt\n     us plight.\nPeace upon thee! Ah, how bitter were the severance from thee! Be\n     not this thy troth-plight's ending nor the last of our\n     delight!\n\nTherewithal the young man was moved to delight and exclaimed, \"By\nAllah, thou sayest well, O Sitt el Milan! Let me hear more.\" Then\nhe handselled her with fifty dinars and they drank and the cups\nwent round among them; and her seller said to her, \"O Sitt el\nMilah, this is the season of leave-taking; so let us hear\nsomewhat on the subject.\" Accordingly she struck the lute and\navouching that which was in her heart, sang the following verses:\n\nI am filled full of longing pain and memory and dole, That from\n     the wasted body's wounds distract the anguished soul.\nThink not, my lords, that I forget: the case is still the same.\n     When such a fever fills the heart, what leach can make it\n     whole?\nAnd if a creature in his tears could swim, as in a sea, I to do\n     this of all that breathe were surely first and sole.\nO skinker of the wine of woe, turn from a love-sick maid, Who\n     drinks her tears still, night and morn, thy bitter-flavoured\n     bowl.\nI had not left you, had I known that severance would prove My\n     death; but what is past is past, Fate stoops to no control.\n\n\nAs they were thus in the enjoyment of all that in most delicious\nof easance and delight, and indeed the wine was sweet to them and\nthe talk pleasant, behold, there came a knocking at the door. So\nthe master of the house went out, that he might see what was to\ndo, and found ten men of the Khalif's eunuchs at the door. When\nhe saw this, he was amazed and said to them, \"What is to do?\"\nQuoth they, \"The Commander of the Faithful saluteth thee and\nrequireth of thee the slave-girl whom thou hast for sale and\nwhose name is Sitt el Milah.\" By Allah,\" answered the other, \"I\nhave sold her.\" And they said, \"Swear by the head of the\nCommander of the Faithful that she is not in thy dwelling.\" He\nmade oath that he had sold her and that she was no longer at his\ndisposal; but they paid no *need to his word and forcing their\nway into the house, found the damsel and the young Damascene in\nthe sitting-chamber. So they laid hands upon her, and the youth\nsaid, \"This is my slave-girl, whom I have bought with my money.\"\nBut they hearkened not to his speech and taking her, carried her\noff to the Commander of the Faithful.\n\nTherewithal Noureddin's life was troubled; so he arose and donned\nhis clothes, and his host said, \"Whither away this night, O my\nlord?\" Quoth Noureddin, \"I mean to go to my lodging, and\nto-morrow I will betake myself to the palace of the Commander of\nthe Faithful and demand my slave-girl.\" \"Sleep till the morning,\"\nsaid the other, \"and go not forth at the like of this hour.\" But\nhe answered, \"Needs must I go;\" and the host said to him, \"[Go]\nin the safeguard of God.\" So Noureddin went forth, and\ndrunkenness had got the mastery of him, wherefore he threw\nhimself down on [a bench before one of] the shops. Now the watch\nwere at that hour making their round and they smelt the sweet\nscent [of essences] and wine that exhaled from him; so they made\nfor it and found the youth lying on the bench, without sense or\nmotion. They poured water upon him, and he awoke, whereupon they\ncarried him to the house of the Chief of the Police and he\nquestioned him of his affair. \"O my lord,\" answered Noureddin, \"I\nam a stranger in this town and have been with one of my friends.\nSo I came forth from his house and drunkenness overcame me.\"\n\nThe prefect bade carry him to his lodging; but one of those in\nattendance upon him, by name El Muradi, said to him, \"What wilt\nthou do? This man is clad in rich clothes and on his finger is a\nring of gold, the beazel whereof is a ruby of great price; so we\nwill carry him away and slay him and take that which is upon him\nof raiment [and what not else] and bring it to thee; for that\nthou wilt not [often] see profit the like thereof, more by token\nthat this fellow is a stranger and there is none to enquire\nconcerning him.\" Quoth the prefect, \"This fellow is a thief and\nthat which he saith is leasing.\" And Noureddin said, \"God forbid\nthat I should be a thief!\" But the prefect answered, \"Thou\nliest.\" So they stripped him of his clothes and taking the ring\nfrom his finger, beat him grievously, what while he cried out for\nsuccour, but none succoured him, and besought protection, but\nnone protected him. Then said he to them, \"O folk, ye are quit\nof[FN#12] that which ye have taken from me; but now restore me to\nmy lodging.\" But they answered, saying, \"Leave this knavery, O\ncheat! Thine intent is to sue us for thy clothes on the morrow.\"\n\"By Allah, the One, the Eternal,\" exclaimed he, \"I will not sue\nany for them!\" But they said, \"We can nowise do this.\" And the\nprefect bade them carry him to the Tigris and there slay him and\ncast him into the river.\n\nSo they dragged him away, what while he wept and spoke the words\nwhich whoso saith shall nowise be confounded, to wit, \"There is\nno power and no virtue save in God the Most High, the Sublime!\"\nWhen they came to the Tigris, one of them drew the sword upon him\nand El Muradi said to the swordbearer, \"Smite off his head.\" But\none of them, Ahmed by name, said, \"O folk, deal gently with this\npoor wretch and slay him not unjustly and wickedly, for I stand\nin fear of God the Most High, lest He burn me with his fire.\"\nQuoth El Muradi, \"A truce to this talk!\" And Ahmed said, \"If ye\ndo with him aught, I will acquaint the Commander of the\nFaithful.\" \"How, then, shall we do with him?\" asked they; and he\nanswered, \"Let us deposit him in prison and I will be answerable\nto you for his provision; so shall we be quit of his blood, for\nindeed he is wrongfully used.\" So they took him up and casting\nhim into the Prison of Blood,[FN#13]went away.\n\nMeanwhile, they carried the damsel into the Commander of the\nFaithful and she pleased him; so he assigned her a lodging of the\napartments of choice. She abode in the palace, eating not neither\ndrinking and ceasing not from weeping night nor day, till, one\nnight, the Khalif sent for her to his sitting-chamber and said to\nher, \"O Sitt el Milah, be of good heart and cheerful eye, for I\nwill make thy rank higher than [any of] the concubines and thou\nshall see that which shall rejoice thee.\" She kissed the earth\nand wept; whereupon the Khalif called for her lute and bade her\nsing. So she improvised and sang the following verses, in\naccordance with that which was in her heart:\n\nSay, by the lightnings of thy teeth and thy soul's pure desire,\n     Moan'st thou as moan the doves and is thy heart for doubt on\n     fire?\nHow many a victim of the pangs of love-liking hath died! Tired is\n     my patience, but of blame my censors never tire.\n\nWhen she had made an end of her song, she cast the lute from her\nhand and wept till she swooned away, whereupon the Khalif bade\ncarry her to her chamber. Now he was ravished with her and loved\nher with an exceeding love; so, after awhile, he again commanded\nto bring her to his presence, and when she came, he bade her\nsing. Accordingly, she took the lute and spoke forth that which\nwas in her heart and sang the following verses:\n\nWhat strength have I solicitude and long desire to bear? Why art\n     thou purposed to depart and leave me to despair?\nWhy to estrangement and despite inclin'st thou with the spy? Yet\n     that a bough[FN#14] from side to side incline[FN#15] small\n     wonder 'twere.\nThou layst on me a load too great to bear, and thus thou dost But\n     that my burdens I may bind and so towards thee fare.\n\nThen she cast the lute from her hand and swooned away; so she was\ncarried to her chamber and indeed passion waxed upon her. After a\nlong while, the Commander of the Faithful sent for her a third\ntime and bade her sing. So she took the lute and sang the\nfollowing verses:\n\nO hills of the sands and the rugged piebald plain, Shall the\n     bondman of love win ever free from pain!\nI wonder, shall I and the friend who's far from me Once more be\n     granted of Fate to meet, we twain!\nBravo for a fawn with a houri's eye of black, Like the sun or the\n     shining moon midst the starry train!\nTo lovers, \"What see ye?\" he saith, and to hearts of stone, \"What\n     love ye,\" quoth he, \"[if to love me ye disdain?\"]\nI supplicate Him, who parted us and doomed Our separation, that\n     we may meet again.\n\nWhen she had made an end of her song, the Commander of the\nFaithful said to her, \"O damsel, thou art in love.\" \"Yes,\"\nanswered she. And he said, \"With whom?\" Quoth she, \"With my lord\nand my master, my love for whom is as the love of the earth for\nrain, or as the love of the female for the male; and indeed the\nlove of him is mingled with my flesh and my blood and hath\nentered into the channels of my bones. O Commander of the\nFaithful, whenas I call him to mind, mine entrails are consumed,\nfor that I have not accomplished my desire of him, and but that I\nfear to die, without seeing him, I would assuredly kill myself.\"\nAnd he said, \"Art thou in my presence and bespeakest me with the\nlike of these words? I will assuredly make thee forget thy lord.\"\n\nThen he bade take her away; so she was carried to her chamber and\nhe sent her a black slave-girl, with a casket, wherein were three\nthousand dinars and a carcanet of gold, set with pearls, great\nand small, and jewels, worth other three thousand, saying to her,\n\"The slave-girl and that which is with her are a gift from me to\nthee.\" When she heard this, she said, \"God forbid that I should\nbe consoled for the love of my lord and my master, though with\nthe earth full of gold!\" And she improvised and recited the\nfollowing verses:\n\nI swear by his life, yea, I swear by the life of my love without\n     peer, To please him or save him from hurt, I'd enter the\n     fire without fear!\n\"Console thou thyself for his love,\" quoth they, \"with another\n     than he;\" But, \"Nay, by his life,\" answered I, \"I'll never\n     forget him my dear!\"\nA moon is my love, in a robe of loveliness proudly arrayed, And\n     the splendours of new-broken day from his cheeks and his\n     forehead shine clear.\n\nThen the Khalif summoned her to his presence a fourth time and\nsaid to her, \"O Sitt el Milah, sing.\" So she improvised and sang\nthe following verses:\n\nTo his beloved one the lover's heart's inclined; His soul's a\n     captive slave, in sickness' hands confined.\n\"What is the taste of love?\" quoth one, and I replied, \"Sweet\n     water 'tis at first; but torment lurks behind.\"\nLove's slave, I keep my troth with them; but, when they vowed,\n     Fate made itself Urcoub,[FN#16] whom never oath could bind.\nWhat is there in the tents? Their burdens are become A lover's,\n     whose belov'd is in the litters' shrined.\nIn every halting-place like Joseph[FN#17] she appears And he in\n     every stead with Jacob's grief[FN#18] is pined.\n\nWhen she had made an end of her song, she threw the lute from her\nhand and wept till she swooned away. So they sprinkled on her\nrose-water, mingled with musk, and willow-flower water; and when\nshe came to herself, Er Reshid said to her, \"O Sitt el Milah,\nthis is not fair dealing in thee. We love thee and thou lovest\nanother.\" \"O Commander of the Faithful,\" answered she, \"there is\nno help for it.\" Therewithal he was wroth with her and said, \"By\nthe virtue of Hemzeh[FN#19] and Akil[FN#20] and Mohammed, Prince\nof the Apostles, if thou name one other than I in my presence, I\nwill bid strike off thy head!\" Then he bade return her to her\nchamber, whilst she wept and recited the following verses:\n\nIf I must die, then welcome death to heal My woes; 'twere lighter\n     than the pangs I feel.\nWhat if the sabre cut me limb from limb! No torment 'twere for\n     lovers true and leal.\n\nThen the Khalif went in to the Lady Zubeideh, pale with anger,\nand she noted this in him and said to him, \"How cometh it that I\nsee the Commander of the Faithful changed of colour?\" \"O daughter\nof my uncle,\" answered he, \"I have a beautiful slave-girl, who\nreciteth verses and telleth stories, and she hath taken my whole\nheart; but she loveth other than I and avoucheth that she loveth\nher [former] master; wherefore I have sworn a great oath that, if\nshe come again to my sitting-chamber and sing for other than I, I\nwill assuredly take a span from her highest part.\"[FN#21]Quoth\nZubeideh, \"Let the Commander of the Faithful favour me with her\npresence, so I may look on her and hear her singing.\" So he bade\nfetch her and she came, whereupon the Lady Zubeideh withdrew\nbehind the curtain, whereas she saw her not, and Er Reshid said\nto her, \"Sing to us.\" So she took the lute and tuning it, sang\nthe following verses:\n\nLo, since the day I left you, O my masters, Life is not sweet, no\n     aye my heart is light.\nYea, in the night the thought of you still slays me; Hidden are\n     my traces from the wise men's sight,\nAll for a wild deer's love, whose looks have snared me And on\n     whose brows the morning glitters bright\nI am become, for severance from my loved one, Like a left hand,\n     forsaken of the right.\nBeauty on his cheek hath written, \"Blest be Allah, He who created\n     this enchanting wight!\"\nHim I beseech our loves who hath dissevered, Us of his grace once\n     more to reunite.\n\nWhen Er Reshid heard this, he waxed exceeding wroth and said,\n\"May God not reunite you twain in gladness!\" Then he summoned the\nheadsman, and when he presented himself, he said to him, \"Strike\noff the head of this accursed slave-girl.\" So Mesrour took her by\nthe hand and [led her away; but], when she came to the door, she\nturned and said to the Khalif, \"O Commander of the Faithful, I\nconjure thee, by thy fathers and forefathers, give ear unto that\nI shall say!\" Then she improvised and recited the following\nverses:\n\nO Amir of justice, be kind to thy subjects; For justice, indeed,\n     of thy nature's a trait.\nO thou my inclining to love him that blamest, Shall lovers be\n     blamed for the errors of Fate?\nThen spare me, by Him who vouchsafed thee the kingship; For a\n     gift in this world is the regal estate.\n\nThen Mesrour carried her to the other end of the sitting-chamber\nand bound her eyes and making her sit, stood awaiting a second\ncommandment; whereupon quoth the Lady Zubeideh, \"O Commander of\nthe Faithful, with thy permission, wilt thou not vouchsafe this\ndamsel a share of thy clemency? Indeed, if thou slay her, it were\ninjustice.\" Quoth he, \"What is to be done with her?\" And she\nsaid, \"Forbear to slay her and send for her lord. If he be as she\ndescribeth him in grace and goodliness, she is excused, and if he\nbe not on this wise, then slay her, and this shall be thy\njustification against her.\"[FN#22]\n\n\"Be it as thou deemest,\" answered Er Reshid and caused return the\ndamsel to her chamber, saying to her, \"The Lady Zubeideh saith\nthus and thus.\" Quoth she, \"God requite her for me with good!\nIndeed, thou dealest equitably, O Commander of the Faithful, in\nthis judgment.\" And he answered, \"Go now to thy place, and\nto-morrow we will let bring thy lord.\" So she kissed the earth\nand recited the following verses:\n\nI am content, for him I love, to all abide; So, who will, let him\n     blame, and who will, let him chide.\nAt their appointed terms souls die; but for despair My soul is\n     like to die, or ere its term betide.\nO thou with love of whom I'm smitten, yet content, I prithee come\n     to me and hasten to my side.\n\nThen she arose and returned to her chamber.\n\nOn the morrow, the Commander of the Faithful sat [in his hall of\naudience] and his Vizier Jaafer ben Yehya the Barmecide came in\nto him; whereupon he called to him, saying, \"I would have thee\nbring me a youth who is lately come to Baghdad, hight [Sidi\nNoureddin Ali] the Damascene.\" Quoth Jaafer, \"Hearkening and\nobedience,\" and going forth in quest of the youth, sent to the\nmarkets and khans and caravanserais three days' space, but found\nno trace of him, neither lit upon tidings of him. So on the\nfourth day he presented himself before the Khalif and said to\nhim, \"O our lord, I have sought him these three days, but have\nnot found him.\" Quoth Er Reshid, \"Make ready letters to Damascus.\nBelike he hath returned to his own land.\" So Jaafer wrote a\nletter and despatched it by a dromedary-courier to the city of\nDamascus; and they sought him there and found him not.\n\nMeanwhile, news was brought that Khorassan had been\nconquered;[FN#23] whereupon Er Reshid rejoiced and bade decorate\nBaghdad and release all who were in the prisons, giving each of\nthem a dinar and a dress. So Jaafer addressed himself to the\ndecoration of the city and bade his brother El Fezl ride to the\nprison and clothe and release the prisoners. El Fezl did his\nbrother's bidding and released all but the young Damascene, who\nabode still in the Prison of Blood, saying, \"There is no power\nand no virtue save in God the Most High, the Sublime! Verily, we\nare God's and to Him we return.\" Then said El Fezl to the gaoler,\n\"Is there any prisoner left in the prison?\" \"No,\" answered he,\nand El Fezl was about to depart, when Noureddin called out to him\nfrom within the prison, saying, \"O my lord, tarry, for there\nremaineth none in the prison other than I and indeed I am\noppressed. This is a day of clemency and there is no disputing\nconcerning it.\" El Fezl bade release him; so they set him free\nand he gave him a dress and a dinar. So the young man went out,\nbewildered and knowing not whither he should go, for that he had\nabidden in the prison nigh a year and indeed his condition was\nchanged and his favour faded, and he abode walking and turning\nround, lest El Muradi should come upon him and cast him into\nanother calamity.\n\nWhen El Muradi heard of his release, he betook himself to the\nchief of the police and said to him, \"O our lord, we are not\nassured from yonder youth, [the Damascene], for that he hath been\nreleased from prison and we fear lest he complain of us.\" Quoth\nthe prefect, \"How shall we do?\" And El Muradi answered, saying,\n\"I will cast him into a calamity for thee.\" Then he ceased not to\nfollow the young Damascene from place to place till he came up\nwith him in a strait place and a by-street without an issue;\nwhereupon he accosted him and putting a rope about his neck,\ncried out, saying, \"A thief!\" The folk flocked to him from all\nsides and fell to beating and reviling Noureddin, whilst he cried\nout for succour, but none succoured him, and El Muradi still said\nto him, \"But yesterday the Commander of the Faithful released\nthee and to-day thou stealest!\" So the hearts of the folk were\nhardened against him and El Muradi carried him to the master of\npolice, who bade cut off his hand.\n\nAccordingly, the hangman took him and bringing out the knife,\noffered to cut off his hand, what while El Muradi said to him,\n\"Cut and sever the bone and sear[FN#24] it not for him, so he may\nlose his blood and we be rid of him.\" But Ahmed, he who had\naforetime been the means of his deliverance, sprang up to him and\nsaid, \"O folk, fear God in [your dealings with] this youth, for\nthat I know his affair from first to last and he is void of\noffence and guiltless. Moreover, he is of the folk of\ncondition,[FN#25] and except ye desist from him, I will go up to\nthe Commander of the Faithful and acquaint him with the case from\nfirst to last and that the youth is guiltless of crime or\noffence.\" Quoth El Muradi, \"Indeed, we are not assured from his\nmischief.\" And Ahmed answered, \"Release him and commit him to me\nand I will warrant you against his affair, for ye shall never see\nhim again after this.\" So they delivered Noureddin to him and he\ntook him from their hands and said to him, \"O youth, have\ncompassion on thyself, for indeed thou hast fallen into the hands\nof these folk twice and if they lay hold of thee a third time,\nthey will make an end of thee; and [in dealing thus with thee], I\naim at reward and recompense for thee[FN#26] and answered\nprayer.\"[FN#27]\n\nNoureddin fell to kissing his hand and calling down blessings on\nhim and said to him, \"Know that I am a stranger in this your city\nand the completion of kindness is better than the beginning\nthereof; wherefore I beseech thee of thy favour that thou\ncomplete to me thy good offices and kindness and bring me to the\ngate of the city. So will thy beneficence be accomplished unto me\nand may God the Most High requite thee for me with good!\" [\"Fear\nnot,\"] answered Ahmed; \"no harm shall betide thee. Go; I will\nbear thee company till thou come to thy place of assurance.\" And\nhe left him not till he brought him to the gate of the city and\nsaid to him, \"O youth, go in the safeguard of God and return not\nto the city; for, if they fall in with thee [again], they will\nmake an end of thee.\" Noureddin kissed his hand and going forth\nthe city, gave not over walking till he came to a mosque that\nstood in one of the suburbs of Baghdad and entered therein with\nthe night.\n\nNow he had with him nought wherewithal he might cover himself; so\nhe wrapped himself up in one of the rugs of the mosque [and abode\nthus till daybreak], when the Muezzins came and finding him\nsitting in that case, said to him, \"O youth, what is this\nplight?\" Quoth he, \"I cast myself on your hospitality, imploring\nyour protection from a company of folk who seek to kill me\nunjustly and oppressively, without cause.\" And [one of] the\nMuezzin[s] said, \"Be of good heart and cheerful eye.\" Then he\nbrought him old clothes and covered him withal; moreover, he set\nbefore him somewhat of meat and seeing upon him signs of gentle\nbreeding, said to him, \"O my son, I grow old and desire thee of\nhelp, [in return for which] I will do away thy necessity.\"\n\"Hearkening and obedience,\" answered Noureddin and abode with the\nold man, who rested and took his ease, what while the youth [did\nhis service in the mosque], celebrating the praises of God and\ncalling the faithful to prayer and lighting the lamps and filling\nthe ewers[FN#28] and sweeping and cleaning out the place.\n\nMeanwhile, the Lady Zubeideh, the wife of the Commander of the\nFaithful, made a banquet in her palace and assembled her\nslave-girls. As for Sitt el Milah, she came, weeping-eyed and\nmournful-hearted, and those who were present blamed her for this,\nwhereupon she recited the following verses:\n\nYe chide at one who weepeth for troubles ever new; Needs must th'\n     afflicted warble the woes that make him rue.\nExcept I be appointed a day [to end my pain], I'll weep until\n     mine eyelids with blood their tears ensue.\n\nWhen she had made an end of her verses, the Lady Zubeideh bade\neach damsel sing a song, till the turn came round to Sitt el\nMilah, whereupon she took the lute and tuning it, sang thereto\nfour-and-twenty songs in four-and-twenty modes; then she returned\nto the first mode and sang the following verses:\n\nFortune its arrows all, through him I love, let fly At me and\n     parted me from him for whom I sigh.\nLo, in my heart the heat of every heart burns high And in mine\n     eyes unite the tears of every eye.\n\nWhen she had made an end of her song, she wept till she made the\nbystanders weep and the Lady Zubeideh condoled with her and said\nto her, \"God on thee, O Sitt el Milah, sing us somewhat, so we\nmay hearken to thee.\" \"Hearkening and obedience,\" answered the\ndamsel and sang the following verses:\n\nAssemble, ye people of passion, I pray; For the hour of our\n     torment hath sounded to-day.\nThe raven of parting croaks loud at our door; Alas, for our raven\n     cleaves fast to us aye!\nFor those whom we cherish are parted and gone; They have left us\n     in torment to pine for dismay.\nSo arise, by your lives I conjure you, arise And come let us fare\n     to our loved ones away.\n\nThen she cast the lute from her hand and wept till she made the\nLady Zubeideh weep, and she said to her, \"O Sitt el Milah,\nmethinks he whom thou lovest is not in this world, for that the\nCommander of the Faithful hath sought him in every place, but\nhath not found him.\" Whereupon the damsel arose and kissing the\nLady Zubeideh's hands, said to her, \"O my lady, if thou wouldst\nhave him found, I have a request to make to thee, wherein thou\nmayst accomplish my occasion with the Commander of the Faithful.\"\nQuoth the princess, \"And what is it?\" \"It is,\" answered Sitt el\nMilah, \"that thou get me leave to go forth by myself and go round\nabout in quest of him three days, for the adage saith, 'She who\nmourneth for herself is not the like of her who is hired to\nmourn.'[FN#29] If I find him, I will bring him before the\nCommander of the Faithful, so he may do with us what he will; and\nif I find him not, I shall be cut off from hope of him and that\nwhich is with me will be assuaged.\" Quoth the Lady Zubeideh, \"I\nwill not get thee leave from him but for a whole month; so be of\ngood heart and cheerful eye.\" Whereupon Sitt el Milah was glad\nand rising, kissed the earth before her once more and went away\nto her own place, rejoicing.\n\nAs for Zubeideh, she went in to the Khalif and talked with him\nawhile; then she fell to kissing him between the eyes and on his\nhand and asked him that which she had promised Sitt el Milah,\nsaying, \"O Commander of the Faithful, I doubt me her lord is not\nfound in this world; but, if she go about in quest of him and\nfind him not, her hopes will be cut off and her mind will be set\nat rest and she will sport and laugh; for that, what while she\nabideth in hope, she will never cease from her frowardness.\" And\nshe gave not over cajoling him till he gave Sitt el Milah leave\nto go forth and make search for her lord a month's space and\nordered her an eunuch to attend her and bade the paymaster [of\nthe household] give her all she needed, were it a thousand\ndirhems a day or more. So the Lady Zubeideh arose and returning\nto her palace, sent for Sitt el Milah and acquainted her with\nthat which had passed [between herself and the Khalif]; whereupon\nshe kissed her hand and thanked her and called down blessings on\nher.\n\nThen she took leave of the princess and veiling her face,\ndisguised herself; [FN#30] after which she mounted the mule and\nsallying forth, went round about seeking her lord in the\nthoroughfares of Baghdad three days' space, but lit on no tidings\nof him; and on the fourth day, she rode forth without the city.\nNow it was the noontide hour and great was the heat, and she was\naweary and thirst waxed upon her. Presently, she came to the\nmosque, wherein the young Damascene had taken shelter, and\nlighting down at the door, said to the old man, [the Muezzin], \"O\nelder, hast thou a draught of cold water? Indeed, I am overcome\nwith heat and thirst.\" Quoth he, \"[Come up] with me into my\nhouse.\" So he carried her up into his lodging and spreading her\n[a carpet and cushions], seated her [thereon]; after which he\nbrought her cold water and she drank and said to the eunuch, \"Go\nthy ways with the mule and on the morrow come back to me here.\"\n[So he went away] and she slept and rested herself.\n\nWhen she awoke, she said to the old man, \"O elder, hast thou\naught of food?\" And he answered, \"O my lady, I have bread and\nolives.\" Quoth she, \"That is food fit but for the like of thee.\nAs for me, I will have nought but roast lamb and broths and fat\nrissoled fowls and stuffed ducks and all manner meats dressed\nwith [pounded nuts and almond-]kernels and sugar.\" \"O my lady,\"\nreplied the Muezzin, \"I never heard of this chapter in the Koran,\nnor was it revealed unto our lord Mohammed, whom God bless and\nkeep!\"[FN#31] She laughed and said, \"O elder, the matter is even\nas thou sayest; but bring me inkhorn and paper.\" So he brought\nher what she sought and she wrote a letter and gave it to him,\ntogether with a seal-ring from her finger, saying, \"Go into the\ncity and enquire for such an one the money-changer and give him\nthis my letter.\"\n\nThe old man betook himself to the city, as she bade him, and\nenquired for the money-changer, to whom they directed him. So he\ngave him the ring and the letter, which when he saw, he kissed\nthe letter and breaking it open, read it and apprehended its\npurport. Then he repaired to the market and buying all that she\nbade him, laid it in a porter's basket and bade him go with the\nold man. So the latter took him and went with him to the mosque,\nwhere he relieved him of his burden and carried the meats in to\nSitt el Milah. She seated him by her side and they ate, he and\nshe, of those rich meats, till they were satisfied, when the old\nman rose and removed the food from before her.\n\nShe passed the night in his lodging and when she arose in the\nmorning, she said to him, \"O elder, may I not lack thy kind\noffices for the morning-meal! Go to the money-changer and fetch\nme from him the like of yesterday's food.\" So he arose and\nbetaking himself to the money-changer, acquainted him with that\nwhich she had bidden him. The money-changer brought him all that\nshe required and set it on the heads of porters; and the old man\ntook them and returned with them to Sitt el Milah. So she sat\ndown with him and they ate their sufficiency, after which he\nremoved the rest of the food. Then she took the fruits and the\nflowers and setting them over against herself, wrought them into\nrings and knots and letters, whilst the old man looked on at a\nthing whose like he had never in his life seen and rejoiced\ntherein.\n\nThen said she to him, \"O elder, I would fain drink.\" So he arose\nand brought her a gugglet of water; but she said to him, \"Who\nbade thee fetch that?\" Quoth he, \"Saidst thou not to me, 'I would\nfain drink'?\" And she answered, \"I want not this; nay, I want\nwine, the delight of the soul, so haply, O elder, I may solace\nmyself therewith.\" \"God forbid,\" exclaimed the old man, \"that\nwine should be drunk in my house, and I a stranger in the land\nand a Muezzin and an imam,[FN#32] who prayeth with the\ntrue-believers, and a servant of the house of the Lord of the\nWorlds! \"Quoth she, \"Why wilt thou forbid me to drink thereof in\nthy house?\" \"Because,\" answered he, \"it is unlawful.\" \"O elder,\"\nrejoined she, \"God hath forbidden [the eating of] blood and\ncarrion and hog's flesh. Tell me, are grapes and honey lawful or\nunlawful?\" Quoth he, \"They are lawful;\" and she said, \"This is\nthe juice of grapes and the water of honey.\" But he answered,\n\"Leave this thy talk, for thou shall never drink wine in my\nhouse.\" \"O Sheikh,\" rejoined she, \"folk eat and drink and enjoy\nthemselves and we are of the number of the folk and God is very\nforgiving, clement.\"[FN#33] Quoth he, \"This is a thing that may\nnot be.\" And she said, \"Hast thou not heard what the poet saith\n... ?\" And she recited the following verses:\n\nO son of Simeon, give no ear to other than my say. How bitter\n     from the convent 'twas to part and fare away!\nAy, and the monks, for on the Day of Palms a fawn there was Among\n     the servants of the church, a loveling blithe and gay.\nBy God, how pleasant was the night we passed, with him for third!\n     Muslim and Jew and Nazarene, we sported till the day.\nThe wine was sweet to us to drink in pleasance and repose, And in\n     a garden of the garths of Paradise we lay,\nWhose streams beneath the myrtle's shade and cassia's welled\n     amain And birds made carol jubilant from every blossomed\n     spray.\nQuoth he, what while from out his hair the morning glimmered\n     white, \"This, this is life indeed, except, alas! it doth not\n     stay.\"\n\n\"O elder,\" added she, \"if Muslims and Jews and Nazarenes drink\nwine, who are we [that we should abstain from it]?\" \"By Allah, O\nmy lady,\" answered he, \"spare thine endeavour, for this is a\nthing to which I will not hearken.\" When she knew that he would\nnot consent to her desire, she said to him, \"O elder, I am of the\nslave-girls of the Commander of the Faithful and the food waxeth\non me[FN#34] and if I drink not, I shall perish,[FN#35] nor wilt\nthou be assured against the issue of my affair. As for me, I am\nquit of blame towards thee, for that I have made myself known to\nthee and have bidden thee beware of the wrath of the Commander of\nthe Faithful.\"\n\nWhen the old man heard her words and that wherewith she menaced\nhim, he arose and went out, perplexed and knowing not what he\nshould do, and there met him a Jew, who was his neighbour, and\nsaid to him, \"O Sheikh, how cometh it that I see thee strait of\nbreast? Moreover, I hear in thy house a noise of talk, such as I\nuse not to hear with thee.\" Quoth the Muezzin, \"Yonder is a\ndamsel who avoucheth that she is of the slave-girls of the\nCommander of the Faithful Haroun er Reshid; and she hath eaten\nfood and now would fain drink wine in my house, but I forbade\nher. However she avoucheth that except she drink thereof, she\nwill perish, and indeed I am bewildered concerning my affair.\"\n\"Know, O my neighbour,\" answered the Jew, \"that the slave-girls\nof the Commander of the Faithful are used to drink wine, and\nwhenas they eat and drink not, they perish; and I fear lest some\nmishap betide her, in which case thou wouldst not be safe from\nthe Khalifs wrath.\" \"What is to be done?\" asked the Sheikh; and\nthe Jew replied, \"I have old wine that will suit her.\" Quoth the\nold man, \"[I conjure thee] by the right of neighbourship, deliver\nme from this calamity and let me have that which is with thee!\"\n\"In the name of God,\" answered the Jew and going to his house,\nbrought out a flagon of wine, with which the Sheikh returned to\nSitt el Milah. This pleased her and she said to him, \"Whence\nhadst thou this?\" \"I got it from my neighbour the Jew,\" answered\nhe. \"I set out to him my case with thee and he gave me this.\"\n\nSitt el Milah filled a cup and emptied it; after which she drank\na second and a third. Then she filled the cup a fourth time and\nhanded it to the old man, but he would not accept it from her.\nHowever, she conjured him, by her own head and that of the\nCommander of the Faithful, that he should take it from her, till\nhe took the cup from her hand and kissed it and would have set it\ndown; but she conjured him by her life to smell it. So he smelt\nit and she said to him, \"How deemest thou?\" \"Its smell is sweet,\"\nreplied he; and she conjured him, by the life of the Commander of\nthe Faithful, to taste it. So he put it to his mouth and she rose\nto him and made him drink; whereupon, \"O princess of the fair,\"\nsaid he, \"this is none other than good.\" Quoth she, \"So deem I.\nHath not our Lord promised us wine in Paradise?\" And he answered,\n\"Yes. Quoth the Most High, 'And rivers of wine, a delight to the\ndrinkers.'[FN#36] And we will drink it in this world and the\nworld to come.\" She laughed and emptying the cup, gave him to\ndrink, and he said, \"O princess of the fair, indeed thou art\nexcusable in thy love for this.\" Then he took from her another\nand another, till he became drunken and his talk waxed great and\nhis prate.\n\nThe folk of the quarter heard him and assembled under the window;\nand when he was ware of them, he opened the window and said to\nthem, \"Are ye not ashamed, O pimps? Every one in his own house\ndoth what he will and none hindereth him; but we drink one poor\nday and ye assemble and come, cuckoldy varlets that ye are!\nTo-day, wine, and to-morrow [another] matter; and from hour to\nhour [cometh] relief.\" So they laughed and dispersed. Then the\ngirl drank till she was intoxicated, when she called to mind her\nlord and wept, and the old man said to her, \"What maketh thee\nweep, O my lady?\" \"O elder,\" replied she, \"I am a lover and\nseparated [from him I love].\" Quoth he, \"O my lady, what is this\nlove?\" \"And thou,\" asked she, \"hast thou never been in love?\" \"By\nAllah, O my lady,\" answered he, \"never in all my life heard I of\nthis thing, nor have I ever known it! Is it of the sons of Adam\nor of the Jinn?\" She laughed and said, \"Verily, thou art even as\nthose of whom the poet speaketh, when as he saith ...\" And she\nrepeated the following verses:\n\nHow long will ye admonished be, without avail or heed? The\n     shepherd still his flocks forbids, and they obey his rede.\nI see yon like unto mankind in favour and in form; But\n     oxen,[FN#37] verily, ye are in fashion and in deed.\n\n\nThe old man laughed at her speech and her verses pleased him.\nThen said she to him, \"I desire of thee a lute.\"[FN#38] So he\narose and brought her a piece of firewood. Quoth she, \"What is\nthat?\" And he said, \"Didst thou not bid me bring thee wood?\" \"I\ndo not want this,\" answered she, and he rejoined, \"What then is\nit that is called wood, other than this?\" She laughed and said,\n\"The lute is an instrument of music, whereunto I sing.\" Quoth he,\n\"Where is this thing found and of whom shall I get it for thee?\"\nAnd she said, \"Of him who gave thee the wine.\" So he arose and\nbetaking himself to his neighbour the Jew, said to him, \"Thou\nfavouredst us aforetime with the wine; so now complete thy\nfavours and look me out a thing called a lute, to wit, an\ninstrument for singing; for that she seeketh this of me and I\nknow it not\" \"Hearkening and obedience,\" replied the Jew and\ngoing into his house, brought him a lute. [The old man took it\nand carried it to Sitt el Milah,] whilst the Jew took his drink\nand sat by a window adjoining the other's house, so he might hear\nthe singing.\n\nThe damsel rejoiced, when the old man returned to her with the\nlute, and taking it from him, tuned its strings and sang the\nfollowing verses:\n\nAfter your loss, nor trace of me nor vestige would remain, Did\n     not the hope of union some whit my strength sustain.\nYe're gone and desolated by your absence is the world: Requital,\n     ay, or substitute to seek for you 'twere vain.\nYe, of your strength, have burdened me, upon my weakliness, With\n     burdens not to be endured of mountain nor of plain.\nWhen from your land the breeze I scent that cometh, as I were A\n     reveller bemused with wine, to lose my wits I'm fain.\nLove no light matter is, O folk, nor are the woe and care And\n     blame a little thing to brook that unto it pertain.\nI wander seeking East and West for you, and every time Unto a\n     camp I come, I'm told, \"They've fared away again.\"\nMy friends have not accustomed me to rigour; for, of old, When I\n     forsook them, they to seek accord did not disdain.\n\nWhen she had made an end of her song, she wept sore, till\npresently sleep overcame her and she slept.\n\nOn the morrow, she said to the old man, \"Get thee to the\nmoney-changer and fetch me the ordinary.\" So he repaired to the\nmoney-changer and delivered him the message, whereupon he made\nready meat and drink, as of his wont, [with which the old man\nreturned to the damsel and they ate till they had enough. When\nshe had eaten,] she sought of him wine and he went to the Jew and\nfetched it. Then they sat down and drank; and when she grew\ndrunken, she took the lute and smiting it, fell a-singing and\nchanted the following verses:\n\nHow long shall I thus question my heart that's drowned in woe?\n     I'm mute for my complaining; but tears speak, as they flow.\nThey have forbid their image to visit me in sleep; So even my\n     nightly phantom forsaketh me, heigho!\n\nAnd when she had made an end of her song, she wept sore.\n\nAll this time, the young Damascene was hearkening, and whiles he\nlikened her voice to that of his slave-girl and whiles he put\naway from him this thought, and the damsel had no whit of\nknowledge of him. Then she broke out again into song and chanted\nthe following verses:\n\n\"Forget him,\" quoth my censurers, \"forget him; what is he?\" \"If I\n     forget him, ne'er may God,\" quoth I, \"remember me!\"\nNow God forbid a slave forget his liege lord's love! And how Of\n     all things in the world should I forget the love of thee?\nPardon of God for everything I crave, except thy love, For on the\n     day of meeting Him, that will my good deed be.\n\nThen she drank three cups and filling the old man other three,\nsang the following verses:\n\nHis love he'd have hid, but his tears denounced him to the spy,\n     For the heat of a red-hot coal that 'twixt his ribs did lie.\nSuppose for distraction he seek in the Spring and its blooms one\n     day, The face of his loved one holds the only Spring for his\n     eye.\nO blamer of me for the love of him who denieth his grace, Which\n     be the delightsome of things, but those which the people\n     deny?\nA sun [is my love;] but his heat in mine entrails still rageth,\n     concealed; A moon, in the hearts of the folk he riseth, and\n     not in the sky.\n\nWhen she had made an end of her song, she threw the lute from her\nhand and wept, whilst the old man wept for her weeping. Then she\nfell down in a swoon and presently coming to herself, filled the\ncup and drinking it off, gave the old man to drink, after which\nshe took the lute and breaking out into song, chanted the\nfollowing verses:\n\nThy loss is the fairest of all my heart's woes; My case it hath\n     altered and banished repose.\nThe world is upon me all desolate grown. Alack, my long grief and\n     forlornness! Who knows\nBut the Merciful yet may incline thee to me And unite us again,\n     in despite of our foes!\n\nThen she wept till her voice rose high and her lamentation was\ndiscovered [to those without]; after which she again began to\ndrink and plying the old man with wine, sang the following\nverses:\n\nThey have shut out thy person from my sight; They cannot shut thy\n     memory from my spright.\nFavour or flout me, still my soul shall be Thy ransom, in\n     contentment or despite.\nMy outward of my inward testifies And this bears witness that\nthat tells aright.[FN#39]\n\nWhen she had made an end of her song, she threw the lute from her\nhand and wept and lamented. Then she slept awhile and presently\nawaking, said, \"O elder, hast thou what we may eat?\" \"O my lady,\"\nanswered the old man, \"there is the rest of the food;\" but she\nsaid, \"I will not eat of a thing I have left. Go down to the\nmarket and fetch us what we may eat.\" Quoth he, \"Excuse me, O my\nlady; I cannot stand up, for that I am overcome with wine; but\nwith me is the servant of the mosque, who is a sharp youth and an\nintelligent. I will call him, so he may buy thee that which thou\ndesirest.\" \"Whence hast thou this servant?\" asked she; and he\nreplied, \"He is of the people of Damascus.\" When she heard him\nspeak of the people of Damascus, she gave a sob, that she swooned\naway; and when she came to herself, she said, \"Woe's me for the\npeople of Damascus and for those who are therein! Call him, O\nelder, that he may do our occasions.\"\n\nSo the old man put his head forth of the window and called the\nyouth, who came to him from the mosque and sought leave [to\nenter]. The Muezzin bade him enter, and when he came in to the\ndamsel, he knew her and she knew him; whereupon he turned back in\nbewilderment and would have fled; but she sprang up to him and\nseized him, and they embraced and wept together, till they fell\ndown on the ground in a swoon. When the old man saw them in this\nplight, he feared for himself and fled forth, seeing not the way\nfor drunkenness. His neighbour the Jew met him and said to him,\n\"How comes it that I see thee confounded?\" \"How should I not be\nconfounded,\" answered the old man, \"seeing that the damsel who is\nwith me is fallen in love with the servant of the mosque and they\nhave embraced and fallen down in a swoon? Indeed, I fear lest the\nKhalif come to know of this and be wroth with me; so tell me thou\nwhat is to be done in this wherewith I am afflicted of the affair\nof this damsel.\" Quoth the Jew, \"For the nonce, take this\ncasting-bottle of rose-water and go forth-right and sprinkle them\ntherewith. If they be aswoon for this their foregathering and\nembracement, they will come to themselves, and if otherwise, do\nthou flee.\"\n\nThe old man took the casting-bottle from the Jew and going up to\nNoureddin and the damsel, sprinkled their faces, whereupon they\ncame to themselves and fell to relating to each other that which\nthey had suffered, since their separation, for the anguish of\nseverance. Moreover, Noureddin acquainted Sitt el Milah with that\nwhich he had endured from the folk who would have slain him and\nmade away with him; and she said to him, \"O my lord, let us\npresently give over this talk and praise God for reunion of\nloves, and all this shall cease from us.\" Then she gave him the\ncup and he said, \"By Allah, I will nowise drink it, whilst I am\nin this plight!\" So she drank it off before him and taking the\nlute, swept the strings and sang the following verses:\n\nThou that wast absent from my stead, yet still with me didst\n     bide, Thou wast removed from mine eye, yet still wast by my\n     side.\nThou left'st unto me, after thee, languor and carefulness; I\n     lived a life wherein no jot of sweetness I espied.\nFor thy sweet sake, as 'twere, indeed, an exile I had been, Lone\n     and deserted I became, lamenting, weeping-eyed.\nAlack, my grief! Thou wast, indeed, grown absent from my yiew,\n     Yet art the apple of mine eye nor couldst from me divide.\n\nWhen she had made an end of her song, she wept and Noureddin wept\nalso. Then she took the lute and improvised and sang the\nfollowing verses:\n\nGod knows I ne'er recalled thy memory to my thought, But still\n     with brimming tears straightway mine eyes were fraught;\nYea, passion raged in me and love-longing was like To slay me;\n     yet my heart to solace still it wrought.\nLight of mine eyes, my hope, my wish, my thirsting eyes With\n     looking on thy face can never sate their drought.\n\nWhen Noureddin heard these his slave-girl's verses, he fell\na-weeping, what while she strained him to her bosom and wiped\naway his tears with her sleeve and questioned him and comforted\nhis mind. Then she took the lute and sweeping its strings, played\nthereon, after such a wise as would move the phlegmatic to\ndelight, and sang the following verses:\n\nWhenas mine eyes behold thee not, that day As of my life I do not\n     reckon aye;\nAnd when I long to look upon thy face, My life is perished with\n     desire straightway.\n\nOn this wise they abode till the morning, tasting not the savour\nof sleep; and when the day lightened, behold, the eunuch came\nwith the mule and said to Sitt el Milah, \"The Commander of the\nFaithful calleth for thee.\" So she arose and taking her lord by\nthe hand, committed him to the old man, saying, \"I commend him to\nthy care, under God,[FN#40] till this eunuch cometh to thee; and\nindeed, O elder, I owe thee favour and largesse such as filleth\nthe interspace betwixt heaven and earth.\"\n\nThen she mounted the mule and repairing to the palace of the\nCommander of the Faithful, went in to him and kissed the earth\nbefore him. Quoth he to her, as who should make mock of her, \"I\ndoubt not but thou hast found thy lord.\" \"By thy felicity and the\nlength of thy continuance [on life,]\" answered she, \"I have\nindeed found him!\" Now Er Reshid was leaning back; but, when he\nheard this, he sat up and said to her, \"By my life, [is this thou\nsayest] true?\" \"Ay, by thy life!\" answered she; and he said,\n\"Bring him into my presence, so I may see him.\" But she replied,\n\"O my lord, there have betided him many stresses and his charms\nare changed and his favour faded; and indeed the Commander of the\nFaithful vouchsafed me a month; wherefore I will tend him the\nrest of the month and then bring him to do his service to the\nCommander of the Faithful.\" Quoth Er Reshid, \"True; the condition\nwas for a month; but tell me what hath betided him.\" \"O my lord,\"\nanswered she, \"may God prolong thy continuance and make Paradise\nthy place of returning and thy harbourage and the fire the\nabiding-place of thine enemies, when he presenteth himself to pay\nhis respects to thee, he will expound to thee his case and will\nname unto thee those who have wronged him; and indeed this is an\narrear that is due to the Commander of the Faithful, in[FN#41]\nwhom may God fortify the Faith and vouchsafe him the mastery over\nthe rebel and the froward!\"\n\nTherewithal he ordered her a handsome house and bade furnish it\nwith carpets and other furniture and vessels of choice and\ncommanded that all she needed should be given her. This was done\nduring the rest of the day, and when the night came, she\ndespatched the eunuch with the mule and a suit of clothes, to\nfetch Noureddin from the Muezzin's lodging. So the young man\ndonned the clothes and mounting; rode to the house, where he\nabode in luxury and delight a full-told month, what while she\nsolaced him with four things, to wit, the eating of fowls and the\ndrinking of wine and the lying upon brocade and the entering the\nbath after copulation. Moreover, she brought him six suits of\nclothes and fell to changing his apparel day by day; nor was the\nappointed time accomplished ere his beauty returned to him and\nhis goodliness; nay, his charms waxed tenfold and he became a\nravishment to all who looked on him.\n\nOne day the Commander of the Faithful bade bring him to the\npresence; so his slave-girl changed his raiment and clothing him\nin sumptuous apparel, mounted him on the mule. Then he rode to\nthe palace and presenting himself before the Khalif, saluted him\nwith the goodliest of salutations and bespoke him with eloquent\nand deep-thoughted speech. When Er Reshid saw him, he marvelled\nat the goodliness of his favour and his eloquence and the\nreadiness of his speech and enquiring of him, was told that he\nwas Sitt el Milah's lord; whereupon quoth he, \"Indeed, she is\nexcusable in her love for him, and if we had put her to death\nunrighteously, as we were minded to do, her blood would have been\nupon our heads.\" Then he turned to the young man and entering\ninto discourse with him, found him well bred, intelligent, quick\nof wit and apprehension, generous, pleasant, elegant, erudite. So\nhe loved him with an exceeding love and questioned him of his\nnative city and of his father and of the manner of his journey to\nBaghdad. Noureddin acquainted him with that which he would know\nin the goodliest of words and with the concisest of expressions;\nand the Khalif said to him, \"And where hast thou been absent all\nthis while? Indeed, we sent after thee to Damascus and Mosul and\nother the towns, but lit on no tidings of thee.\" \"O my lord,\"\nanswered the young man, \"there betided thy slave in thy city that\nwhich never yet betided any.\" And he acquainted him with his case\nfrom first to last and told him that which had befallen him of\nevil [from El Muradi and his crew].\n\nWhen Er Reshid heard this, he was sore chagrined and waxed\nexceeding wroth and said, \"Shall this happen in a city wherein I\nam?\" And the Hashimi vein[FN#42] started out between his eyes.\nThen he bade fetch Jaafer, and when he came before him, he\nacquainted him with the matter and said to him, \"Shall this come\nto pass in my city and I have no news of it?\" Then he bade Jaafer\nfetch all whom the young Damascene had named [as having\nmaltreated him], and when they came, he let smite off their\nheads. Moreover, he summoned him whom they called Ahmed and who\nhad been the means of the young man's deliverance a first time\nand a second, and thanked him and showed him favour and bestowed\non him a sumptuous dress of honour and invested him with the\ngovernance over his city.[FN#43]\n\nThen he sent for the old man, the Muezzin, and when the messenger\ncame to him and told him that the Commander of the Faithful\nsought him, he feared the denunciation of the damsel and\naccompanied him to the palace, walking and letting wind[FN#44] as\nhe went, whilst all who passed him by laughed at him. When he\ncame into the presence of the Commander of the Faithful, he fell\na-trembling and his tongue was embarrassed, [so that he could not\nspeak]. The Khalif laughed at him and said to him, \"O elder, thou\nhast done no offence; so [why] fearest thou?\" \"O my lord,\"\nanswered the old man (and indeed he was in the sorest of that\nwhich may be of fear,) \"by the virtue of thy pure forefathers,\nindeed I have done nought, and do thou enquire of my conduct.\"\nThe Khalif laughed at him and ordering him a thousand dinars,\nbestowed on him a sumptuous dress of honour and made him chief of\nthe Muezzins in his mosque.\n\nThen he called Sitt el Milah and said to her, \"The house [wherein\nthou lodgest] and that which is therein Is a guerdon [from me] to\nthy lord. So do thou take him and depart with him in the\nsafeguard of God the Most High; but absent not yourselves from\nour presence.\" [So she went forth with Noureddin and] when she\ncame to the house, she found that the Commander of the Faithful\nhad sent them gifts galore and abundance of good things. As for\nNoureddin, he sent for his father and mother and appointed him\nagents and factors in the city of Damascus, to take the rent of\nthe houses and gardens and khans and baths; and they occupied\nthemselves with collecting that which accrued to him and sending\nit to him every year. Meanwhile, his father and mother came to\nhim, with that which they had of monies and treasures and\nmerchandise, and foregathering with their son, saw that he was\nbecome of the chief officers of the Commander of the Faithful and\nof the number of his session-mates and entertainers, wherefore\nthey rejoiced in reunion with him and he also rejoiced in them.\n\nThe Khalif assigned them pensions and allowances and as for\nNoureddin, his father brought him those riches and his wealth\nwaxed and his case was goodly, till he became the richest of the\nfolk of his time in Baghdad and left not the presence of the\nCommander of the Faithful night or day. Moreover, he was\nvouchsafed children by Sitt el Milah, and he ceased not to live\nthe most delightsome of lives, he and she and his father and\nmother, a while of time, till Aboulhusn sickened of a sore\nsickness and was admitted to the mercy of God the Most High.\nAfter awhile, his mother died also and he carried them forth and\nshrouded them and buried and made them expiations and\nnativities.[FN#45] Then his children grew up and became like unto\nmoons, and he reared them in splendour and fondness, what while\nhis wealth waxed and his case flourished. He ceased not to pay\nfrequent visits to the Commander of the Faithful, he and his\nchildren and his slave-girl Sitt el Milah, and they abode, he and\nthey, in all solace of life and prosperity till there came to\nthem the Destroyer of Delights and the Sunderer of Companies; and\nextolled be the perfection of the Abiding One, the Eternal! This\nis all that hath come down to us of their story.\n\n\n\n\n\n              EL ABBAS AND THE KING'S DAUGHTER OF\n                        BAGHDAD.[FN#46]\n\n\n\nThere was once, of old days and in bygone ages and times, in the\ncity of Baghdad, the Abode of Peace, a king mighty of estate,\nlord of understanding and beneficence and liberality and\ngenerosity, and he was strong of sultanate and endowed with might\nand majesty and magnificence. His name was Ins ben Cais ben\nRebiya es Sheibani,[FN#47] and when he took horse, there rode\nunto him [warriors] from the farthest parts of the two\nIraks.[FN#48] God the Most High decreed that he should take to\nwife a woman hight Afifeh, daughter of Ased es Sundusi, who was\nendowed with beauty and grace and brightness and perfection and\njustness of shape and symmetry; her face was like unto the new\nmoon and she had eyes as they were gazelle's eyes and an aquiline\nnose like the crescent moon. She had learned horsemanship and the\nuse of arms and had thoroughly studied the sciences of the Arabs;\nmoreover, she had gotten by heart all the dragomanish[FN#49]\ntongues and indeed she was a ravishment to mankind.\n\nShe abode with Ins ben Cais twelve years, during which time he\nwas blessed with no children by her; wherefore his breast was\nstraitened, by reason of the failure of lineage, and he besought\nhis Lord to vouchsafe him a child. Accordingly the queen\nconceived, by permission of God the Most High; and when the days\nof her pregnancy were accomplished, she gave birth to a\nmaid-child, than whom never saw eyes a goodlier, for that her\nface was as it were a pure pearl or a shining lamp or a\ngolden[FN#50] candle or a full moon breaking forth of a cloud,\nextolled be the perfection of Him who created her from vile\nwater[FN#51] and made her a delight to the beholders! When her\nfather saw her on this wise of loveliness, his reason fled for\njoy, and when she grew up, he taught her the art of writing and\npolite letters[FN#52] and philosophy and all manner of tongues.\nSo she excelled the folk of her time and overpassed her\npeers;[FN#53] and the sons of the kings heard of her and all of\nthem desired to look upon her.\n\nThe first who sought her in marriage was King Nebhan of Mosul,\nwho came to her with a great company, bringing with him an\nhundred she-camels laden with musk and aloes-wood and ambergris\nand as many laden with camphor and jewels and other hundred laden\nwith silver money and yet other hundred laden with raiment of\nsilken and other stuffs and brocade, besides an hundred\nslave-girls and an hundred magnificent horses of swift and\ngenerous breeds, completely housed and accoutred, as they were\nbrides; and all this he laid before her father, demanding her of\nhim in marriage. Now King Ins ben Cais had bound himself by an\noath that he would not marry his daughter but to him whom she\nshould choose; so, when King Nebhan sought her in marriage, her\nfather went in to her and consulted her concerning his affair.\nShe consented not and he repeated to Nebhan that which she said,\nwhereupon he departed from him. After this came King Behram, lord\nof the White Island, with riches more than the first; but she\naccepted not of him and he returned, disappointed; nor did the\nkings give over coming to her father, on her account, one after\nother, from the farthest of the lands and the climes, each\nglorying in more[FN#54] than those who forewent him; but she paid\nno heed unto any of one them.\n\nPresently, El Abbas, son of King El Aziz, lord of the land of\nYemen and Zebidoun[FN#55] and Mecca (which God increase in honour\nand brightness and beauty!), heard of her; and he was of the\ngreat ones of Mecca and the Hejaz[FN#56] and was a youth without\nhair on his cheeks. So he presented himself one day in his\nfather's sitting-chamber,[FN#57] whereupon the folk made way for\nhim and the king seated him on a chair of red gold, set with\npearls and jewels. The prince sat, with his head bowed to the\nground, and spoke not to any; whereby his father knew that his\nbreast was straitened and bade the boon-companions and men of wit\nrelate marvellous histories, such as beseem the assemblies of\nkings; nor was there one of them but spoke forth the goodliest of\nthat which was with him; but El Abbas still abode with his head\nbowed down. Then the king bade his session-mates withdraw, and\nwhen the chamber was void, he looked at his son and said to him,\n\"By Allah, thou rejoicest me with thy coming in to me and\nchagrinest me for that thou payest no heed to any of the\nsession-mates nor of the boon-companions. What is the cause of\nthis?\"\n\n\"O father mine,\" answered the prince, \"I have heard tell that in\nthe land of Irak is a woman of the daughters of the kings, and\nher father is called King Ins ben Cais, lord of Baghdad; she is\nrenowned for beauty and grace and brightness and perfection, and\nindeed many folk have sought her in marriage of the kings; but\nher soul consented not unto any one of them. Wherefore I am\nminded to travel to her, for that my heart cleaveth unto her, and\nI beseech thee suffer me to go to her.\" \"O my son,\" answered his\nfather, \"thou knowest that I have none other than thyself of\nchildren and thou art the solace of mine eyes and the fruit of\nmine entrails; nay, I cannot brook to be parted from thee an\ninstant and I purpose to set thee on the throne of the kingship\nand marry thee to one of the daughters of the kings, who shall be\nfairer than she.\" El Abbas gave ear to his father's word and\ndared not gainsay him; so he abode with him awhile, whilst the\nfire raged in his entrails.\n\nThen the king took counsel with himself to build his son a bath\nand adorn it with various paintings, so he might show it to him\nand divert him with the sight thereof, to the intent that his\nbody might be solaced thereby and that the obsession of travel\nmight cease from him and he be turned from [his purpose of]\nremoval from his parents. So he addressed himself to the building\nof the bath and assembling architects and builders and artisans\nfrom all the towns and citadels and islands [of his dominions],\nassigned them a site and marked out its boundaries. Then the\nworkmen occupied themselves with the making of the bath and the\nsetting out and adornment of its cabinets and roofs. They used\npaints and precious stones of all kinds, according to the\nvariousness of their hues, red and green and blue and yellow and\nwhat not else of all manner colours; and each artisan wrought at\nhis handicraft and each painter at his art, whilst the rest of\nthe folk busied themselves with transporting thither varicoloured\nstones.\n\nOne day, as the [chief] painter wrought at his work, there came\nin to him a poor man, who looked long upon him and observed his\nhandicraft; whereupon quoth the painter to him, \"Knowest thou\naught of painting?\" \"Yes,\" answered the stranger; so he gave him\ntools and paints and said to him, \"Make us a rare piece of work.\"\nSo the stranger entered one of the chambers of the bath and drew\n[on the walls thereof] a double border, which he adorned on both\nsides, after a fashion than which never saw eyes a fairer.\nMoreover, [amiddleward the chamber] he drew a picture to which\nthere lacked but the breath, and it was the portraiture of\nMariyeh, the king's daughter of Baghdad. Then, when he had made\nan end of the portrait, he went his way [and told none of what he\nhad done], nor knew any the chambers and doors of the bath and\nthe adornment and ordinance thereof.\n\nPresently, the chief workman came to the palace and sought an\naudience of the king, who bade admit him. So he entered and\nkissing the earth, saluted him with a salutation beseeming kings\nand said, \"O king of the time and lord of the age and the day,\nmay felicity endure unto thee and acceptance and be thy rank\nexalted over all the kings both morning and evening![FN#58] The\nwork of the bath is accomplished, by the king's fair fortune and\nthe eminence of his magnanimity,[FN#59] and indeed we have done\nall that behoved us and there remaineth but that which behoveth\nthe king.\" El Aziz ordered him a sumptuous dress of honour and\nexpended monies galore, giving unto each who had wroughten, after\nthe measure of his work. Then he assembled in the bath all the\ngrandees of his state, amirs and viziers and chamberlains and\nlieutenants, and the chief officers of his realm and household,\nand sending for his son El Abbas, said to him,\"O my son, I have\nbuilded thee a bath, wherein thou mayst take thy pleasance; so\nenter thou therein, that thou mayst see it and divert thyself by\ngazing upon it and viewing the goodliness of its ordinance and\ndecoration.\" \"With all my heart,\" replied the prince and entered\nthe bath, he and the king and the folk about them, so they might\ndivert themselves with viewing that which the workmen's hands had\nwroughten.\n\nEl Abbas went in and passed from place to place and chamber to\nchamber, till he came to the chamber aforesaid and espied the\nportrait of Mariyeh, whereupon he fell down in a swoon and the\nworkmen went to his father and said to him, \"Thy son El Abbas\nhath swooned away.\" So the king came and finding the prince cast\ndown, seated himself at his head and bathed his face with\nrose-water. After awhile he revived and the king said to him,\n\"God keep thee,[FN#60] O my son! What hath befallen thee?\" \"O my\nfather,\" answered the prince, \"I did but look on yonder picture\nand it bequeathed me a thousand regrets and there befell me that\nwhich thou seest.\" Therewithal the king bade fetch the [chief]\npainter, and when he stood before him, he said to him, \"Tell me\nof yonder portrait and what girl is this of the daughters of the\nkings; else will I take thy head.\" \"By Allah, O king,\" answered\nthe painter, \"I limned it not, neither know I who she is; but\nthere came to me a poor man and looked at me. So I said to him,\n'Knowest thou the art of painting?' And he replied, 'Yes.'\nWhereupon I gave him the gear and said to him, 'Make us a rare\npiece of work.' So he wrought yonder portrait and went away and I\nknow him not neither have I ever set eyes on him save that day.\"\n\nTherewithal the king bade all his officers go round about in the\nthoroughfares and colleges [of the town] and bring before him all\nstrangers whom they found there. So they went forth and brought\nhim much people, amongst whom was the man who had painted the\nportrait. When they came into the presence, the Sultan bade the\ncrier make proclamation that whoso wrought the portrait should\ndiscover himself and have whatsoever he desired. So the poor man\ncame forward and kissing the earth before the king, said to him,\n\"O king of the age, I am he who painted yonder portrait.\" Quoth\nEl Aziz, \"And knowest thou who she is?\" \"Yes,\" answered the\nother; \"this is the portrait of Mariyeh, daughter of the king of\nBaghdad.\" The king ordered him a dress of honour and a slave-girl\n[and he went his way]. Then said El Abbas, \"O father mine, give\nme leave to go to her, so I may look upon her; else shall I\ndepart the world, without fail.\" The king his father wept and\nanswered, saying, \"O my son, I builded thee a bath, that it might\ndivert thee from leaving me, and behold it hath been the cause of\nthy going forth; but the commandment of God is a\nforeordained[FN#61] decree.\"[FN#62]\n\nThen he wept again and El Abbas said to him, \"Fear not for me,\nfor thou knowest my prowess and my puissance in returning answers\nin the assemblies of the land and my good breeding[FN#63] and\nskill in rhetoric; and indeed he whose father thou art and whom\nthou hast reared and bred and in whom thou hast united\npraiseworthy qualities, the repute whereof hath traversed the\nEast and the West, thou needest not fear for him, more by token\nthat I purpose but to seek diversion[FN#64] and return to thee,\nif it be the will of God the Most High.\" Quoth the king, \"Whom\nwilt thou take with thee of attendants and [what] of good?\" \"O\nfather mine,\" replied El Abbas, \"I have no need of horses or\ncamels or arms, for I purpose not battle, and I will have none go\nforth with me save my servant Aamir and no more.\"\n\nAs he and his father were thus engaged in talk, in came his\nmother and caught hold of him; and he said to her, \"God on thee,\nlet me go my gait and strive not to turn me from my purpose, for\nthat needs must I go.\" \"O my son,\" answered she, \"if it must be\nso and there is no help for it, swear to me that them wilt not be\nabsent from me more than a year.\" And he swore to her. Then he\nentered his father's treasuries and took therefrom what he would\nof jewels and jacinths and everything heavy of worth and light of\ncarriage. Moreover, he bade his servant Aamir saddle him two\nhorses and the like for himself, and whenas the night darkened\nbehind him,[FN#65] he rose from his couch and mounting his horse,\nset out for Baghdad, he and Aamir, whilst the latter knew not\nwhither he intended.\n\nHe gave not over going and the journey was pleasant to him, till\nthey came to a goodly land, abounding in birds and wild beasts,\nwhereupon El Abbas started a gazelle and shot it with an arrow.\nThen he dismounted and cutting its throat, said to his servant,\n\"Alight thou and skin it and carry it to the water.\" Aamir\nanswered him [with \"Hearkening and obedience\"] and going down to\nthe water, kindled a fire and roasted the gazelle's flesh. Then\nthey ate their fill and drank of the water, after which they\nmounted again and fared on diligently, and Aamir still unknowing\nwhither El Abbas was minded to go. So he said to him, \"O my lord,\nI conjure thee by God the Great, wilt thou not tell me whither\nthou intendest?\" El Abbas looked at him and made answer with the\nfollowing verses:\n\nIn my soul the fire of yearning and affliction rageth aye; Lo, I\n     burn with love and longing; nought in answer can I say.\nTo Baghdad upon a matter of all moment do I fare, For the love of\n     one whose beauties have my reason led astray.\nUnder me's a slender camel, a devourer of the waste; Those who\n     pass a cloudlet deem it, as it flitteth o'er the way.\nSo, O Aamir, haste thy going, e'en as I do, so may I Heal my\n     sickness and the draining of the cup of love essay;\nFor the longing that abideth in my heart is hard to bear. Fare\n     with me, then, to my loved one. Answer nothing, but obey.\n\nWhen Aamir heard his lord's verses, he knew that he was a slave\nof love [and that she of whom he was enamoured abode] in Baghdad.\nThen they fared on night and day, traversing plains and stony\nwastes, till they came in sight of Baghdad and lighted down in\nits suburbs[FN#66] and lay the night there. When they arose in\nthe morning, they removed to the bank of the Tigris and there\nthey encamped and sojourned three days.\n\nAs they abode thus on the fourth day, behold, a company of folk\ngiving their beasts the rein and crying aloud and saying, \"Quick!\nQuick! Haste to our rescue, O King!\" Therewithal the king's\nchamberlains and officers accosted them and said to them, \"What\nis behind you and what hath befallen you?\" Quoth they, \"Bring us\nbefore the king.\" [So they carried them to Ins ben Cais;] and\nwhen they saw him, they said to him, \"O king, except thou succour\nus, we are dead men; for that we are a folk of the Benou\nSheiban,[FN#67] who have taken up our abode in the parts of\nBassora, and Hudheifeh the Arab[FN#68] hath come down on us with\nhis horses and his men and hath slain our horsemen and carried\noff our women and children; nor was one saved of the tribe but he\nwho fled; wherefore we crave help [first] by God the Most High,\nthen by thy life.\"\n\nWhen the king heard their speech, he bade the crier make\nproclamation in the thoroughfares of the city that the troops\nshould prepare [for the march] and that the horsemen should mount\nand the footmen come forth; nor was it but the twinkling of the\neye ere the drums beat and the trumpets sounded; and scarce was\nthe forenoon of the day passed when the city was blocked with\nhorse and foot. So the king passed them in review and behold,\nthey were four-and-twenty thousand in number, horsemen and\nfootmen. He bade them go forth to the enemy and gave the\ncommandment over them to Said ibn el Wakidi, a doughty cavalier\nand a valiant man of war. So the horsemen set out and fared on\nalong the bank of the Tigris.\n\nEl Abbas looked at them and saw the ensigns displayed and the\nstandards loosed and heard the drums beating; so he bade his\nservant saddle him a charger and look to the girths and bring him\nhis harness of war. Quoth Aamir, \"And indeed I saw El Abbas his\neyes flash and the hair of his hands stood on end, for that\nindeed horsemanship[FN#69] abode [rooted in his heart].\"So he\nmounted his charger, whilst Aamir also bestrode a war-horse, and\nthey went forth with the troops and fared on two days. On the\nthird day, after the hour of the mid-afternoon prayer, they came\nin sight of the enemy and the two armies met and the ranks joined\nbattle. The strife raged amain and sore was the smiting, whilst\nthe dust rose in clouds and hung vaulted [over them], so that all\neyes were blinded; and they ceased not from the battle till the\nnight overtook them, when the two hosts drew off from the mellay\nand passed the night, perplexed concerning themselves [and the\nissue of their affair].\n\nWhen God caused the morning morrow, the two armies drew out in\nbattle array and the troops stood looking at one another. Then\ncame forth El Harith ibn Saad between the two lines and played\nwith his lance and cried out and recited the following verses:\n\nAlgates ye are our prey become; this many a day and night Right\n     instantly of God we've craved to be vouchsafed your sight.\nSo hath the Merciful towards Hudheifeh driven you, A champion\n     ruling over all, a lion of great might.\nIs there a man of you will come, that I may heal his paint With\n     blows right profitful for him who's sick for lust of fight?\n\nBy Allah, come ye forth to me, for lo, I'm come to you I May he\nwho's wronged the victory get and God defend the right![FN#70]\n\nThereupon there sallied forth to him Zuheir ben Hebib, and they\nwheeled about and feinted awhile, then came to dose quarters and\nexchanged strokes. El Harith forewent his adversary in smiting\nand stretched him weltering in his gore; whereupon Hudheifeh\ncried out to him, saying, \"Gifted of God art thou, O Harith! Call\nanother of them.\" So he cried out, saying, \"Is there a\ncomer-forth [to battle?]\" But they of Baghdad held back froni\nhim; and when it appeared to El Harith that confusion was amongst\nthem, he fell upon them and overthrew the first of them upon\ntheir last and slew of them twelve men. Then the evening overtook\nhim and the Baghdadis addressed themselves to flight.\n\nWhen the morning morrowed, they found themselves reduced to a\nfourth part of their number and there was not one of them had\ndismounted from his horse. So they made sure of destruction and\nHudheifeh came out between the ranks (now he was reckoned for a\nthousand cavaliers) and cried out, saying, \"Harkye, my masters of\nBaghdad! Let none come forth to me but your Amir, so I may talk\nwith him and he with me; and he shall meet me in single combat\nand I will meet him, and may he who is void of offence come off\nsafe!\" Then he repeated his speech and said, \"Why do I not hear\nyour Amir return me an answer?\" But Saad, the amir of the army of\nBaghdad, [replied not to him], and indeed his teeth chattered in\nhis head, whenas he heard him summon him to single combat.\n\nWhen El Abbas heard Hudheifeh's challenge and saw Saad in this\ncase, he came up to the latter and said to him, \"Wilt thou give\nme leave to reply to him and I will stand thee in stead in the\nanswering of him and the going forth to battle with him and will\nmake myself thy sacrifice?\" Saad looked at him and seeing valour\nshining from between his eyes, said to him, \"O youth, by the\nvirtue of the Chosen [Prophet,] (whom God bless and keep,) tell\nme [who thou art and] whence thou comest to our succour.\" \"This\nis no place for questioning,\" answered the prince; and Saad said\nto him, \"O champion, up and at Hudheifeh! Yet, if his devil prove\ntoo strong for thee, afflict not thyself in thy youth.\"[FN#71]\nQuoth El Abbas, \"It is of Allah that help is to be\nsought,\"[FN#72] and taking his arms, fortified his resolution and\nwent down [into the field], as he were a castle of the castles or\na piece of a mountain.\n\n[When] Hudheifeh [saw him], he cried out to him, saying, \"Haste\nthee not, O youth! Who art thou of the folk?\" And he answered, \"I\nam Saad [ibn] el Wakidi, commander of the host of King Ins, and\nbut that thou vauntedst thyself in challenging me, I had not come\nforth to thee; for that thou art not of my peers neither art\ncounted equal to me in prowess and canst not avail against my\nonslaught. Wherefore prepare thee for departure,[FN#73] seeing\nthat there abideth but a little of thy life.\" When Hudheifeh\nheard this his speech, he threw himself backward,[FN#74] as if in\nmockery of him, whereat El Abbas was wroth and called out to him,\nsaying, \"O Hudheifeh, guard thyself against me.\" Then he rushed\nupon him, as he were a swooper of the Jinn,[FN#75] and Hudheifeh\nmet him and they wheeled about a long while.\n\nPresently, El Abbas cried out at Hudheifeh a cry that astonied\nhim and dealt him a blow, saying, \"Take this from the hand of a\nchampion who feareth not the like of thee.\" Hudheifeh met the\nstroke with his shield, thinking to ward it off from him; but the\nsword shore the target in sunder and descending upon his\nshoulder, came forth gleaming from the tendons of his throat and\nsevered his arm at the armpit; whereupon he fell down, wallowing\nin his blood, and El Abbas turned upon his host; nor had the sun\ndeparted the pavilion of the heavens ere Hudheifeh's army was in\nfull flight before El Abbas and the saddles were empty of men.\nQuoth Saad, \"By the virtue of the Chosen [Prophet], whom God\nbless and keep, I saw El Abbas with the blood upon his saddle\npads, [in gouts] like camels' livers, smiting with the sword\nright and left, till he scattered them abroad in every\nmountain-pass and desert; and when he turned [back to the camp],\nthe men of Baghdad were fearful of him.\"\n\nWhen the Baghdadis saw this succour that had betided them against\ntheir enemies [and the victory that El Abbas had gotten them],\nthey turned back and gathering together the spoils [of the\ndefeated host], arms and treasures and horses, returned to\nBaghdad, victorious, and all by the valour of El Abbas. As for\nSaad, he foregathered with the prince, and they fared on in\ncompany till they came to the place where El Abbas had taken\nhorse, whereupon the latter dismounted from his charger and Saad\nsaid to him, \"O youth, wherefore alightest thou in other than thy\nplace? Indeed, thy due is incumbent upon us and upon our Sultan;\nso go thou with us to the dwellings, that we may ransom thee with\nour souls.\" \"O Amir Saad,\" replied El Abbas, \"from this place I\ntook horse with thee and herein is my lodging. So, God on thee,\nname me not to the king, but make as if thou hadst never seen me,\nfor that I am a stranger in the land.\"\n\nSo saying, he turned away from him and Saad fared on to the\npalace, where he found all the suite in attendance on the king\nand recounting to him that which had betided them with El Abbas.\nQuoth the king, \"Where is he?\" And they answered, \"He is with the\nAmir Saad.\" [So, when the latter entered], the king [looked, but]\nfound none with him; and Saad, seeing that he hankered after the\nyouth, cried out to him, saying, \"God prolong the king's days!\nIndeed, he refuseth to present himself before thee, without leave\nor commandment.\" \"O Saad,\" asked the king, \"whence cometh this\nman?\" And the Amir answered, \"O my lord, I know not; but he is a\nyouth fair of favour, lovesome of aspect, accomplished in\ndiscourse, goodly of repartee, and valour shineth from between\nhis eyes.\"\n\nQuoth the king, \"O Saad, fetch him to me, for indeed thou\ndescribest to me a masterful man.\"[FN#76] And he answered,\nsaying, \"By Allah, O my lord, hadst thou but seen our case with\nHudheifeh, what while he challenged me to the field of war and\nthe stead of thrusting and smiting and I held back from doing\nbattle with him! Then, whenas I thought to go forth to him,\nbehold, a cavalier gave loose to his bridle-rein and called out\nto me, saying, 'O Saad, wilt thou suffer me to fill thy room in\nwaging war with him and I will ransom thee with myself?' And I\nsaid, 'By Allah, O youth, whence cometh thou?' Quoth he, 'This is\nno time for thy questions.'\" Then he recounted to the king all\nthat had passed between himself and El Abbas from first to last;\nwhereupon quoth Ins ben Cais, \"Bring him to me in haste, so we\nmay learn his tidings and question him of his case.\" \"It is\nwell,\" answered Saad, and going forth of the king's presence,\nrepaired to his own house, where he put off his harness of war\nand took rest for himself.\n\nTo return to El Abbas, when he alighted from his charger, he put\noff his harness of war and rested awhile; after which he brought\nout a shirt of Venetian silk and a gown of green damask and\ndonning them, covered himself with a turban of Damietta stuff and\ngirt his middle with a handkerchief. Then he went out a-walking\nin the thoroughfares of Baghdad and fared on till he came to the\nbazaar of the merchants. There he found a merchant, with chess\nbefore him; so he stood watching him and presently the other\nlooked up at him and said to him, \"O youth, what wilt thou stake\nupon the game?\" And he answered, \"Be it thine to decide.\" \"Then\nbe it a hundred dinars,\" said the merchant, and El Abbas\nconsented to him, whereupon quoth he, \"O youth, produce the\nmoney, so the game may be fairly stablished.\" So El Abbas brought\nout a satin purse, wherein were a thousand dinars, and laid down\nan hundred dinars therefrom on the edge of the carpet, whilst the\nmerchant did the like, and indeed his reason fled for joy, whenas\nhe saw the gold in El Abbas his possession.\n\nThe folk flocked about them, to divert themselves with watching\nthe play, and they called the bystanders to witness of the wager\nand fell a-playing. El Abbas forbore the merchant, so he might\nlead him on, and procrastinated with him awhile; and the merchant\nwon and took of him the hundred dinars. Then said the prince,\n\"Wilt thou play another game?\" And the other answered, \"O youth,\nI will not play again, except it be for a thousand dinars.\" Quoth\nthe prince, \"Whatsoever thou stakest, I will match thy stake with\nthe like thereof.\" So the merchant brought out a thousand dinars\nand the prince covered them with other thousand. Then they fell\na-playing, but El Abbas was not long with him ere he beat him in\nthe square of the elephant,[FN#77] nor did he leave to do thus\ntill he had beaten him four times and won of him four thousand\ndinars.\n\nThis was all the merchant's good; so he said, \"O youth, I will\nplay thee another game for the shop.\" Now the value of the shop\nwas four thousand dinars; so they played and El Abbas beat him\nand won his shop, with that which was therein; whereupon the\nother arose, shaking his clothes, and said to him, \"Up, O youth,\nand take thy shop.\" So El Abbas arose and repairing to the shop,\ntook possession thereof, after which he returned to [the place\nwhere he had left] his servant [Aamir] and found there the Amir\nSaad, who was come to bid him to the presence of the king. El\nAbbas consented to this and accompanied him till they came before\nKing Ins ben Cais, whereupon he kissed the earth and saluted him\nand exceeded[FN#78] in the salutation. Quoth the king to him,\n\"Whence comest thou, O youth?\" and he answered, \"I come from\nYemen.\"\n\nThen said the king, \"Hast thou a need we may accomplish unto\nthee? For indeed we are exceeding beholden to thee for that which\nthou didst in the matter of Hudheifeh and his folk.\" And he let\ncast over him a mantle of Egyptian satin, worth an hundred\ndinars. Moreover, he bade his treasurer give him a thousand\ndinars and said to him, \"O youth, take this in part of that which\nthou deserves! of us; and if thou prolong thy sojourn with us, we\nwill give thee slaves and servants.\" El Abbas kissed the earth\nand said, \"O king, may grant thee abiding prosperity, I deserve\nnot all this.\" Then he put his hand to his poke and pulling out\ntwo caskets of gold, in each of which were rubies, whose value\nnone could tell, gave them to the king, saying, \"O king, God\ncause thy prosperity to endure, I conjure thee by that which God\nhath vouchsafed thee, heal my heart by accepting these two\ncaskets, even as I have accepted thy present.\" So the king\naccepted the two caskets and El Abbas took his leave and went\naway to the bazaar.\n\nWhen the merchants saw him, they accosted him and said, \"O youth,\nwilt thou not open thy shop?\" As they were bespeaking him, up\ncame a woman, having with her a boy, bareheaded, and [stood]\nlooking at El Abbas, till he turned to her, when she said to him,\n\"O youth, I conjure thee by Allah, look at this boy and have pity\non him, for that his father hath forgotten his cap in the shop\n[he lost to thee]; so if thou will well to give it to him, thy\nreward be with God! For indeed the child maketh our hearts ache\nwith his much weeping, and God be witness for us that, were there\nleft us aught wherewithal to buy him a cap in its stead, we had\nnot sought it of thee.\" \"O adornment of womankind,\" replied El\nAbbas, \"indeed, thou bespeakest me with thy fair speech and\nsupplicatest me with thy goodly words ...But bring me thy\nhusband.\" So she went and fetched the merchant, whilst the folk\nassembled to see what El Abbas would do. When the man came, he\nreturned him the gold he had won of him, all and part, and\ndelivered him the keys of the shop, saying, \"Requite us with thy\npious prayers.\"Therewithal the woman came up to him and kissed\nhis feet, and on like wise did the merchant her husband; and all\nwho were present blessed him, and there was no talk but of El\nAbbas.\n\nAs for the merchant, he bought him a sheep and slaughtering it,\nroasted it and dressed birds and [other] meats of various kinds\nand colours and bought dessert and sweetmeats and fresh fruits.\nThen he repaired to El Abbas and conjured him to accept of his\nhospitality and enter his house and eat of his victual. The\nprince consented to his wishes and went with him till they came\nto his house, when the merchant bade him enter. So El Abbas\nentered and saw a goodly house, wherein was a handsome saloon,\nwith a vaulted estrade. When he entered the saloon, he found that\nthe merchant had made ready food and dessert and perfumes, such\nas overpass description; and indeed he had adorned the table with\nsweet-scented flowers and sprinkled musk and rose-water upon the\nfood. Moreover, he had smeared the walls of the saloon with\nambergris and set [the smoke of burning] aloes-wood abroach\ntherein.\n\nPresently, El Abbas looked out of the window of the saloon and\nsaw thereby a house of goodly ordinance, lofty of building and\nabounding in chambers, with two upper stories; but therein was no\nsign of inhabitants. So he said to the merchant, \"Indeed, thou\nexceedest in doing us honour; but, by Allah, I will not eat of\nthy victual till thou tell me what is the reason of the emptiness\nof yonder house.\" \"O my lord,\" answered the other, \"that was El\nGhitrif's house and he was admitted to the mercy of God[FN#79]\nand left none other heir than myself; so it became mine, and by\nAllah, if thou hast a mind to sojourn in Baghdad, do thou take up\nthine abode in this house, so thou mayst be in my neighbourhood;\nfor that indeed my heart inclineth unto thee with love and I\nwould have thee never absent from my sight, so I may still have\nmy fill of thee and hearken to thy speech.\" El Abbas thanked him\nand said to him, \"Indeed, thou art friendly in thy speech and\nexceedest [in courtesy] in thy discourse, and needs must I\nsojourn in Baghdad. As for the house, if it like thee, I will\nabide therein; so take of me its price.\"\n\nSo saying, he put his hand to his poke and bringing out therefrom\nthree hundred dinars, gave them to the merchant, who said in\nhimself, \"Except I take the money, he will not abide in the\nhouse.\" So he pouched the money and sold him the house, taking\nthe folk to witness against himself of the sale. Then he arose\nand set food before El Abbas and they ate of the good things\nwhich he had provided; after which he brought him dessert and\nsweetmeats. They ate thereof till they had enough, when the\ntables were removed and they washed their hands with rose-water\nand willow-flower-water. Then the merchant brought El Abbas a\nnapkin perfumed with the fragrant smoke of aloes-wood, on which\nhe wiped his hand,[FN#80] and said to him, \"O my lord, the house\nis become thy house; so bid thy servant transport thither the\nhorses and arms and stuffs.\" El Abbas did this and the merchant\nrejoiced in his neighbourhood and left him not night nor day, so\nthat the prince said to him, \"By Allah, I distract thee from thy\nlivelihood.\" \"God on thee, O my lord,\" replied the merchant,\n\"name not to me aught of this, or thou wilt break my heart, for\nthe best of traffic is thy company and thou art the best of\nlivelihood.\" So there befell strait friendship between them and\nceremony was laid aside from between them.\n\nMeanwhile the king said to his vizier, \"How shall we do in the\nmatter of yonder youth, the Yemani, on whom we thought to confer\nlargesse, but he hath largessed us with tenfold [our gift] and\nmore, and we know not if he be a sojourner with us or no?\" Then\nhe went into the harem and gave the rubies to his wife Afifeh,\nwho said to him, \"What is the worth of these with thee and with\n[other] the kings?\" And he answered, \"They are not to be found\nsave with the greatest of kings and none may avail to price them\nwith money.\" Quoth she, \"Whence gottest thou them?\" So he\nrecounted to her the story of El Abbas from first to last, and\nshe said, \"By Allah, the claims of honour are imperative on us\nand the king hath fallen short of his due; for that we have not\nseen him bid him to his assembly, nor hath he seated him on his\nleft hand.\"\n\n[When the king heard his wife's words], it was as if he had been\nasleep and awoke; so he went forth of the harem and bade\nslaughter fowls and dress meats of all kinds and colours.\nMoreover, he assembled all his retainers and let bring sweetmeats\nand dessert and all that beseemeth unto kings' tables. Then he\nadorned his palace and despatched after El Abbas a man of the\nchief officers of his household, who found him coming forth of\nthe bath, clad in a doublet of fine goats' hair and over it a\nBaghdadi scarf; his waist was girt with a Rustec[FN#81] kerchief\nand on his head he wore a light turban of Damietta make.\n\nThe messenger wished him joy of the bath and exceeded in doing\nhim worship. Then he said to him, \"The king biddeth thee in\nweal.\"[FN#82] \"Hearkening and obedience,\" answered El Abbas and\naccompanied the messenger to the king's palace.\n\nNow Afifeh and her daughter Mariyeh were behind the curtain,\nlooking at him; and when he came before the king, he saluted him\nand greeted him with the greeting of kings, whilst all who were\npresent stared at him and at his beauty and grace and perfection.\nThe king seated him at the head of the table; and when Afifeh saw\nhim and straitly considered him, she said, \"By the virtue of\nMohammed, prince of the Apostles, this youth is of the sons of\nthe kings and cometh not to these parts but for some high\npurpose!\" Then she looked at Mariyeh and saw that her face was\nchanged, and indeed her eyes were dead in her face and she turned\nnot her gaze from El Abbas a glance of the eyes, for that the\nlove of him had gotten hold upon her heart. When the queen saw\nwhat had befallen her daughter, she feared for her from reproach\nconcerning El Abbas; so she shut the wicket of the lattice and\nsuffered her not to look upon him more. Now there was a pavilion\nset apart for Mariyeh, and therein were privy chambers and\nbalconies and lattices, and she had with her a nurse, who served\nher, after the fashion of kings' daughters.\n\nWhen the banquet was ended and the folk had dispersed, the king\nsaid to El Abbas, \"I would fain have thee [abide] with me and I\nwill buy thee a house, so haply we may requite thee the high\nservices for which we are beholden to thee; for indeed thy due is\nimperative [upon us] and thy worth is magnified in our eyes; and\nindeed we have fallen short of thy due in the matter of\ndistance.\"[FN#83] When the prince heard the king's speech, he\nrose and sat down[FN#84] and kissing the earth, returned thanks\nfor his bounty and said, \"I am the king's servant, wheresoever I\nmay be, and under his eye.\" Then he recounted to him the story of\nthe merchant and the manner of the buying of the house, and the\nking said, \"Indeed, I would fain have had thee with me and in my\nneighbourhood.\"\n\nThen El Abbas took leave of the king and went away to his own\nhouse. Now it befell that he passed under the palace of Mariyeh\nthe king's daughter, and she was sitting at a window. He chanced\nto look round and his eyes met those of the princess, whereupon\nhis wit departed and he was like to swoon away, whilst his colour\nchanged and he said, \"Verily, we are God's and to Him we return!\"\nBut he feared for himself lest estrangement betide him; so he\nconcealed his secret and discovered not his case to any of the\ncreatures of God the Most High. When he reached his house, his\nservant Aamir said to him, \"O my lord, I seek refuge for thee\nwith God from change of colour! Hath there betided thee a pain\nfrom God the Most High or hath aught of vexation befallen thee?\nVerily, sickness hath an end and patience doth away vexation.\"\nBut the prince returned him no answer. Then he brought out\ninkhorn [and pen] and paper and wrote the following verses:\n\n\nQuoth I (and mine a body is of passion all forslain, Ay, and a\n     heart that's all athirst for love and longing pain\nAnd eye that knoweth not the sweet of sleep; yet she, who caused\n     My dole, may Fortune's perfidies for aye from her abstain!\nYea, for the perfidies of Fate and sev'rance I'm become Even as\n     was Bishr[FN#85] of old time with Hind,[FN#86] a fearful\n     swain;\nA talking-stock among the folk for ever I abide; Life and the\n     days pass by, yet ne'er my wishes I attain),\n\"Knoweth my loved one when I see her at the lattice high Shine as\n     the sun that flameth forth in heaven's blue demesne?\"\nHer eye is sharper than a sword; the soul with ecstasy It takes\n     and longing leaves behind, that nothing may assain.\nAs at the casement high she sat, her charms I might espy, For\n     from her cheeks the envious veil that hid them she had\n     ta'en.\nShe shot at me a shaft that reached my heart and I became The\n     bond- man of despair, worn out with effort all in vain.\nFawn of the palace, knowst thou not that I, to look on thee, The\n     world have traversed, far and wide, o'er many a hill and\n     plain?\nRead then my writ and pity thou the blackness of my fate, Sick,\n     love- distraught, without a friend to whom I may complain.\n\nNow the merchant's wife aforesaid, who was the nurse of the\nking's daughter, was watching him from a window, unknown of him,\nand [when she heard his verses], she knew that there hung some\nrare story by him; so she went in to him and said, \"Peace be on\nthee, O afflicted one, who acquaintest not physician with thy\ncase! Verily, thou exposest thyself unto grievous peril! I\nconjure thee by the virtue of Him who hath afflicted thee and\nstricken thee with the constraint of love-liking, that thou\nacquaint me with thine affair and discover to me the truth of thy\nsecret; for that indeed I have heard from thee verses that\ntrouble the wit and dissolve the body.\" So he acquainted her with\nhis case and enjoined her to secrecy, whereof she consented unto\nhim, saying, \"What shall be the recompense of whoso goeth with\nthy letter and bringeth thee an answer thereto?\" He bowed his\nhead for shamefastness before her [and was silent]; and she said\nto him, \"Raise thy head and give me thy letter.\" So he gave her\nthe letter and she took it and carrying it to the princess, said\nto her, \"Read this letter and give me the answer thereto.\"\n\nNow the liefest of all things to Mariyeh was the recitation of\npoems and verses and linked rhymes and the twanging [of the\nstrings of the lute], and she was versed in all tongues; so she\ntook the letter and opening it, read that which was therein and\napprehended its purport. Then she cast it on the ground and said,\n\"O nurse, I have no answer to make to this letter.\" Quoth the\nnurse, \"Indeed, this is weakness in thee and a reproach unto\nthee, for that the people of the world have heard of thee and\nstill praise thee for keenness of wit and apprehension; so do\nthou return him an answer, such as shall delude his heart and\nweary his soul.\" \"O nurse,\" rejoined the princess, \"who is this\nthat presumeth upon me with this letter? Belike he is the\nstranger youth who gave my father the rubies.\" \"It is himself,\"\nanswered the woman, and Mariyeh said, \"I will answer his letter\non such a wise that thou shalt not bring me other than it [from\nhim].\" Quoth the nurse, \"So be it.\" So the princess called for\ninkhorn and paper and wrote the following verses:\n\nO'erbold art thou in that to me, a stranger, thou hast sent These\n     verses; 'twill but add to thee unease and miscontent.\nNow God forbid thou shouldst attain thy wishes! What care I If\n     thou have looked on me a look that caused thee languishment?\nWho art thou, wretch, that thou shouldst hope to win me? With thy\n     rhymes What wouldst of me? Thy reason, sure, with passion is\n     forspent.\nIf to my favours thou aspire and covet me, good lack! What leach\n     such madness can assain or what medicament?\nLeave rhyming, madman that thou art, lest, bound upon the cross,\n     Thou thy presumption in the stead of abjectness repent.\nDeem not, O youth, that I to thee incline; indeed, no part Have I\n     in those who walk the ways, the children of the tent.[FN#87]\nIn the wide world no house thou hast, a homeless wanderer thou:\n     To thine own place thou shall be borne, an object for\n     lament.[FN#88]\nForbear thy verse-making, O thou that harbourest in the camp,\n     Lest to the gleemen thou become a name of wonderment.\nHow many a lover, who aspires to union with his love, For all his\n     hopes seem near, is baulked of that whereon he's bent!\nThen get thee gone nor covet that which thou shall ne'er obtain;\n     So shall it be, although the time seem near and the event.\nThus unto thee have I set forth my case; consider well My words,\n     so thou mayst guided be aright by their intent.\n\nWhen she had made an end of her verses, she folded the letter and\ndelivered it to the nurse, who took it and went with it to El\nAbbas. When she gave it to him, he took it and breaking it open,\nread it and apprehended its purport; and when he came to the end\nof it, he swooned away. After awhile, he came to himself and\nsaid, \"Praised be God who hath caused her return an answer to my\nletter! Canst thou carry her another letter, and with God the\nMost High be thy requital?\" Quoth she, \"And what shall letters\nprofit thee, seeing she answereth on this wise?\" But he said,\n\"Belike, she may yet be softened.\" Then he took inkhorn and paper\nand wrote the following verses:\n\nThy letter reached me; when the words thou wrot'st therein I\n     read, My longing waxed and pain and woe redoubled on my\n     head.\nYea, wonder-words I read therein, my trouble that increased And\n     caused emaciation wear my body to a shred.\nWould God thou knewst what I endure for love of thee and how My\n     vitals for thy cruelty are all forspent and dead!\nFain, fain would I forget thy love. Alack, my heart denies To be\n     consoled, and 'gainst thy wrath nought standeth me in stead.\nAn thou'dst vouchsafe to favour me,'twould lighten my despair,\n     Though but in dreams thine image 'twere that visited my bed.\nPersist not on my weakliness with thy disdain nor be Treason and\n     breach of love its troth to thee attributed;\nFor know that hither have I fared and come to this thy land, By\n     hopes of union with thee and near fruition led.\nHow oft I've waked, whilst over me my comrades kept the watch!\n     How many a stony waste I've crossed, how many a desert\n     dread!\nFrom mine own land, to visit thee, I came at love's command, For\n     all the distance did forbid,'twixt me and thee that spread.\nWherefore, by Him who letteth waste my frame, have ruth on me And\n     quench my yearning and the fires by passion in me fed.\nIn glory's raiment clad, by thee the stars of heaven are shamed\n     And in amaze the full moon stares to see thy goodlihead.\nAll charms, indeed, thou dost comprise; so who shall vie with\n     thee And who shall blame me if for love of such a fair I'm\n     sped?\n\nWhen he had made an end of his verses, he folded the letter and\ndelivering it to the nurse, charged her keep the secret. So she\ntook it and carrying it to Mariyeh, gave it to her. The princess\nbroke it open and read it and apprehended its purport. Then said\nshe, \"By Allah, O nurse, my heart is burdened with an exceeding\nchagrin, never knew I a dourer, because of this correspondence\nand of these verses.\" And the muse made answer to her, saying, \"O\nmy lady, thou art in thy dwelling and thy place and thy heart is\nvoid of care; so return him an answer and reck thou not\"\nAccordingly, the princess called for inkhorn and paper and wrote\nthe following verses:\n\nThou that the dupe of yearning art, how many a melting wight In\n     waiting for the unkept tryst doth watch the weary night!\nIf in night's blackness thou hast plunged into the desert's heart\n     And hast denied thine eyes the taste of sleep and its\n     delight,\nIf near and far thy toiling feet have trod the ways and thou\n     Devils and Marids hast ensued nor wouldst be led aright,\nAnd dar'dst, O dweller in the tents, to lift thine eyes to me,\n     Hoping by stress to win of me the amorous delight,\nGet thee to patience fair, if thou remember thee of that Whose\n     issues (quoth the Merciful) are ever benedight.[FN#89]\nHow many a king for my sweet sake with other kings hath vied,\n     Still craving union with me and suing for my sight!\nWhenas En Nebhan strove to win my grace, himself to me With\n     camel- loads he did commend of musk and camphor white,\nAnd aloes-wood, to boot, he brought and caskets full of pearls\n     And priceless rubies and the like of costly gems and bright;\nYea, and black slaves he proffered me and slave-girls big with\n     child And steeds of price, with splendid arms and trappings\n     rich bedight.\nRaiment of silk and sendal, too, he brought to us for gift, And\n     me in marriage sought therewith; yet, all his pains despite,\nOf me he got not what he sought and brideless did return, For\n     that estrangement and disdain were pleasing in my sight.\nWherefore, O stranger, dare thou not approach me with desire,\n     Lest ruin quick and pitiless thy hardihood requite.\n\nWhen she had made an end of her verses, she folded the letter and\ndelivered it to the nurse, who took it and carried it to El\nAbbas. He broke it open and read it and apprehended its purport;\nthen took inkhorn and paper and wrote the following verses:\n\nIndeed, thou'st told the tale of kings and men of might, Each one\n     a lion fierce, impetuous in the fight,\nWhose wits (like mine, alack!) thou stalest and whose hearts With\n     shafts from out thine eyes bewitching thou didst smite.\nYea, and how slaves and steeds and good and virgin girls Were\n     proffered thee to gift, thou hast not failed to cite,\nHow presents in great store thou didst refuse and eke The givers,\n     great and small, with flouting didst requite.\nThen came I after them, desiring thee, with me No second save my\n     sword, my falchion keen and bright.\nNo slaves with me have I nor camels swift of foot, Nor\n     slave-girls have I brought in curtained litters dight.\nYet, an thou wilt vouchsafe thy favours unto me, My sabre thou\n     shalt see the foemen put to flight;\nAy, and around Baghdad the horsemen shalt behold, Like clouds\n     that wall the world, full many a doughty knight,\nAll hearkening to my word, obeying my command, In whatsoever\n     thing is pleasing to my sight.\nIf slaves thou fain wouldst have by thousands every day Or,\n     kneeling at thy feet, see kings of mickle might,\nAnd horses eke wouldst have led to thee day by day And girls,\n     high- breasted maids, and damsels black and white,\nLo under my command the land of Yemen is And trenchant is my\n     sword against the foe in fight.\nWhenas the couriers came with news of thee, how fair Thou wast\n     and sweet and how thy visage shone with light,\nAll, all, for thy sweet sake, I left; ay, I forsook Aziz, my\n     sire, and those akin to me that hight\nAnd unto Irak fared, my way to thee to make, And crossed the\n     stony wastes i' the darkness of the night.\nThen sent I speech to thee in verses such as burn The heart;\n     reproach therein was none nor yet unright;\nYet with perfidiousness (sure Fortune's self as thou Ne'er so\n     perfidious was) my love thou didst requite\nAnd deemedst me a waif, a homeless good-for-nought, A\n     slave-begotten brat, a wanton, witless wight.\n\nThen he folded the letter and committed it to the nurse and gave\nher five hundred dinars, saying, \"Accept this from me, for that\nindeed thou hast wearied thyself between us.\" \"By Allah, O my\nlord,\" answered she, \"my desire is to bring about union between\nyou, though I lose that which my right hand possesseth.\" And he\nsaid, \"May God the Most High requite thee with good!\" Then she\ncarried the letter to Mariyeh and said to her, \"Take this letter;\nbelike it may be the end of the correspondence.\" So she took it\nand breaking it open, read it, and when she had made an end of\nit, she turned to the nurse and said to her, \"This fellow putteth\noff lies upon me and avoucheth unto me that he hath cities and\nhorsemen and footmen at his command and submitting to his\nallegiance; and he seeketh of me that which he shall not obtain;\nfor thou knowest, O nurse, that kings' sons have sought me in\nmarriage, with presents and rarities; but I have paid no heed\nunto aught of this; so how shall I accept of this fellow, who is\nthe fool[FN#90] of his time and possesseth nought but two caskets\nof rubies, which he gave to my father, and indeed he hath taken\nup his abode in the house of El Ghitrif and abideth without\nsilver or gold? Wherefore, I conjure thee by Allah, O nurse,\nreturn to him and cut off his hope of me.\"\n\nAccordingly the nurse returned to El Abbas, without letter or\nanswer; and when she came in to him, he saw that she was troubled\nand noted the marks of chagrin on her face; so he said to her,\n\"What is this plight?\" Quoth she, \"I cannot set out to thee that\nwhich Mariyeh said; for indeed she charged me return to thee\nwithout letter or answer.\" \"O nurse of kings,\" rejoined El Abbas,\n\"I would have thee carry her this letter and return not to her\nwithout it.\" Then he took inkhorn and paper and wrote the\nfollowing verses:\n\nMy secret is disclosed, the which I strove to hide; Of thee and\n     of thy love enough have I abyed.\nMy kinsmen and my friends for thee I did forsake And left them\n     weeping tears that poured as 'twere a tide.\nYea, to Baghdad I came, where rigour gave me chase And I was\n     overthrown of cruelty and pride.\nRepression's draught, by cups, from the beloved's hand I've\n     quaffed; with colocynth for wine she hath me plied.\nOft as I strove to make her keep the troth of love, Unto\n     concealment's ways still would she turn aside.\nMy body is dissolved with sufferance in vain; Relenting, ay, and\n     grace I hoped should yet betide;\nBut rigour still hath waxed on me and changed my case And love\n     hath left me bound, afflicted, weeping-eyed.\nHow long shall I anights distracted be for love Of thee? How long\n     th' assaults of grief and woes abide?\nThou, thou enjoy'st repose and comfortable sleep, Nor of the\n     mis'ries reckst by which my heart is wried.\nI watch the stars for wake and pray that the belov'd May yet to\n     me relent and bid my tears be dried.\nThe pains of long desire have wasted me away; Estrangement and\n     disdain my body sore have tried.\n\"Be thou not hard of heart,\" quoth I. Had ye but deigned To visit\n     me in dreams, I had been satisfied.\nBut when ye saw my writ, the standard ye o'erthrew Of faith, your\n     favours grudged and aught of grace denied.\nNay, though ye read therein discourse that sure should speak To\n     heart and soul, no word thereunto ye replied,\nBut deemed yourself secure from every changing chance Nor recked\n     the ebb and flow of Fortune's treacherous tide.\nWere my affliction thine, love's anguish hadst thou dreed And in\n     the flaming hell of long estrangement sighed.\nYet shall thou suffer that which I from thee have borne And with\n     love's woes thy heart shall yet be mortified.\nThe bitterness of false accusing shall thou taste And eke the\n     thing reveal that thou art fain to hide;\nYea, he thou lov'st shall be hard-hearted, recking not Of\n     fortune's turns or fate's caprices, in his pride.\nWherewith farewell, quoth I, and peace be on thee aye, What while\n     the branches bend, what while the stars abide.\n\nWhen he had made an end of his verses, he folded the letter and\ngave it to the nurse, who took it and carried it to Mariyeh. When\nshe came into the princess's presence, she saluted her; but\nMariyeh returned not her salutation and she said, \"O my lady, how\nhard is thy heart that thou grudgest to return the salutation!\nTake this letter, for that it is the last of that which shall\ncome to thee from him.\" Quoth Mariyeh, \"Take my warning and never\nagain enter my palace, or it will be the cause of thy\ndestruction; for I am certified that thou purposest my dishonour.\nSo get thee gone from me.\" And she commanded to beat the nurse;\nwhereupon the latter went forth fleeing from her presence,\nchanged of colour and absent of wits, and gave not over going\ntill she came to the house of El Abbas.\n\nWhen the prince saw her in this plight, he was as a sleeper\nawakened and said to her, \"What hath befallen thee? Set out to me\nthy case.\" \"God on thee,\" answered she, \"nevermore send me to\nMariyeh, and do thou protect me, so may God protect thee from the\nfires of hell!\" Then she related to him that which had bedded her\nwith Mariyeh; which when he heard, there took him the\nshamefastness of the generous and this was grievous unto him. The\nlove of Mariyeh fled forth of his heart and he said to the nurse,\n\"How much hadst thou of Mariyeh every month?\" \"Ten dinars,\"\nanswered she, and he said, \"Be not concerned.\" Then he put his\nhand to his poke and bringing out two hundred dinars, gave them\nto her and said, \"Take this for a whole year's wage and turn not\nagain to serve any one. When the year is out, I will give thee\ntwo years' wage, for that thou hast wearied thyself with us and\non account of the cutting off of thy dependence upon Mariyeh.\"\n\nMoreover, he gave her a complete suit of clothes and raising his\nhead to her, said, \"When thou toldest me that which Mariyeh had\ndone with thee, God rooted out the love of her from my heart, and\nnever again will she occur to my mind; so extolled be the\nperfection of Him who turneth hearts and eyes! It was she who was\nthe cause of my coming out from Yemen, and now the time is past\nfor which I engaged with my people and I fear lest my father levy\nhis troops and come forth in quest of me, for that he hath no\nchild other than myself and cannot brook to be parted from me;\nand on like wise is it with my mother.\" When the nurse heard his\nwords, she said to him, \"O my lord, and which of the kings is thy\nfather?\" \"My father is El Aziz, lord of Yemen and Nubia and the\nIslands[FN#91] of the Benou Kehtan and the Two Noble\nSanctuaries[FN#92] (God the Most High have them in His\nkeeping!),\" answered El Abbas; \"and whenas he taketh horse, there\nmount with him an hundred and twenty and four thousand horsemen,\nall smiters with the sword, let alone attendants and servants and\nfollowers, all of whom give ear unto my word and obey my\ncommandment.\" \"Why, then, O my lord,\" asked the nurse, \"didst\nthou conceal the secret of thy rank and lineage and passedst\nthyself off for a wayfarer? Alas for our disgrace before thee by\nreason of our shortcoming in rendering thee thy due! What shall\nbe our excuse with thee, and thou of the sons of the kings?\" But\nhe rejoined, \"By Allah, thou hast not fallen short! Nay, it is\nincumbent on me to requite thee, what while I live, though I be\nfar distant from thee.\"\n\nThen he called his servant Aamir and said to him, \"Saddle the\nhorses.\" When the nurse heard his words and indeed [she saw that]\nAamir brought him the horses and they were resolved upon\ndeparture, the tears ran down upon her cheeks and she said to\nhim, \"By Allah, thy separation is grievous to me, O solace of the\neye!\" Then said she, \"Where is the goal of thine intent, so we\nmay know thy news and solace ourselves with thy report?\" Quoth\nhe, \"I go hence to visit Akil, the son of my father's brother,\nfor that he hath his sojourn in the camp of Kundeh ben Hisham,\nand these twenty years have I not seen him nor he me; wherefore I\npurpose to repair to him and discover his news and return hither.\nThen will I go hence to Yemen, if it be the will of God the Most\nHigh.\"\n\nSo saying, he took leave of the woman and her husband and set\nout, intending for Akil, his father's brother's son. Now there\nwas between Baghdad and Akil's abiding-place forty days' journey;\nso El Abbas settled himself on the back of his courser and his\nservant Aamir mounted also and they fared forth on their way.\nPresently, El Abbas turned right and left and recited the\nfollowing verses:\n\nI am the champion-slayer, the warrior without peer; My foes I\n     slay, destroying the hosts, when I appear.\nTow'rds El Akil my journey I take; to visit him, The wastes in\n     praise and safety I traverse, without fear,\nAnd all the desert spaces devour, whilst to my rede, Or if in\n     sport or earnest,[FN#93] still Aamir giveth ear.\nWho letteth us or hind'reth our way, I spring on him, As\n     springeth lynx or panther upon the frighted deer;\nWith ruin I o'erwhelm him and abjectness and woe And cause him\n     quaff the goblet of death and distance drear.\nWell-ground my polished sword is and thin and keen of edge And\n     trenchant, eke, for smiting and long my steel-barbed spear.\nSo fell and fierce my stroke is, if on a mountain high It lit,\n     though all of granite, right through its midst 'twould\n     shear.\nNor troops have I nor henchmen nor one to lend me aid Save God,\n     to whom, my Maker, my voice in praise I rear.\n'Tis He who pardoneth errors alike to slave and free; On Him is\n     my reliance in good and evil cheer.\n\nThen they fell to journeying night and day, and as they went,\nbehold, they sighted a camp of the camps of the Arabs. So El\nAbbas enquired thereof and was told that it was the camp of the\nBenou Zuhreh. Now there were around them sheep and cattle, such\nas filled the earth, and they were enemies to El Akil, the cousin\nof El Abbas, upon whom they still made raids and took his cattle;\nwherefore he used to pay them tribute every year, for that he\navailed not to cope with them. When El Abbas came near the camp,\nhe dismounted from his courser and his servant Aamir also\ndismounted; and they set down the victual and ate their\nsufficiency and rested awhile of the day. Then said the prince to\nAamir, \"Fetch water and give the horses to drink and draw water\nfor us in thy water-bag, by way of provision for the road.\"\n\nSo Aamir took the water-skin and made for the water; but, when he\ncame to the well, behold, two young men with gazelles, and when\nthey saw him, they said to him, \"Whither wilt thou, O youth, and\nof which of the Arabs art thou?\" \"Harkye, lads,\" answered he,\n\"fill me my water-skin, for that I am a stranger man and a\nwayfarer and I have a comrade who awaiteth me.\" Quoth they, \"Thou\nart no wayfarer, but a spy from El Akil's camp.\" Then they took\nhim and carried him to [their king] Zuheir ben Shebib; and when\nhe came before him, he said to him, \"Of which of the Arabs art\nthou?\" Quoth Aamir, \"I am a wayfarer.\" And Zuheir said, \"Whence\ncomest thou and whither wilt thou?\" \"I am on my way to Akil,\"\nanswered Aamir. When he named Akil, those who were present were\nagitated; but Zuheir signed to them with his eyes and said to\nhim, \"What is thine errand with Akil?\" Quoth he, \"We would fain\nsee him, my friend and I.\"\n\nWhen Zuheir heard his words, he bade smite off his head; but his\nVizier said to him, \"Slay him not, till his friend be present.\"\nSo he commanded the two slaves to fetch his friend; whereupon\nthey repaired to El Abbas and called to him, saying, \"O youth,\nanswer the summons of King Zuheir.\" \"What would the king with\nme?\" asked he, and they answered, \"We know not.\" Quoth he, \"Who\ngave the king news of me?\" \"We went to draw water,\" answered\nthey, \"and found a man by the water. So we questioned him of his\ncase, but he would not acquaint us therewith; wherefore we\ncarried him perforce to King Zuheir, who questioned him of his\ncase and he told him that he was going to Akil. Now Akil is the\nking's enemy and he purposeth to betake himself to his camp and\nmake prize of his offspring and cut off his traces.\" \"And what,\"\nasked El Abbas, \"hath Akil done with King Zuheir?\" And they\nreplied, \"He engaged for himself that he would bring the king\nevery year a thousand dinars and a thousand she-camels, besides a\nthousand head of thoroughbred horses and two hundred black slaves\nand fifty slave-girls; but it hath reached the king that Akil\npurposeth to give nought of this; wherefore he is minded to go to\nhim. So hasten thou with us, ere the king be wroth with thee and\nwith us.\"\n\nThen said El Abbas to them, \"O youths, sit by my arms and my\nhorse till I return.\" But they answered, saying, \"By Allah, thou\nprolongest discourse with that which beseemeth not of words! Make\nhaste, or we will go with thy head, for indeed the king purposeth\nto slay thee and to slay thy comrade and take that which is with\nyou.\" When the prince heard this, his skin quaked and he cried\nout at them with a cry that made them tremble. Then he sprang\nupon his horse and settling himself in the saddle, galloped till\nhe came to the king's assembly, when he cried out at the top of\nhis voice, saying [\"To horse,] cavaliers!\" And levelled his spear\nat the pavilion wherein was Zuheir. Now there were about him a\nthousand smiters with the sword; but El Abbas fell in upon them\nand dispersed them from around him, and there abode none in the\ntent save Zuheir and his vizier.\n\nThen came up El Abbas to the door of the tent, and therein were\nfour-and-twenty golden doves; so he took them, after he had\nbeaten them down with the end of his lance. Then he called out,\nsaying, \"Harkye, Zuheir! Doth it not suffice thee that thou hast\nquelled El Akil's repute, but thou art minded to quell that of\nthose who sojourn round about him? Knowest thou not that he is of\nthe lieutenants of Kundeh ben [Hisham of the Benou] Sheiban, a\nman renowned for prowess? Indeed, covetise of him hath entered\ninto thee and jealousy of him hath gotten possession of thee.\nDoth it not suffice thee that thou hast orphaned his\nchildren[FN#94] and slain his men? By the virtue of the Chosen\nProphet, I will make thee drink the cup of death!\" So saying, he\ndrew his sword and smiting Zuheir on his shoulder, caused the\nsteel issue, gleaming, from the tendons of his throat. Then he\nsmote the vizier and clove his head in sunder.\n\nAs he was thus, behold, Aamir called out to him and said, \"O my\nlord, come to my help, or I am a dead man!\" So El Abbas went up\nto him and found him cast down on his back and chained with four\nchains to four pickets of iron. He loosed his bonds and said to\nhim, \"Go before me, O Aamir.\" So he fared on before him a little,\nand presently they looked, and behold, horsemen making to\nZuheir's succour, to wit, twelve thousand cavaliers, with Sehl\nben Kaab in their van, mounted upon a jet-black steed. He charged\nupon Aamir, who fled from him, then upon El Abbas, who said, \"O\nAamir, cleave fast to my horse and guard my back.\" Aamir did as\nhe bade him, whereupon El Abbas cried out at the folk and falling\nupon them, overthrew their braves and slew of them nigh two\nthousand cavaliers, whilst not one of them knew what was to do\nnor with whom he fought. Then said one of them to other, \"Verily,\nthe king is slain; so with whom do we wage war? Indeed ye flee\nfrom him; so do ye enter under his banners, or not one of you\nwill be saved.\"\n\nThereupon they all dismounted and putting off that which was upon\nthem of harness of war, came before El Abbas and tendered him\nallegiance and sued for his protection. So he held his hand from\nthem and bade them gather together the spoils. Then he took the\nriches and the slaves and the camels, and they all became his\nliege-men and his retainers, to the number (according to that\nwhich is said) of fifty thousand horse. Moreover, the folk heard\nof him and flocked to him from all sides; whereupon he divided\n[the spoil amongst them] and gave gifts and abode thus three\ndays, and there came presents to him. Then he bade set out for\nAkil's abiding-place; so they fared on six days and on the\nseventh day they came in sight of the camp. El Abbas bade his man\nAamir forego him and give Akil the glad news of his cousin's\ncoming. So he rode on to the camp and going in to Akil, gave him\nthe glad news of Zuheir's slaughter and the conquest of his\ntribe.\n\nAkil rejoiced in the coming of El Abbas and the slaughter of his\nenemy and all in his camp rejoiced also and cast dresses of\nhonour upon Aamir. Moreover, Akil bade go forth to meet El Abbas,\nand commanded that none, great or small, freeman or slave, should\ntarry behind. So they did his bidding and going forth all, met El\nAbbas at three parasangs' distance from the camp. When they met\nhim, they all dismounted from their horses and Akil and he\nembraced and clapped hands.[FN#95] Then they returned, rejoicing\nin the coming of El Abbas and the slaughter of their enemy, to\nthe camp, where tents were pitched for the new-comers and carpets\nspread and game killed and beasts slaughtered and royal\nguest-meals spread; and on this wise they abode twenty days, in\nthe enjoyment of all delight and solace of life.\n\nTo return to King El Aziz. When his son El Abbas left him, he was\ndesolated for him with an exceeding desolation, he and his\nmother; and when tidings of him tarried long and the appointed\ntime passed [and the prince returned not], the king caused public\nproclamation to be made, commanding all his troops to make ready\nto mount and go forth in quest of his son El Abbas at the end of\nthree days, after which time no cause of hindrance nor excuse\nshould be admitted unto any. So on the fourth day, the king bade\nnumber the troops, and behold, they were four-and-twenty thousand\nhorse, besides servants and followers. Accordingly, they reared\nthe standards and the drums beat to departure and the king set\nout [with his army], intending for Baghdad; nor did he cease to\nfare on with all diligence, till he came within half a day's\njourney of the city and bade his troops encamp in [a place there\ncalled] the Green Meadow. So they pitched the tents there, till\nthe country was straitened with them, and set up for the king a\npavilion of green brocade, broidered with pearls and jewels.\n\nWhen El Aziz had sat awhile, he summoned the mamelukes of his son\nEl Abbas, and they were five-and-twenty in number, besides half a\nscore slave-girls, as they were moons, five of whom the king had\nbrought with him and other five he had left with the prince's\nmother. When the mamelukes came before him, he cast over each of\nthem a mantle of green brocade and bade them mount like horses of\none and the same fashion and enter Baghdad and enquire concerning\ntheir lord El Abbas. So they entered the city and passed through\nthe [streets and] markets, and there abode in Baghdad nor old man\nnor boy but came forth to gaze on them and divert himself with\nthe sight of their beauty and grace and the goodliness of their\naspect and of their clothes and horses, for that they were even\nas moons. They gave not over going till they came to the royal\npalace, where they halted, and the king looked at them and seeing\ntheir beauty and the goodliness of their apparel and the\nbrightness of their faces, said, \"Would I knew of which of the\ntribes these are!\" And he bade the eunuch bring him news of them.\n\nSo he went out to them and questioned them of their case,\nwhereupon, \"Return to thy lord,\" answered they, \"and question him\nof Prince El Abbas, if he have come unto him, for that he left\nhis father King El Aziz a full-told year agone, and indeed\nlonging for him troubleth the king and he hath levied a part of\nhis army and his guards and is come forth in quest of his son, so\nhaply he may light upon tidings of him.\" Quoth the eunuch, \"Is\nthere amongst you a brother of his or a son?\" \"Nay, by Allah!\"\nanswered they. \"But we are all his mamelukes and the boughten of\nhis money, and his father El Aziz hath despatched us to make\nenquiry of him. So go thou to thy lord and question him of the\nprince and return to us with that which he shall answer you.\"\n\"And where is King El Aziz?\" asked the eunuch; and they replied,\n\"He is encamped in the Green Meadow.\"[FN#96]\n\nThe eunuch returned and told the king, who said, \"Indeed, we have\nbeen neglectful with regard to El Abbas. What shall be our excuse\nwith the king? By Allah, my soul misdoubted me that the youth was\nof the sons of the kings!\" The Lady Afifeh, his wife, saw him\nlamenting for [his usage of] El Abbas and said to him, \"O king,\nwhat is it thou regrettest with this exceeding regret?\" Quoth he,\n\"Thou knowest the stranger youth, who gave us the rubies?\"\n\"Assuredly,\" answered she; and he said, \"Yonder youths, who have\nhalted in the palace court, are his mamelukes, and his father\nKing El Aziz, lord of Yemen, hath pitched his camp in the Green\nMeadow; for he is come with his army to seek him, and the number\nof his troops is [four-and-] twenty thousand men.\" [Then he went\nout from her], and when she heard his words, she wept sore for\nhim and had compassion on his case and sent after him,\ncounselling him to send for the mamelukes and lodge them [in the\npalace] and entertain them.\n\nThe king gave ear to her counsel and despatching the eunuch for\nthe mamelukes, assigned them a lodging and said to them, \"Have\npatience, till the king give you tidings of your lord El Abbas.\"\nWhen they heard his words, their eyes ran over with plenteous\ntears, of their much longing for the sight of their lord. Then\nthe king bade the queen enter the privy chamber[FN#97] and let\ndown the curtain[FN#98] [before the door thereof]. So she did\nthis and he summoned them to his presence. When they stood before\nhim, they kissed the earth, to do him worship, and showed forth\ntheir breeding[FN#99] and magnified his dignity. He bade them\nsit, but they refused, till he conjured them by their lord El\nAbbas. So they sat down and he caused set before them food of\nvarious kinds and fruits and sweetmeats. Now within the Lady\nAfifeh's palace was an underground way communicating with the\npalace of the princess Mariyeh. So the queen sent after her and\nshe came to her, whereupon she made her stand behind the curtain\nand gave her to know that El Abbas was the king's son of Yemen\nand that these were his mamelukes. Moreover, she told her that\nthe prince's father had levied his troops and was come with his\narmy in quest of him and that he had pitched his camp in the\nGreen Meadow and despatched these mamelukes to make enquiry of\ntheir lord. So Mariyeh abode looking upon them and upon their\nbeauty and grace and the goodliness of their apparel, till they\nhad eaten their fill of food and the tables were removed;\nwhereupon the king recounted to them the story of El Abbas and\nthey took leave of him and went away.\n\nAs for the princess Mariyeh, when she returned to her palace, she\nbethought herself concerning the affair of El Abbas, repenting\nher of that which she had done, and the love of him took root in\nher heart. So, when the night darkened upon her, she dismissed\nall her women and bringing out the letters, to wit, those which\nEl Abbas had written, fell to reading them and weeping. She gave\nnot over weeping her night long, and when she arose in the\nmorning, she called a damsel of her slave-girls, Shefikeh by\nname, and said to her, \"O damsel, I purpose to discover to thee\nmine affair, and I charge thee keep my secret; to wit, I would\nhave thee betake thyself to the house of the nurse, who used to\nserve me, and fetch her to me, for that I have grave occasion for\nher.\"\n\nAccordingly, Shefikeh went out and repairing to the nurse's\nhouse, found her clad in apparel other[FN#100] than that which\nshe had been wont to wear aforetime. So she saluted her and said\nto her, \"Whence hadst thou this dress, than which there is no\ngoodlier?\" \"O Shefikeh,\" answered the nurse, \"thou deemest that I\nhave gotten[FN#101] no good save of thy mistress; but, by Allah,\nhad I endeavoured for her destruction, I had done [that which was\nmy right], for that she did with me what thou knowest[FN#102] and\nbade the eunuch beat me, without offence of me committed;\nwherefore do thou tell her that he, on whose behalf I bestirred\nmyself with her, hath made me quit of her and her humours, for\nthat he hath clad me in this habit and given me two hundred and\nfifty dinars and promised me the like thereof every year and\ncharged me serve none of the folk.\"\n\nQuoth Shefikeh, \"My mistress hath occasion for thee; so come thou\nwith me and I will engage to restore thee to thy dwelling in weal\nand safety.\" But the nurse answered, saying, \"Indeed, her palace\nis become forbidden[FN#103] to me and never again will I enter\ntherein, for that God (extolled be His perfection and exalted be\nHe!) of His favour and bounty hath rendered me independent of\nher.\" So Shefikeh returned to her mistress and acquainted her\nwith the nurse's words and that wherein she was of affluence;\nwhereupon Mariyeh confessed the unseemliness of her dealing with\nher and repented, whenas repentance profited her not; and she\nabode in that her case days and nights, whilst the fire of\nlonging flamed in her heart.\n\nMeanwhile, El Abbas abode with his cousin Akil twenty days, after\nwhich he made ready for the journey to Baghdad and letting bring\nthe booty he had gotten of King Zuheir, divided it between\nhimself and his cousin. Then he set out for Baghdad, and when he\ncame within two days' journey of the city, he called his servant\nAamir and bade him mount his charger and forego him with the\nbaggage-train and the cattle. So Aamir [took horse and] fared on\ntill he came to Baghdad, and the season of his entering was the\nfirst of the day; nor was there little child or hoary old man in\nthe city but came forth to divert himself with gazing on those\nflocks and herds and upon the goodliness of those slave-girls,\nand their wits were amazed at what they saw. Presently the news\nreached the king that the young man El Abbas, who had gone forth\nfrom him, was come back with herds and rarities and slaves and a\nmighty host and had taken up his sojourn without the city, whilst\nhis servant Aamir was presently come to Baghdad, so he might make\nready dwelling- places for his lord, wherein he should take up\nhis abode.\n\nWhen the king heard these tidings of Aamir, he sent for him and\nlet bring him before him; and when he entered his presence, he\nkissed the earth and saluted and showed forth his breeding and\ngreeted him with the goodliest of compliments. The king bade him\nraise his head and questioned him of his lord El Abbas; whereupon\nhe acquainted him with his tidings and told him that which had\nbetided him with King Zuheir and of the army that was become at\nhis commandment and of the spoil that he had gotten. Moreover, he\ngave him to know that El Abbas was coming on the morrow, and with\nhim more than fifty thousand cavaliers, obedient to his\ncommandment. When the king heard his speech, he bade decorate\nBaghdad and commanded [the inhabitants] to equip themselves with\nthe richest of their apparel, in honour of the coming of El\nAbbas. Moreover, he sent to give King El Aziz the glad tidings of\nhis son's return and acquainted him with that which he had heard\nfrom the prince's servant.\n\nWhen the news reached El Aziz, he rejoiced with an exceeding joy\nin the coming of his son and straightway took horse, he and all\nhis army, what while the trumpets sounded and the musicians\nplayed, that the earth quaked and Baghdad also trembled, and it\nwas a notable day. When Mariyeh beheld all this, she repented\nwith the uttermost of repentance of that which she had wroughten\nagainst El Abbas his due and the fires still raged in her vitals.\nMeanwhile, the troops[FN#104] sallied forth of Baghdad and went\nout to meet those of El Abbas, who had halted in a meadow called\nthe Green Island. When he espied the approaching host, he knew\nnot what they were; so he strained his sight and seeing horsemen\ncoming and troops and footmen, said to those about him, \"Among\nyonder troops are ensigns and banners of various kinds; but, as\nfor the great green standard that ye see, it is the standard of\nmy father, the which is reserved [unto him and never displayed\nsave] over his head, and [by this] I know that he himself is come\nout in quest of me.\" And he was certified of this, he and his\ntroops.\n\n[So he fared on towards them] and when he drew near unto them, he\nknew them and they knew him; whereupon they lighted down from\ntheir horses and saluting him, gave him joy of his safety and the\nfolk flocked to him. When he came to his father, they embraced\nand greeted each other a long time, whilst neither of them\navailed unto speech, for the greatness of that which betided them\nof joy in reunion. Then El Abbas bade the folk mount; so they\nmounted and his mamelukes surrounded him and they entered Baghdad\non the most magnificent wise and in the highest worship and\nglory.\n\nThe wife of the shopkeeper, to wit, the nurse, came out, with the\nrest of those who came out, to divert herself with gazing upon\nthe show, and when she saw El Abbas and beheld his beauty and the\ngoodliness of his army and that which he had brought back with\nhim of herds and slaves and slave-girls and mamelukes, she\nimprovised and recited the following verses:\n\nEl Abbas from Akil his stead is come again; Prize hath he made of\n     steeds and many a baggage-train;\nYea, horses hath he brought, full fair of shape and hue, Whose\n     collars, anklet-like, ring to the bridle-rein.\nTaper of hoofs and straight of stature, in the dust They prance,\n     as like a flood they pour across the plain;\nAnd on their saddles perched are warriors richly clad, That with\n     their hands do smite on kettle-drums amain.\nCouched are their limber spears, right long and lithe of point,\n     Keen- ground and polished sheer, amazing wit and brain.\nWho dares with them to cope draws death upon himself; Yea, of the\n     deadly lance incontinent he's slain.\nCome, then, companions mine, rejoice with me and say, \"All hail\n     to thee, O friend, and welcome fair and fain!\"\nFor whoso doth rejoice in meeting him shall have Largesse and\n     gifts galore at his dismounting gain.\n\nWhen the troops entered Baghdad, each of them alighted in his\npavilion, whilst El Abbas encamped apart in a place near the\nTigris and commanded to slaughter for the troops, each day, that\nwhich should suffice them of oxen and sheep and bake them bread\nand spread the tables. So the folk ceased not to come to him and\neat of his banquet. Moreover, all the people of the country came\nto him with presents and rarities and he requited them many times\nthe like of their gifts, so that the lands were filled with his\ntidings and the report of him was bruited abroad among the folk\nof the deserts and the cities.\n\nThen, when he rode to his house that he had bought, the\nshopkeeper and his wife came to him and gave him joy of his\nsafety; whereupon he ordered them three swift thoroughbred horses\nand ten dromedaries and an hundred head of sheep and clad them\nboth in sumptuous dresses of honour. Then he chose out ten\nslave-girls and ten black slaves and fifty horses and the like\nnumber of she- camels and three hundred head of sheep, together\nwith twenty ounces of musk and as many of camphor, and sent all\nthis to the King of Baghdad. When this came to Ins ben Cais, his\nwit fled for joy and he was perplexed wherewithal to requite him.\nMoreover, El Abbas gave gifts and largesse and bestowed dresses\nof honour upon great and small, each after the measure of his\nstation, save only Mariyeh; for unto her he sent nothing.\n\nThis was grievous to the princess and it irked her sore that he\nshould not remember her; so she called her slave- girl Shefikeh\nand said to her, \"Go to El Abbas and salute him and say to him,\n'What hindereth thee from sending my lady Mariyeh her part of thy\nbooty?'\" So Shefikeh betook herself to him and when she came to\nhis door, the chamberlains refused her admission, until they\nshould have gotten her leave and permission. When she entered, El\nAbbas knew her and knew that she had somewhat of speech [with\nhim]; so he dismissed his mamelukes and said to her, \"What is\nthine errand, O handmaid of good?\" \"O my lord,\" answered she, \"I\nam a slave-girl of the Princess Mariyeh, who kisseth thy hands\nand commendeth her salutation to thee. Indeed, she rejoiceth in\nthy safety and reproacheth thee for that thou breakest her heart,\nalone of all the folk, for that thy largesse embraceth great and\nsmall, yet hast thou not remembered her with aught of thy booty.\nIndeed, it is as if thou hadst hardened thy heart against her.\"\nQuoth he, \"Extolled be the perfection of him who turneth hearts!\nBy Allah, my vitals were consumed with the love of her\n[aforetime] and of my longing after her, I came forth to her from\nmy native land and left my people and my home and my wealth, and\nit was with her that began the hardheartedness and the cruelty.\nNevertheless, for all this, I bear her no malice and needs must I\nsend her somewhat whereby she may remember me; for that I abide\nin her land but a few days, after which I set out for the land of\nYemen.\"\n\nThen he called for a chest and bringing out thence a necklace of\nGreek handiwork, worth a thousand dinars, wrapped it in a mantle\nof green silk, set with pearls and jewels and inwrought with red\ngold, and joined thereto two caskets of musk and ambergris.\nMoreover, he put off upon the girl a mantle of Greek silk,\nstriped with gold, wherein were divers figures and semblants\ndepictured, never saw eyes its like. Therewithal the girl's wit\nfled for joy and she went forth from his presence and returned to\nher mistress. When she came in to her, she acquainted her with\nthat which she had seen of El Abbas and that which was with him\nof servants and attendants and [set out to her] the loftiness of\nhis station and gave her that which was with her.\n\nMariyeh opened the mantle, and when she saw that necklace, and\nindeed the place was illumined with the lustre thereof, she\nlooked at her slave-girl and said to her, \"By Allah, O Shefikeh,\none look at him were liefer to me than all that my hand\npossesseth! Would I knew what I shall do, whenas Baghdad is empty\nof him and I hear no tidings of him!\" Then she wept and calling\nfor inkhorn* and paper and pen of brass, wrote the following\nverses:\n\nStill do I yearn, whilst passion's fire flames in my liver aye;\n     For parting's shafts have smitten me and done my strength\n     away.\nOft for thy love as I would be consoled, my yearning turns\n     To-thee- ward still and my desires my reason still gainsay.\nMy transports I conceal for fear of those thereon that spy; Yet\n     down my cheeks the tears course still and still my case\n     bewray.\nNo rest is there for me, no life wherein I may delight, Nor\n     pleasant meat nor drink avails to please me, night or day.\nTo whom save thee shall I complain, of whom relief implore, Whose\n     image came to visit me, what while in dreams I lay?\nReproach me not for what I did, but be thou kind to one Who's\n     sick of body and whose heart is wasted all away.\nThe fire of love-longing I hide; severance consumeth me, A thrall\n     of care, for long desire to wakefulness a prey.\nMidmost the watches of the night I see thee, in a dream; A lying\n     dream, for he I love my love doth not repay.\nWould God thou knewest that for love of thee which I endure! It\n     hath indeed brought down on me estrangement and dismay.\nRead thou my writ and apprehend its purport, for my case This is\n     and fate hath stricken me with sorrows past allay.\nKnow, then, the woes that have befall'n a lover, neither grudge\n     Her secret to conceal, but keep her counsel still, I pray.\n\nThen she folded the letter and giving it to her slave-girl, bade\nher carry it to El Abbas and bring back his answer thereto.\nAccordingly, Shefikeh took the letter and carried it to the\nprince, after the doorkeeper had sought leave of him to admit\nher. When she came in to him, she found with him five damsels, as\nthey were moons, clad in [rich] apparel and ornaments; and when\nhe saw her, he said to her, \"What is thine occasion, O handmaid\nof good?\" So she put out her hand to him with the letter, after\nshe had kissed it, and he bade one of his slave-girls receive it\nfrom her. Then he took it from the girl and breaking it open,\nread it and apprehended its purport; whereupon \"We are God's and\nto Him we return!\" exclaimed he and calling for ink- horn and\npaper, wrote the following verses:\n\nI marvel for that to my love I see thee now incline, What time my\n     heart, indeed, is fain to turn away from thine.\nWhilere, the verses that I made it was thy wont to flout, Saying,\n     \"No passer by the way[FN#105] hath part in me or mine.\nHow many a king to me hath come, of troops and guards ensued, And\n     Bactrian camels brought with him, in many a laden line,\nAnd dromedaries, too, of price and goodly steeds and swift Of\n     many a noble breed, yet found no favour in my eyne!\"\nThen, after them came I to thee and union did entreat And unto\n     thee set forth at length my case and my design;\nYea, all my passion and desire and love-longing in verse, As\n     pearls in goodly order strung it were, I did enshrine.\nYet thou repaidst me with constraint, rigour and perfidy, To\n     which no lover might himself on any wise resign.\nHow many a bidder unto love, a secret-craving wight, How many a\n     swain, complaining, saith of destiny malign,\n\"How many a cup with bitterness o'erflowing have I quaffed! I\n     make my moan of woes, whereat it boots not to repine.\"\nQuoth thou, \"The goodliest of things is patience and its use: Its\n     practice still mankind doth guide to all that's fair and\n     fine.\"\nWherefore fair patience look thou use, for sure 'tis\n     praiseworthy; Yea, and its issues evermore are blessed and\n     benign;\nAnd hope thou not for aught from me, who reck not with a folk To\n     mix, who may with abjectness infect my royal line.\nThis is my saying; apprehend its purport, then, and know I may in\n     no wise yield consent to that thou dost opine.\n\nThen he folded the letter and sealing it, delivered it to the\ndamsel, who took it and carried it to her mistress. When the\nprincess read the letter and apprehended its contents, she said,\n\"Meseemeth he recalleth to me that which I did aforetime.\" Then\nshe called for inkhorn and paper and wrote the following verses:\n\nMe, till I stricken was therewith, to love thou didst excite, And\n     with estrangement now, alas! heap'st sorrows on my spright.\nThe sweet of slumber after thee I have forsworn; indeed The loss\n     of thee hath smitten me with trouble and affright.\nHow long shall I, in weariness, for this estrangement pine, What\n     while the spies of severance[FN#106] do watch me all the\n     night?\nMy royal couch have I forsworn, sequestering myself From all, and\n     have mine eyes forbid the taste of sleep's delight.\nThou taught'st me what I cannot bear; afflicted sore am I; Yea,\n     thou hast wasted me away with rigour and despite.\nYet, I conjure thee, blame me not for passion and desire, Me whom\n     estrangement long hath brought to sick and sorry plight.\nSore, sore doth rigour me beset, its onslaughts bring me near\n     Unto the straitness of the grave, ere in the shroud I'm\n     dight.\nSo be thou kind to me, for love my body wasteth sore, The thrall\n     of passion I'm become its fires consume me quite.\n\nMariyeh folded the letter and gave it to Shefikeh, bidding her\ncarry it to El Abbas. So she took it and going with it to his\ndoor, would have entered; but the chamberlains and serving-men\nforbade her, till they had gotten her leave from the prince. When\nshe went in to him, she found him sitting in the midst of the\nfive damsels aforesaid, whom his father had brought him. So she\ngave him the letter and he took it and read it. Then he bade one\nof the damsels, whose name was Khefifeh and who came from the\nland of China, tune her lute and sing upon the subject of\nseparation. So she came forward and tuning the lute, played\nthereon in four-and-twenty modes; after which she returned to the\nfirst mode and sang the following verses:\n\nUpon the parting day our loves from us did fare And left us to\n     endure estrangement and despair.\nWhenas the burdens all were bounden on and shrill The\n     camel-leader's call rang out across the air,\nFast flowed my tears; despair gat hold upon my soul And needs\n     mine eyelids must the sweet of sleep forbear.\nI wept, but those who spied to part us had no ruth On me nor on\n     the fires that in my vitals flare.\nWoe's me for one who burns for love and longing pain! Alas for\n     the regrets my heart that rend and tear!\nTo whom shall I complain of what is in my soul, Now thou art gone\n     and I my pillow must forswear?\nThe flames of long desire wax on me day by day And far away are\n     pitched the tent-poles of my fair.\nO breeze of heaven, from me a charge I prithee take And do not\n     thou betray the troth of my despair;\nWhenas thou passest by the dwellings of my love, Greet him for me\n     with peace, a greeting debonair,\nAnd scatter musk on him and ambergris, so long As time endures;\n     for this is all my wish and care.\n\nWhen the damsel had made an end of her song, El Abbas swooned\naway and they sprinkled on him rose-water, mingled with musk,\ntill he came to himself, when he called another damsel (now there\nwas on her of linen and clothes and ornaments that which\nbeggareth description, and she was endowed with brightness and\nloveliness and symmetry and perfection, such as shamed the\ncrescent moon, and she was a Turkish girl from the land of the\nGreeks and her name was Hafizeh) and said to her, \"O Hafizeh,\nclose thine eyes and tune thy lute and sing to us upon the days\nof separation.\" She answered him with \"Hearkening and obedience\"\nand taking the lute, tuned its strings and cried out from her\nhead,[FN#107] in a plaintive voice, and sang the following\nverses:\n\nO friends, the tears flow ever, in mockery of my pain; My heart\n     is sick for sev'rance and love-longing in vain.\nAll wasted is my body and bowels tortured sore; Love's fire on me\n     still waxeth, mine eyes with tears still rain.\nWhenas the fire of passion flamed in my breast, with tears, Upon\n     the day of wailing, to quench it I was fain.\nDesire hath left me wasted, afflicted, sore afraid, For the spy\n     knows the secret whereof I do complain.\nWhen I recall the season of love-delight with them, The sweet of\n     sleep forsakes me, my body wastes amain.\nThose who our parting plotted our sev'rance still delights; The\n     spies, for fearful prudence, their wish of us attain.\nI fear me for my body from sickness and unrest, Lest of the fear\n     of sev'rance it be betrayed and slain.\n\nWhen Hafizeh had made an end of her song, El Abbas said to her,\n\"Well done! Indeed, thou quickenest hearts from sorrows.\" Then he\ncalled another damsel of the daughters of the Medes, by name\nMerjaneh, and said to her, \"O Merjaneh, sing to me upon the days\nof separation.\" \"Hearkening and obedience,\" answered she and\nimprovising, sang the following verses:\n\n\"Fair patience practise, for thereon still followeth content.\" So\n     runs the rede 'mongst all that dwell in city or in tent.\nHow oft of dole have I made moan for love and longing pain, What\n     while my body for desire in mortal peril went!\nHow oft I've waked, how many a cup of sorrow have I drained,\n     Watching the stars of night go by, for sleepless\n     languishment!\nIt had sufficed me, had thy grace with verses come to me; My\n     expectation still on thee in the foredawns was bent.\nThen was my heart by that which caused my agitation seared, And\n     from mine eyelids still the tears poured down without\n     relent.\nYea, nevermore I ceased from that wherewith I stricken was; My\n     night with wakefulness was filled, my heart with dreariment.\nBut now hath Allah from my heart blotted the love of thee, After\n     for constancy I'd grown a name of wonderment.\nHence on the morrow forth I fare and leave your land behind; So\n     take your leave of us nor fear mishap or ill event.\nWhenas in body ye from us are far removed, would God I knew who\n     shall to us himself with news of you present!\nAnd who can tell if ever house shall us together bring In union\n     of life serene and undisturbed content?\n\nWhen Merjaneh had made an end of her song, the prince said to\nher, \"Well done, O damsel! Indeed, thou sayest a thing that had\noccurred to my mind and my tongue was like to speak it.\" Then he\nsigned to the fourth damsel, who was a Cairene, by name Sitt el\nHusn, and bade her tune her lute and sing to him upon the [same]\nsubject. So she tuned her lute and sang the following verses:\n\nFair patience use, for ease still followeth after stress And all\n     things have their time and ordinance no less.\nThough Fortune whiles to thee belike may be unjust, Her seasons\n     change and man's excused if he transgress.\nIn her revolving scheme, to bitter sweetness still Succeeds and\n     things become straight, after crookedness.\nThine honour, therefore, guard and eke thy secret keep, Nor save\n     to one free-born and true thy case confess.\nThe Lord's alternatives are these, wherewith He's wont The needy\n     wretch to ply and those in sore duresse.\n\nWhen El Abbas heard her verses, they pleased him and he said to\nher, \"Well done, O Sitt el Husn! Indeed, thou hast done away\ntrouble from my heart and [banished] the things that had occurred\nto my mind.\" Then he heaved a sigh and signing to the fifth\ndamsel, who was from the land of the Persians and whose name was\nMerziyeh (now she was the fairest of them all and the sweetest of\nspeech and she was like unto a splendid star, endowed with beauty\nand loveliness and brightness and perfection and justness of\nshape and symmetry and had a face like the new moon and eyes as\nthey were gazelle's eyes) and said to her, \"O Merziyeh, come\nforward and tune thy lute and sing to us on the [same] subject,\nfor indeed we are resolved upon departure to the land of Yemen.\"\nNow this damsel had met many kings and had consorted with the\ngreat; so she tuned her lute and sang the following verses:\n\nMay the place of my session ne'er lack thee I Oh, why, My heart's\n     love, hast thou saddened my mind and mine eye?[FN#108]\nBy thy ransom,[FN#109] who dwellest alone in my heart, In despair\n     for the loss of the loved one am I.\nSo, by Allah, O richest of all men in charms, Vouchsafe to a\n     lover, who's bankrupt well-nigh\nOf patience, thy whilom endearments again, That I never to any\n     divulged, nor deny\nThe approof of my lord, so my stress and unease I may ban and\n     mine enemies' malice defy,\nThine approof which shall clothe me in noblest attire And my rank\n     in the eyes of the people raise high.\n\nWhen she had made an end of her song, all who were in the\nassembly wept for the daintiness of her speech and the sweetness\nof her voice and El Abbas said to her, \"Well done, O Merziyeh I\nIndeed, thou confoundest the wits with the goodliness of thy\nverses and the elegance of thy speech.\" All this while Shefikeh\nabode gazing upon her, and when she beheld El Abbas his\nslave-girls and considered the goodliness of their apparel and\nthe nimbleness of their wits and the elegance of their speech,\nher reason was confounded. Then she sought leave of El Abbas and\nreturning to her mistress Mariyeh, without letter or answer,\nacquainted her with his case and that wherein he was of puissance\nand delight and majesty and venerance and loftiness of rank.\nMoreover, she told her what she had seen of the slave-girls and\ntheir circumstance and that which they had said and how they had\nmade El Abbas desireful of returning to his own country by the\nrecitation of verses to the sound of the strings.\n\nWhen the princess heard this her slave-girl's report, she wept\nand lamented and was like to depart the world. Then she clave to\nher pillow and said, \"O Shefikeh, I will instruct thee of\nsomewhat that is not hidden from God the Most High, and it is\nthat thou watch over me till God the Most High decree the\naccomplishment of His commandment, and when my days are ended,\ntake thou the necklace and the mantle that El Abbas gave me and\nreturn them to him. Indeed, I deem not he will live after me, and\nif God the Most High decree against him and his days come to an\nend, do thou give one charge to shroud us and bury us both in one\ngrave.\"\n\nThen her case changed and her colour paled; and when Shefikeh saw\nher mistress in this plight, she repaired to her mother and told\nher that the lady Mariyeh refused meat and drink. \"Since when\nhath this befallen her?\" asked the queen, and Shefikeh answered,\n\"Since yesterday;\" whereat the queen was confounded and betaking\nherself to her daughter, that she might enquire into her case,\nfound her as one dead. So she sat down at her head and Mariyeh\nopened her eyes and seeing her mother sitting by her, sat up for\nshamefastness before her. The queen questioned her of her case\nand she said, \"I entered the bath and it stupefied me and\nweakened me and left an exceeding pain in my head; but I trust in\nGod the Most High that it will cease.\"\n\nWhen her mother went out from her, Mariyeh fell to chiding the\ndamsel for that which she had done and said to her, \"Verily,\ndeath were leifer to me than this; so look thou discover not my\naffair to any and I charge thee return not to the like of this\nfashion.\" Then she swooned away and lay awhile without life, and\nwhen she came to herself, she saw Shefikeh weeping over her;\nwhereupon she took the necklace from her neck and the mantle from\nher body and said to the damsel, \"Lay them in a napkin of damask\nand carry them to El Abbas and acquaint him with that wherein I\nam for the persistence of estrangement and the effects of\nforbiddance.\" So Shefikeh took them and carried them to El Abbas,\nwhom she found in act to depart, for that he was about to take\nhorse for Yemen. She went in to him and gave him the napkin and\nthat which was therein, and when he opened it and saw what it\ncontained, to wit, the mantle and the necklace, his vexation was\nexcessive and his eyes were distorted, [so that the whites\nthereof appeared] and his rage was manifest in them.\n\nWhen Shefikeh saw that which betided him, she came forward and\nsaid to him, \"O bountiful lord, indeed my mistress returneth not\nthe mantle and the necklace despitefully; but she is about to\ndepart the world and thou hast the best right to them.\" \"And what\nis the cause of this?\" asked he. Quoth Shefikeh, \"Thou knowest.\nBy Allah, never among the Arabs nor the barbarians nor among the\nsons of the kings saw I a harder of heart than thou! Is it a\nlight matter to thee that thou troublest Mariyeh's life and\ncausest her mourn for herself and depart the world on account\nof[FN#110] thy youth? Indeed, thou wast the cause of her\nacquaintance with thee and now she departeth the world on thine\naccount, she whose like God the Most High hath not created among\nthe daughters of the kings.\"\n\nWhen El Abbas heard these words from the damsel, his heart irked\nhim for Mariyeh and her case was grievous to him; so he said to\nShefikeh, \"Canst thou avail to bring me in company with her, so\nhaply I may discover her affair and allay that which aileth her?\"\n\"Yes,\" answered the damsel, \"I can do that, and thine will be the\nbounty and the favour.\" So he arose and followed her, and she\nforewent him, till they came to the palace. Then she [opened and]\nlocked behind them four-and-twenty doors and made them fast with\nbolts; and when he came to Mariyeh, he found her as she were the\nsetting sun, cast down upon a rug of Taifi leather,[FN#111] among\ncushions stuffed with ostrich down, and not a limb of her\nquivered. When her maid saw her in this plight, she offered to\ncry out; but El Abbas said to her, \"Do it not, but have patience\ntill we discover her affair; and if God the Most High have\ndecreed the ending of her days, wait till thou have opened the\ndoors to me and I have gone forth. Then do what seemeth good to\nthee.\"\n\nSo saying, he went up to the princess and laying his hand upon\nher heart, found it fluttering like a doveling and the life yet\nclinging to[FN#112] her bosom. So he laid his hand upon her\ncheek, whereupon she opened her eyes and beckoning to her maid,\nsigned to her, as who should say, \"Who is this that treadeth my\ncarpet and transgresseth against me?\"[FN#113] \"O my lady,\"\nanswered Shefikeh, \"this is Prince El Abbas, for whose sake thou\ndepartest the world.\" When Mariyeh heard speak of El Abbas, she\nraised her hand from under the coverlet and laying it upon his\nneck, inhaled his odour awhile. Then she sat up and her colour\nreturned to her and they sat talking till a third part of the\nnight was past.\n\nPresently, the princess turned to her maid and bade her fetch\nthem somewhat of food and sweetmeats and dessert and fruits. So\nShefikeh brought what she desired and they ate and drank [and\nabode on this wise] without lewdness, till the night departed and\nthe day came. Then said El Abbas, \"Indeed, the day is come. Shall\nI go to my father and bid him go to thy father and seek thee of\nhim in marriage for me, in accordance with the Book of God the\nMost High and the Institutes of His Apostle (whom may He bless\nand keep!) so we may not enter into transgression?\" And Mariyeh\nanswered, saying, \"By Allah, it is well counselled of thee!\" So\nhe went away to his lodging and nought befell between them; and\nwhen the day lightened, she improvised and recited the following\nverses:\n\nO friends, the East wind waxes, the morning draweth near; A\n     plaintive voice[FN#114] bespeaks me and I rejoice to hear.\nUp, to our comrade's convent, that we may visit him And drink of\n     wine more subtle than dust;[FN#115] our trusty fere\nHath spent thereon his substance, withouten stint; indeed, In his\n     own cloak he wrapped it, he tendered it so dear.[FN#116]\nWhenas its jar was opened, the singers prostrate fell In worship\n     of its brightness, it shone so wonder-clear.\nThe priests from all the convent came flocking onto it: With\n     cries of joy and welcome their voices they did rear.\nWe spent the night in passing the cup, my mates and I, Till in\n     the Eastward heaven the day-star did appear.\nNo sin is there in drinking of wine, for it affords All that's\n     foretold[FN#117] of union and love and happy cheer.\nO morn, our loves that sunder'st, a sweet and easeful life Thou\n     dost for me prohibit, with thy regard austere.\nBe gracious, so our gladness may be fulfilled with wine And we of\n     our beloved have easance, without fear.\nThe best of all religions your love is, for in you Are love and\n     life made easeful, untroubled and sincere.\n\nMeanwhile, El Abbas betook himself to his father's camp, which\nwas pitched in the Green Meadow, by the side of the Tigris, and\nnone might make his way between the tents, for the much\ninterlacement of the tent-ropes. When the prince reached the\nfirst of the tents, the guards and servants came out to meet him\nfrom all sides and escorted him till he drew near the\nsitting-place of his father, who knew of his coming. So he issued\nforth of his pavilion and coming to meet his son, kissed him and\nmade much of him. Then they returned together to the royal\npavilion and when they had seated themselves and the guards had\ntaken up their station in attendance on them, the king said to El\nAbbas, \"O my son, make ready thine affair, so we may go to our\nown land, for that the folk in our absence are become as they\nwere sheep without a shepherd.\" El Abbas looked at his father and\nwept till he swooned away, and when he recovered from his swoon,\nhe improvised and recited the following verses:\n\nI clipped her[FN#118] in mine arms and straight grew drunken with\n     the scent Of a fresh branch that had been reared in\n     affluence and content.\n'Twas not of wine that I had drunk; her mouth's sweet honeyed\n     dews It was intoxicated me with bliss and ravishment.\nUpon the table of her cheek beauty hath writ, \"Alack, Her charms!\n     'Twere well thou refuge sought'st with God\n     incontinent.\"[FN#119]\nSince thou hast looked on her, mine eye, be easy, for by God Nor\n     mote nor ailment needst thou fear nor evil accident.\nBeauty her appanage is grown in its entirety, And for this cause\n     all hearts must bow to her arbitrament.\nIf with her cheek and lustre thou thyself adorn,[FN#120] thou'lt\n     find But chrysolites and gold, with nought of baser metal\n     blent.\nWhen love-longing for her sweet sake I took upon myself, The\n     railers flocked to me anon, on blame and chiding bent;\nBut on no wise was I affrayed nor turned from love of her; So let\n     the railer rave of her henceforth his heart's content.\nBy God, forgetfulness of her shall never cross my mind, What\n     while I wear the bonds of life nor when of death they're\n     rent\nAn if I live, in love of her I'll live, and if I die Of love and\n     longing for her sight, O rare! O excellent!\n\nWhen El Abbas had made an end of his verses, his father said to\nhim, \"I seek refuge for thee with God, O my son! Hast thou any\nwant unto which thou availest not, so I may endeavour for thee\ntherein and lavish my treasures in quest thereof?\" \"O father\nmine,\" answered El Abbas, \"I have, indeed, an urgent want, on\naccount whereof I came forth of my native land and left my people\nand my home and exposed myself to perils and stresses and became\nan exile from my country, and I trust in God that it may be\naccomplished by thine august endeavour.\" \"And what is thy want?\"\nasked the king. Quoth El Abbas, \"I would have thee go and demand\nme in marriage Mariyeh, daughter of the King of Baghdad, for that\nmy heart is distraught with love of her.\" And he recounted to his\nfather his story from first to last.\n\nWhen the king heard this from his son, he rose to his feet and\ncalling for his charger of state, took horse with four-and-twenty\namirs of the chief officers of his empire. Then he betook himself\nto the palace of the King of Baghdad, who, when he saw him\ncoming, bade his chamberlains open the doors to him and going\ndown himself to meet him, received him with all worship and\nhospitality and entreated him with the utmost honour. Moreover,\nhe carried him [and his suite] into the palace and causing make\nready for them carpets and cushions, sat down upon a chair of\ngold, with traverses of juniper- wood, set with pearls and\njewels. Then he bade bring sweetmeats and confections and\nodoriferous flowers and commanded to slaughter four-and-twenty\nhead of sheep and the like of oxen and make ready geese and\nfowls, stuffed and roasted, and pigeons and spread the tables;\nnor was it long before the meats were set on in dishes of gold\nand silver. So they ate till they had enough and when they had\neaten their fill, the tables were removed and the wine-service\nset on and the cups and flagons ranged in order, whilst the\nmamelukes and the fair slave- girls sat down, with girdles of\ngold about their middles, inlaid with all manner pearls and\ndiamonds and emeralds and rubies and other jewels. Moreover, the\nking bade fetch the musicians; so there presented themselves\nbefore him a score of damsels, with lutes and psalteries and\nrebecks, and smote upon instruments of music, on such wise that\nthey moved the assembly to delight.\n\nThen said El Aziz to the King of Baghdad, \"I would fain speak a\nword to thee; but do thou not exclude from us those who are\npresent. If thou consent unto my wish, that which is ours shall\nbe thine and that which is incumbent on thee shall be incumbent\non us,[FN#121] and we will be to thee a mighty aid against all\nenemies and opposites.\" Quoth Ins ben Cais, \"Say what thou wilt,\nO King, for indeed thou excellest in speech and attainest [the\nmark] in that which them sayest\" So El Aziz said to him,\" I\ndesire that thou give thy daughter Mariyeh in marriage to my son\nEl Abbas, for thou knowest that wherewithal he is gifted of\nbeauty and loveliness and brightness and perfection and how he\nbeareth himself in the frequentation of the valiant and his\nconstancy in the stead of smiting and thrusting.\" \"By Allah, O\nking,\" answered Ins ben Cais, \"of my love for Mariyeh, I have\nappointed her disposal to be in her own hand; wherefore,\nwhomsoever she chooseth of the folk, I will marry her to him.\"\n\nThen he arose and going in to his daughter, found her mother with\nher; so he set out to them the case and Mariyeh said, \"O father\nmine, my wish is subject unto[FN#122] thy commandment and my will\nensueth thy will; so whatsoever thou choosest, I am still\nobedient unto thee and under thy dominion.\" Therewithal the King\nknew that Mariyeh inclined unto El Abbas; so he returned\nforthright to King El Aziz and said to him, \"May God amend the\nKing! Verily, the occasion is accomplished and there is no\nopposition unto that which thou commandest\" Quoth El Aziz, \"By\nGod's leave are occasions accomplished. How deemest thou, O King,\nof fetching El Abbas and drawing up the contract of marriage\nbetween Mariyeh and him?\" And Ins ben Cais answered, saying,\n\"Thine be it to decide.\"\n\nSo El Aziz sent after his son and acquainted him with that which\nhad passed; whereupon El Abbas called for four-and-twenty males\nand half a score horses [and as many camels] and loaded the mules\nwith pieces of silk and rags of leather and boxes of camphor and\nmusk and the camels [and horses] with chests of gold and silver.\nMoreover, he took the richest of the stuffs and wrapping them in\npieces of gold-striped silk, laid them on the heads of porters,\nand they fared on with the treasures till they reached the King\nof Baghdad's palace, whereupon all who were present dismounted in\nhonour of El Abbas and escorting him to the presence of King Ins\nben Cais, displayed unto the latter all that they had with them\nof things of price. The king bade carry all this into the harem\nand sent for the Cadis and the witnesses, who drew up the\ncontract and married Mariyeh to Prince El Abbas, whereupon the\nlatter commanded to [slaughter] a thousand head of sheep and five\nhundred buffaloes. So they made the bride-feast and bade thereto\nall the tribes of the Arabs, Bedouins and townsfolk, and the\ntables abode spread for the space of ten days.\n\nThen El Abbas went in to Mariyeh in a happy and praiseworthy\nhour[FN#123] and found her an unpierced pearl and a goodly filly\nthat had never been mounted; wherefore he rejoiced and was glad\nand made merry, and care and sorrow ceased from him and his life\nwas pleasant and trouble departed and he abode with her in the\ngladsomest of case and in the most easeful of life, till seven\ndays were past, when King El Aziz determined to set out and\nreturn to his kingdom and bade his son seek leave of his\nfather-in-law to depart with his wife to his own country. [So El\nAbbas bespoke King Ins of this] and he granted him the leave he\nsought; whereupon he chose out a red camel, taller[FN#124] than\nthe [other] camels, and mounting Mariyeh in a litter thereon,\nloaded it with apparel and ornaments.\n\nThen they spread the ensigns and the standards, whilst the drums\nbeat and the trumpets sounded, and set out upon the homeward\njourney. The King of Baghdad rode forth with them and brought\nthem three days' journey on their way, after which he took leave\nof them and returned with his troops to Baghdad. As for King El\nAziz and his son, they fared on night and day and gave not over\ngoing till there abode but three days' journey between them and\nYemen, when they despatched three men of the couriers to the\nprince's mother [to acquaint her with their return], safe and\nladen with spoil, bringing with them Mariyeh, the king's daughter\nof Baghdad. When the queen-mother heard this, her wit fled for\njoy and she adorned El Abbas his slave-girls after the goodliest\nfashion. Now he had ten slave-girls, as they were moons, whereof\nhis father had carried five with him to Baghdad, as hath\naforetime been set out, and other five abode with his mother.\nWhen the dromedary-posts[FN#125] came, they were certified of the\napproach of El Abbas, and when the sun rose and their standards\nappeared, the prince's mother came out to meet her son; nor was\nthere great or small, old man or infant, but went forth that day\nto meet the king.\n\nThe drums of glad tidings beat and they entered in the utmost of\nworship and magnificence. Moreover, the tribes heard of them and\nthe people of the towns and brought them the richest of presents\nand the costliest of rarities and the prince's mother rejoiced\nwith an exceeding joy. Then they slaughtered beasts and made\nmighty bride-feasts to the people and kindled fires, that it\nmight be visible afar to townsman [and Bedouin] that this was the\nhouse of the guest-meal and the wedding, festival, to the intent\nthat, if any passed them by, [without partaking of their\nhospitality], it should be of his own fault[FN#126] So the folk\ncame to them from all parts and quarters and on this wise they\nabode days and months.\n\nThen the prince's mother bade fetch the five slave-girls to that\nassembly; whereupon they came and the ten damsels foregathered.\nThe queen seated five of them on her son's right hand and other\nfive on his left and the folk assembled about them. Then she bade\nthe five who had remained with her speak forth somewhat of verse,\nso they might entertain therewith the assembly and that El Abbas\nmight rejoice therein. Now she had clad them in the richest of\nraiment and adorned them with trinkets and ornaments and\nwroughten work of gold and silver and collars of gold, set with\npearls and jewels. So they came forward, with harps and lutes and\npsalteries and recorders and other instruments of music before\nthem, and one of them, a damsel who came from the land of China\nand whose name was Baoutheh, advanced and tightened the strings\nof her lute. Then she cried out from the top of her head[FN#127]\nand improvising, sang the following verses:\n\nUnto its pristine lustre your land returned and more, Whenas ye\n     came, dispelling the gloom that whiles it wore.\nOur stead, that late was desert, grew green and eke our trees,\n     That barren were, grew loaded with ripened fruits galore.\nYea, to the earth that languished for lack of rain, the clouds\n     Were bounteous; so it flourished and plenteous harvests\n     bore;\nAnd troubles, too, forsook us, who tears like dragons' blood, O\n     lordings, for your absence had wept at every pore.\nIndeed, your long estrangement hath caused my bowels yearn. Would\n     God I were a servant in waiting at your door!\n\nWhen she had made an end of her song, all who were present were\nmoved to delight and El Abbas rejoiced in this. Then he bade the\nsecond damsel sing somewhat on the like subject. So she came\nforward and tuning the strings of her harp, which was of balass\nruby,[FN#128] warbled a plaintive air and improvising, sang the\nfollowing verses;\n\nThe absent ones' harbinger came us unto With tidings of those\n     who[FN#129] had caused us to rue.\n\"My soul be thy ransom,\"quoth I,\"for thy grace! Indeed, to the\n     oath that thou swor'st thou wast true.\"\nOn the dear nights of union, in you was our joy, But afflicted\n     were we since ye bade us adieu.\nYou swore you'd be faithful to us and our love, And true to your\n     oath and your troth-plight were you;\nAnd I to you swore that a lover I was; God forbid that with\n     treason mine oath I ensue!\nYea, \"Welcome! Fair welcome to those who draw near!\" I called out\n     aloud, as to meet you I flew.\nThe dwellings, indeed, one and all, I adorned, Bewildered and\n     dazed with delight at your view;\nFor death in your absence to us was decreed; But, when ye came\n     back, we were quickened anew.\n\nWhen she had made an end of her verses, El Abbas bade the third\ndamsel, who came from Samarcand of the Persians and whose name\nwas Rummaneh, sing, and she answered with \"Hearkening and\nobedience.\" Then she took the psaltery and crying out from the\nmidst of her bead[FN#130] improvised and sang the following\nverses:\n\nMy watering lips, that cull the rose of thy soft cheek, declare\n     My basil,[FN#131] lily mine, to be the myrtles of thy hair.\nSandhill[FN#132] and down[FN#133] betwixt there blooms a yellow\n     willow-flower,[FN#134] Pomegranate-blossoms[FN#135] and for\n     fruits pomegranates[FN#136] that doth bear.\nHis eyelids' sorcery from mine eyes hath banished sleep; since he\n     From me departed, nought see I except a drowsy fair.[FN#137]\nHe shot me with the shafts of looks launched from an\n     eyebrow's[FN#138] bow; A chamberlain[FN#139] betwixt his\n     eyes hath driven me to despair.\nMy heart belike shall his infect with softness, even as me His\n     body with disease infects, of its seductive air.\nYet, if with him forgotten be the troth-plight of our loves, I\n     have a king who of his grace will not forget me e'er.\nHis sides the tamarisk's slenderness deride, so lithe they are,\n     Whence for conceit in his own charms still drunken doth he\n     fare.\nWhenas he runs, his feet still show like wings,[FN#140] and for\n     the wind When was a rider found, except King Solomon it\n     were?[FN#141]\n\nTherewithal El Abbas smiled and her verses pleased him. Then he\nbade the fourth damsel come forward and sing. Now she was from\nthe land of Morocco and her name was Belekhsha. So she came\nforward and taking the lute and the psaltery, tightened the\nstrings thereof and smote thereon in many modes; then returned to\nthe first mode and improvising, sang the following verses:\n\nWhen in the sitting-chamber we for merry-making sate, With thine\n     eyes' radiance the place thou didst illuminate\nAnd pliedst us with cups of wine, whilst from the necklace\n     pearls[FN#142] A strange intoxicating bliss withal did\n     circulate,\nWhose subtleness might well infect the understanding folk; And\n     secrets didst thou, in thy cheer, to us communicate.\nWhenas we saw the cup, forthright we signed to past it round And\n     sun and moon unto our eyes shone sparkling from it straight.\nThe curtain of delight, perforce, we've lifted through the\n     friend,[FN#143] For tidings of great joy, indeed, there came\n     to us of late.\nThe camel-leader singing came with the belov'd; our wish\n     Accomplished was and we were quit of all the railers' prate.\nWhen clear'd my sky was by the sweet of our foregathering And not\n     a helper there remained to disuniting Fate,\nI shut myself up with my love; no spy betwixt us was; We feared\n     no enemies' despite, no envious neighbour's hate.\nLife with our loves was grown serene, estrangement was at end:\n     Our dear ones all delight of love vouchsafed to us elate,\nSaying, \"Thy fill of union take; no spy is there on us, Whom we\n     should fear, nor yet reproach our gladness may abate.\"\nOur loves are joined and cruelty at last is done away; Ay, and\n     the cup of love-delight 'twixt us doth circulate.\nUpon yon be the peace of God! May all prosperity, For what's\n     decreed of years and lives, upon you ever wait!\n\nWhen Belekhsha had made an end of her verses, all present were\nmoved to delight and El Abbas said to her, \"Well done, O damsel!\"\nThen he bade the fifth damsel come forward and sing. Now she was\nfrom the land of Syria and her name was Rihaneh; she was\nsurpassing of voice and when she appeared in an assembly, all\neyes were fixed upon her. So she came forward and taking the\nrebeck (for that she was used to play upon [all manner]\ninstruments) improvised and sang the following verses:\n\nYour coming to-me-ward, indeed, with \"Welcome! fair welcome!\" I\n     hail. Your sight to me gladness doth bring and banisheth\n     sorrow and bale;\nFor love with your presence grows sweet, untroubled and life is\n     serene And the star of our fortune burns bright, that clouds\n     in your absence did veil.\nYea, by Allah, my longing for you ne'er waneth nor passetb away;\n     For your like among creatures is rare and sought for in\n     mountain and vale.\nAsk mine eyes whether slumber hath lit on their lids since the\n     hour of your loss Or if aye on a lover they've looked. Nay,\n     an ye believe not their tale,\nMy heart, since the leave-taking day afflicted, will tell of my\n     case, And my body, for love and desire grown wasted and\n     feeble and frail.\nCould they who reproach me but see my sufferings, their hearts\n     would relent; They'd marvel, indeed, at my case and the loss\n     of my loved ones bewail.\nYea, they'd join me in pouring forth tears and help me my woes to\n     lament, And like unto me they'd become all wasted and\n     tortured and pale.\nHow long did the heart for thy love that languished with longing\n     endure A burden of passion, 'neath which e'en mountains\n     might totter and fail!\nBy Allah, what sorrows and woes to my soul for thy sake were\n     decreed! My heart is grown hoar, ere eld's snows have left\n     on my tresses their trail.\nThe fires in my vitals that rage if I did but discover to view,\n     Their ardour the world to consume, from the East to the\n     West, might avail.\nBut now unto me of my loves accomplished are joyance and cheer\n     And those whom I cherish my soul with the wine of\n     contentment regale.\nOur Lord, after sev'rance, with them hath conjoined us, for he\n     who doth good Shall ne'er disappointed abide and kindnesses\n     kindness entail.\n\nWhen King El Aziz heard the damsel's song, her speech and her\nverses pleased him and he said to El Abbas, \"O my son, verily,\nthese damsels are weary with long versifying, and indeed they\nmake us yearn after the dwellings and the homesteads with the\ngoodliness of their songs. Indeed, these five have adorned our\nassembly with the excellence of their melodies and have done well\nin that which they have said before those who are present;\nwherefore we counsel thee to enfranchise them for the love of God\nthe Most High.\" Quoth El Abbas, \"There is no commandment but thy\ncommandment;\" and he enfranchised the ten damsels in the\nassembly; whereupon they kissed the hands of the king and his son\nand prostrated themselves in thanksgiving to God the Most High.\nThen they put off that which was upon them of ornaments and\nlaying aside the lutes [and other] instruments of music, clave to\ntheir houses, veiled, and went not forth.[FN#144]\n\nAs for King El Aziz, he lived after this seven years and was\nadmitted to the mercy of God the Most High; whereupon his son El\nAbbas carried him forth to burial on such wise as beseemeth unto\nkings and let make recitations and readings of the Koran, in\nwhole or in part, over his tomb. He kept up the mourning for his\nfather a full-told month, at the end of which time he sat down on\nthe throne of the kingship and judged and did justice and\ndistributed silver and gold. Moreover, he loosed all who were in\nthe prisons and abolished grievances and customs dues and did the\noppressed justice of the oppressor; wherefore the people prayed\nfor him and loved him and invoked on him endurance of glory and\nkingship and length of continuance [on life] and eternity of\nprosperity and happiness. Moreover, the troops submitted to him\nand the hosts from all parts of the kingdom, and there came to\nhim presents from all the lands. The kings obeyed him and many\nwere his troops and his grandees, and his subjects lived with him\nthe most easeful and prosperous of lives.\n\nMeanwhile, he ceased not, he and his beloved, Queen Mariyeh, in\nthe most delightsome of life and the pleasantest thereof, and he\nwas vouchsafed by her children; and indeed there befell\nfriendship and love between them and the longer their\ncompanionship was prolonged, the more their love waxed, so that\nthey became unable to endure from each other a single hour, save\nthe time of his going forth to the Divan, when he would return to\nher in the utterest that might be of longing. Aud on this wise\nthey abode in all solace and delight of life, till there came to\nthem the Destroyer of Delights and the Sunderer of Companies. So\nextolled be the perfection of Him whose kingdom endureth for\never, who is never heedless neither dieth nor sleepeth! This is\nall that hath come down to us of their story, and so peace [be on\nyou!]\n\n\n\n\n\n                SHEHRZAD AND SHEHRIYAR.[FN#145]\n\n\n\nKing Shehriyar marvelled [at this story[FN#146]] and said \"By\nAllah, verily, injustice slayeth its folk!\"[FN#147] And he was\nedified by that wherewith Shehrzad bespoke him and sought help of\nGod the Most High. Then said he to her, \"Tell me another of thy\nstories, O Shehrzad; let it be a pleasant one and this shall be\nthe completion of the story-telling.\" \"With all my heart,\"\nanswered Shehrzad. \"It hath reached me, O august King, that a man\nonce said to his fellows, 'I will set forth to you a\nmeans[FN#148] of security[FN#149] against vexation.[FN#150] A\nfriend of mine once related to me and said, \"We attained [whiles]\nto security[FN#151] against vexation,[FN#152]and the origin of it\nwas other than this; to wit, it was as follows.[FN#153]\n\n\n\n\n\n                 THE TWO KINGS AND THE VIZIER'S\n                       DAUGHTERS.[FN#154]\n\n\n\n[Aforetime] I journeyed in [many] lands and climes and towns and\nvisited the great cities and traversed the ways and [exposed\nmyself to] dangers and hardships. Towards the last of my life, I\nentered a city [of the cities of China],[FN#155] wherein was a\nking of the Chosroes and the Tubbas[FN#156] and the\nCaesars.[FN#157] Now that city had been peopled with its\ninhabitants by means of justice and equitable dealing; but its\n[then] king was a tyrant, who despoiled souls and [did away]\nlives; there was no wanning oneself at his fire,[FN#158] for that\nindeed he oppressed the true believers and wasted the lands. Now\nhe had a younger brother, who was [king] in Samarcand of the\nPersians, and the two kings abode a while of time, each in his\nown city and place, till they yearned unto each other and the\nelder king despatched his vizier in quest of his younger brother.\n\nWhen the vizier came to the King of Samarcand [and acquainted him\nwith his errand], he submitted himself to the commandment [of his\nbrother and made answer] with 'Hearkening and obedience.' Then he\nequipped himself and made ready for the journey and brought forth\nhis tents and pavilions. A while after midnight, he went in to\nhis wife, that he might take leave of her, and found with her a\nstrange man, sleeping with her in one bed. So he slew them both\nand dragging them out by the feet, cast them away and set forth\nincontinent on his journey. When he came to his brother's court,\nthe latter rejoiced in him with an exceeding joy and lodged him\nin the pavilion of entertainment, [to wit, the guest-house,]\nbeside his own palace. Now this pavilion overlooked a garden\nbelonging to the elder king and there the younger brother abode\nwith him some days. Then he called to mind that which his wife\nhad done with him and remembered him of her slaughter and\nbethought him how he was a king, yet was not exempt from the\nvicissitudes of fortune; and this wrought upon him with an\nexceeding despite, so that it caused him abstain from meat and\ndrink, or, if he ate anything, it profited him not.\n\nWhen his brother saw him on this wise, he doubted not but that\nthis had betided him by reason of severance from his people and\nfamily and said to him, 'Come, let us go forth a-hunting.' But he\nrefused to go with him; so the elder brother went forth to the\nchase, whilst the younger abode in the pavilion aforesaid. As he\nwas diverting himself by looking out upon the garden from the\nwindow of the palace, behold, he saw his brother's wife and with\nher ten black slaves and as many slave-girls. Each slave laid\nhold of a damsel [and swived her] and another slave [came forth\nand] did the like with the queen; and when they had done their\noccasions, they all returned whence they came. Therewithal there\nbetided the King of Samarcand exceeding wonder and solacement and\nhe was made whole of his malady, little by little.\n\nAfter a few days, his brother returned and finding him healed of\nhis sickness, said to him, 'Tell me, O my brother, what was the\ncause of thy sickness and thy pallor, and what is the cause of\nthe return of health to thee and of rosiness to thy face after\nthis?' So he acquainted him with the whole case and this was\ngrievous to him; but they concealed their affair and agreed to\nleave the kingship and fare forth pilgrim-wise, wandering at a\nventure, for they deemed that there had befallen none the like of\nthis which had befallen them. [So they went forth and wandered on\nat hazard] and as they journeyed, they saw by the way a woman\nimprisoned in seven chests, whereon were five locks, and sunken\nin the midst of the salt sea, under the guardianship of an Afrit;\nyet for all this that woman issued forth of the sea and opened\nthose locks and coming forth of those chests, did what she would\nwith the two brothers, after she had circumvented the Afrit.\n\nWhen the two kings saw that woman's fashion and how she\ncircumvented the Afrit, who had lodged her at the bottom of the\nsea, they turned back to their kingdoms and the younger betook\nhimself to Samarcand, whilst the elder returned to China and\nestablished unto himself a custom in the slaughter of women, to\nwit, his vizier used to bring him a girl every night, with whom\nhe lay that night, and when he arose in the morning, he gave her\nto the vizier and bade him put her to death. On this wise he\nabode a great while, whilst the people murmured and the creatures\n[of God] were destroyed and the commons cried out by reason of\nthat grievous affair whereinto they were fallen and feared the\nwrath of God the Most High, dreading lest He should destroy them\nby means of this. Still the king persisted in that fashion and in\nthat his blameworthy intent of the killing of women and the\ndespoilment of the curtained ones,[FN#159] wherefore the girls\nsought succour of God the Most High and complained to Him of the\ntyranny of the king and of his oppressive dealing with them.\n\nNow the king's vizier had two daughters, own sisters, the elder\nof whom had read books and made herself mistress of [all]\nsciences and studied the writings of the sages and the histories\nof the boon-companions,[FN#160] and she was possessed of abundant\nwit and knowledge galore and surpassing apprehension. She heard\nthat which the folk suffered from the king and his despiteous\nusage of their children; whereupon compassion gat hold upon her\nfor them and jealousy and she besought God the Most High that He\nwould bring the king to renounce that his heresy,[FN#161] and God\nanswered her prayer. Then she took counsel with her younger\nsister and said to her, 'I mean to contrive somewhat for the\nliberation of the people's children; and it is that I will go up\nto the king [and offer myself to him], and when I come to his\npresence, I will seek thee. When thou comest in to me and the\nking hath done his occasion [of me], do thou say to me, 'O my\nsister, let me hear and let the king hear a story of thy goodly\nstories, wherewithal we may beguile the waking hours of our\nnight, till we take leave of each other.' 'It is well,' answered\nthe other. 'Surely this contrivance will deter the king from his\nheresy and thou shalt be requited with exceeding favour and\nabounding recompense in the world to come, for that indeed thou\nadventurest thyself and wilt either perish or attain to thy\ndesire.'\n\nSo she did this and fair fortune aided her and the Divine favour\nwas vouchsafed unto her and she discovered her intent to her\nfather, who forbade her therefrom, fearing her slaughter.\nHowever, she repeated her speech to him a second and a third\ntime, but he consented not. Then he cited unto her a parable,\nthat should deter her, and she cited him a parable in answer to\nhis, and the talk was prolonged between them and the adducing of\ninstances, till her father saw that he availed not to turn her\nfrom her purpose and she said to him, 'Needs must I marry the\nking, so haply I may be a sacrifice for the children of the\nMuslims; either I shall turn him from this his heresy or I shall\ndie.' When the vizier despaired of dissuading her, he went up to\nthe king and acquainted him with the case, saying, 'I have a\ndaughter and she desireth to give herself to the king.' Quoth the\nking, 'How can thy soul consent unto this, seeing that thou\nknowest I lie but one night with a girl and when I arise on the\nmorrow, I put her to death, and it is thou who slayest her, and\nthou hast done this again and again?' 'Know, O king,' answered\nthe vizier, 'that I have set forth all this to her, yet consented\nshe not unto aught, but needs must she have thy company and still\nchooseth to come to thee and present herself before thee,\nnotwithstanding that I have cited to her the sayings of the\nsages; but she hath answered me to the contrary thereof with more\nthan that which I said to her.' And the king said, 'Bring her to\nme this night and to-morrow morning come thou and take her and\nput her to death; and by Allah, an thou slay her not, I will slay\nthee and her also!'\n\nThe vizier obeyed the king's commandment and going out from\nbefore him, [returned to his own house. When it was night, he\ntook his elder daughter and carried her up to the king; and when\nshe came into his presence,] she wept; whereupon quoth he to her,\n'What causeth thee weep? Indeed, it was thou who willedst this.'\nAnd she answered, saying, 'I weep not but for longing after my\nlittle sister; for that, since we grew up, I and she, I have\nnever been parted from her till this day; so, if it please the\nking to send for her, that I may look on her and take my fill of\nher till the morning, this were bounty and kindness of the king.'\n\nAccordingly, the king bade fetch the girl [and she came]. Then\nthere befell that which befell of his foregathering with the\nelder sister, and when he went up to his couch, that he might\nsleep, the younger sister said to the elder, 'I conjure thee by\nAllah, O my sister, an thou be not asleep, tell us a story of thy\ngoodly stories, wherewithal we may beguile the watches of our\nnight, against morning come and parting.' 'With all my heart,'\nanswered she and fell to relating to her, whilst the king\nlistened. Her story was goodly and delightful, and whilst she was\nin the midst of telling it, the dawn broke. Now the king's heart\nclave to the hearing of the rest of the story; so he respited her\ntill the morrow, and when it was the next night, she told him a\nstory concerning the marvels of the lands and the extraordinary\nchances of the folk, that was yet stranger and rarer than the\nfirst. In the midst of the story, the day appeared and she was\nsilent from the permitted speech. So he let her live till the\nensuing night, so he might hear the completion of the story and\nafter put her to death.\n\nMeanwhile, the people of the city rejoiced and were glad and\nblessed the vizier's daughter, marvelling for that three days had\npassed and that the king had not put her to death and exulting in\nthat, [as they deemed,] he had turned [from his purpose] and\nwould never again burden himself with blood-guiltiness against\nany of the maidens of the city. Then, on the fourth night, she\nrelated to him a still more extraordinary story, and on the fifth\nnight she told him anecdotes of kings and viziers and notables.\nOn this wise she ceased not [to do] with him [many] days and\nnights, what while the king still said in himself, 'When I have\nheard the end of the story, I will put her to death,' and the\npeople waxed ever in wonder and admiration. Moreover, the folk of\nthe provinces and cities heard of this thing, to wit, that the\nking had turned from his custom and from that which he had\nimposed upon himself and had renounced his heresy, wherefore they\nrejoiced and the folk returned to the capital and took up their\nabode therein, after they had departed thence; yea, they were\nconstant in prayer to God the Most High that He would stablish\nthe king in that his present case; and this,\" said Shehrzad, \"is\nthe end of that which my friend related to me.\"\n\n\"O Shehrzad,\" quoth Shehriyar, \"finish unto us the story that thy\nfriend told thee, for that it resembleth the story of a king whom\nI knew; but fain would I hear that which betided the people of\nthis city and what they said of the affair of the king, so I may\nreturn from that wherein I was.\" \"With all my heart,\" answered\nShehrzad. \"Know, O august king and lord of just judgment and\npraiseworthy excellence and exceeding prowess, that, when the\nfolk heard that the king had put away from him his custom and\nreturned from that which had been his wont, they rejoiced in this\nwith an exceeding joy and offered up prayers for him. Then they\ntalked with one another of the cause of the slaughter of the\ngirls, and the wise said, 'They[FN#162] are not all alike, nor\nare the fingers of the hand alike.'\"\n\n\n\n\n\n                SHEHRZAD AND SHEHRIYAR.[FN#163]\n                          (Conclusion)\n\n\n\nWhen King Shehriyar heard this story, he came to himself and\nawaking from his drunkenness,[FN#164] said, \"By Allah, this story\nis my story and this case is my case, for that indeed I was in\nwrath[FN#165] and [danger of] punishment till thou turnedst me\nback from this into the right way, extolled be the perfection of\nthe Causer of causes and the Liberator of necks! Indeed, O\nShehrzad,\" continued he, \"thou hast awakened me unto many things\nand hast aroused me from mine ignorance.\"\n\nThen said she to him, \"O chief of the kings, the wise say, 'The\nkingship is a building, whereof the troops are the foundation,'\nand whenas the foundation is strong, the building endureth;\nwherefore it behoveth the king to strengthen the foundation, for\nthat they say, 'Whenas the foundation is weak, the building\nfalleth.' On like wise it behoveth the king to care for his\ntroops and do justice among his subjects, even as the owner of\nthe garden careth for his trees and cutteth away the weeds that\nhave no profit in them; and so it behoveth the king to look into\nthe affairs of his subjects and fend off oppression from them. As\nfor thee, O king,\" continued Shehrzad, \"it behoveth thee that thy\nvizier be virtuous and versed in the knowledge of the affairs of\nthe folk and the common people; and indeed God the Most High hath\nnamed his name[FN#166] in the history of Moses (on whom be\npeace!) whenas He saith, [Quoth Moses] 'And make me a vizier of\nmy people, Aaron [my brother].[FN#167] Could a vizier have been\ndispensed withal, Moses ben Imran had been worthier [than any of\nthis dispensation].[FN#168]\n\nAs for the vizier, the sultan discovereth unto him his affairs,\nprivate and public; and know, O king, that the similitude of thee\nwith the people is that of the physician with the sick man; and\nthe condition[FN#169] of the vizier is that he be truthful in his\nsayings, trustworthy in all his relations, abounding in\ncompassion for the folk and in tender solicitude over them.\nIndeed, it is said, O king, that good troops[FN#170] are like the\ndruggist; if his perfumes reach thee not, thou still smallest the\nsweet scent of them; and ill troops are like the black-smith; if\nhis sparks burn thee not, thou smellest his nauseous smell. So it\nbehoveth thee take unto thyself a virtuous vizier, a man of good\ncounsel, even as thou takest unto thee a wife displayed before\nthy face, for that thou hast need of the man's righteousness for\nthine own amendment,[FN#171] seeing that, if thou do righteously,\nthe commons will do likewise, and if thou do evil, they also will\ndo evil.\"\n\nWhen the king heard this, drowsiness overcame him and he slept\nand presently awaking, called for the candles. So they were\nlighted and he sat down on his couch and seating Shehrzad by him,\nsmiled in her face. She kissed the earth before him and said, \"O\nking of the age and lord of the time and the day, extolled be the\nperfection of [God] the Forgiving One, the Bountiful Giver, who\nhath sent me unto thee, of His favour and beneficence, so I have\ninformed thee with longing after Paradise; for that this which\nthou wast used to do was never done of any of the kings before\nthee. As for women, God the Most High [in His Holy Book] maketh\nmention of them, [whenas He saith, 'Verily, men who submit\n[themselves unto God] and women who submit] and true-believing\nmen and true-believing women and obedient men and obedient women\nand soothfast men and soothfast women [and long-suffering men and\nlong-suffering women and men who order themselves humbly and\nwomen who order themselves humbly and charitable men and\ncharitable women and men who fast and women who fast] and men who\nguard their privities and women who guard their privities [and\nmen who are constantly mindful of God and women who are\nconstantly mindful, God hath prepared unto them forgiveness and a\nmighty recompense].[FN#172]\n\nAs for that which hath befallen thee, verily, it hath befallen\n[many] kings before thee and their women have played them false,\nfor all they were greater of puissance than thou, yea, and\nmightier of kingship and more abounding in troops. If I would, I\ncould relate unto thee, O king, concerning the wiles of women,\nthat whereof I could not make an end all my life long; and\nindeed, aforetime, in all these my nights that I have passed\nbefore thee, I have told thee [many stories and anecdotes] of the\nartifices of women and of their craft and perfidy; but indeed the\nthings abound on me;[FN#173] wherefore, if it like thee, O king,\nI will relate unto thee [somewhat] of that which befell kings of\nold time of the perfidy of their women and of the calamities\nwhich overtook them by reason of these latter.\" \"How so?\" asked\nthe king. \"Tell on.\" \"Hearkening and obedience,\"answered\nShehrzad.\"It hath been told me, O king, that a man once related\nto a company and spoke as follows:\n\n\n\n\n\n              THE FAVOURITE AND HER LOVER.[FN#174]\n\n\n\nOne day, a day of excessive heat, as I stood at the door of my\nhouse, I saw a fair woman approaching, and with her a slave-girl\ncarrying a parcel. They gave not over going till they came up to\nme, when the woman stopped and said to me, 'Hast thou a draught\nof water?' 'Yes,' answered I. 'Enter the vestibule, O my lady, so\nthou mayst drink.' Accordingly, she entered and I went up into\nthe house and fetched two mugs of earthenware, perfumed with\nmusk[FN#175] and full of cold water. She took one of them and\ndiscovered her face, [that she might drink]; whereupon I saw that\nshe was as the shining sun or the rising moon and said to her, 'O\nmy lady, wilt thou not come up into the house, so thou mayst rest\nthyself till the air grow cool and after go away to thine own\nplace?' Quoth she, 'Is there none with thee?' 'Indeed,' answered\nI, 'I am a [stranger] and a bachelor and have none belonging to\nme, nor is there a living soul in the house.' And she said, 'An\nthou be a stranger, thou art he in quest of whom I was going\nabout.'\n\nThen she went up into the house and put off her [walking] clothes\nand I found her as she were the full moon. I brought her what I\nhad by me of meat and drink and said to her, 'O my lady, excuse\nme: this is that which is ready.' Quoth she, 'This is abundant\nkindness and indeed it is what I sought' And she ate and gave the\nslave-girl that which was left; after which I brought her a\ncasting-bottle of rose-water, mingled with musk, and she washed\nher hands and abode with me till the season of afternoon-prayer,\nwhen she brought out of the parcel that she had with her a shirt\nand trousers and an upper garment[FN#176] and a kerchief\nwroughten with gold and gave them to me; saying, 'Know that I am\none of the favourites of the Khalif, and we are forty favourites,\neach one of whom hath a lover who cometh to her as often as she\nwould have him; and none is without a lover save myself,\nwherefore I came forth to-day to find me a gallant and behold, I\nhave found thee. Thou must know that the Khalif lieth each night\nwith one of us, whilst the other nine-and-thirty favourites take\ntheir ease with the nine-and-thirty men, and I would have thee be\nwith me on such a day, when do thou come up to the palace of the\nKhalif and wait for me in such a place, till a little eunuch come\nout to thee and say to thee a [certain] word, to wit, \"Art thou\nSendel?\" And do thou answer, \"Yes,\" and go with him.'\n\nThen she took leave of me and I of her, after I had strained her\nto my bosom and embraced her and we had kissed awhile. So she\nwent away and I abode expecting the appointed day, till it came,\nwhen I arose and went forth, intending for the trysting-place;\nbut a friend of mine met me by the way [and would have me go home\nwith him. So I accompanied him to his house] and when I came up\n[into his sitting-chamber] he locked the door on me and went\nforth to fetch what we might eat and drink. He was absent till\nmid-day, then till the hour of afternoon-prayer, whereat I was\nsore disquieted. Then he was absent till sundown, and I was like\nto die of chagrin and impatience; [and indeed he returned not]\nand I passed my night on wake, nigh upon death, for that the door\nwas locked on me, and my soul was like to depart my body on\naccount of the tryst.\n\nAt daybreak, my friend returned and opening the door, came in,\nbringing with him meat-pottage[FN#177] and fritters and bees'\nhoney,[FN#178] and said to me, 'By Allah, thou must needs excuse\nme, for that I was with a company and they locked the door on me\nand have but now let me go.' But I returned him no answer. Then\nhe set before me that which was with him and I ate a single\nmouthful and went out, running, so haply I might overtake that\nwhich had escaped me.[FN#179] When I came to the palace, I saw\nover against it eight-and-thirty gibbets set up, whereon were\neight-and-thirty men crucified, and under them eight-and-thirty\nconcubines as they were moons. So I enquired of the reason of the\ncrucifixion of the men and concerning the women in question, and\nit was said unto me, 'The men [whom thou seest] crucified the\nKhalif found with yonder damsels, who are his favourites.' When I\nheard this, I prostrated myself in thanksgiving to God and said,\n'God requite thee with good, O my friend!' For that, had he not\ninvited me [and kept me perforce in his house] that night, I had\nbeen crucified with these men, wherefore praise be to God!\n\n\nThus,\" continued Shehrzad, \"none is safe from the calamities of\nfortune and the vicissitudes of time, and [in proof of this], I\nwill relate unto thee yet another story still rarer and more\nextraordinary than this. Know, O King, that one said to me, 'A\nfriend of mine, a merchant, told me the following story. Quoth\nhe,\n\n\n\n\n\n            THE MERCHANT OF CAIRO AND THE FAVOURITE\n              OF THE KHALIF EL MAMOUN EL HAKIM BI\n                       AMRILLAH.[FN#180]\n\n\n\nAs I sat one day in my shop, there came up to me a fair woman, as\nshe were the moon at its rising, and with her a slave-girl. Now I\nwas a handsome man in my time; so the lady sat down on [the bench\nbefore] my shop and buying stuffs of me, paid down the price and\nwent away. I questioned the girl of her and she said, \"I know not\nher name.\" Quoth I, \"Where is her abode?\" \"In heaven,\" answered\nthe slave-girl; and I said, \"She is presently on the earth; so\nwhen doth she ascend to heaven and where is the ladder by which\nshe goeth up?\" Quoth the girl, \"She hath her lodging in a palace\nbetween two rivers,[FN#181] to wit, the palace of El Mamoun el\nHakim bi Amrillah.\"[FN#182] Then said I, \"I am a dead man,\nwithout recourse; \"but she replied, \"Have patience, for needs\nmust she return unto thee and buy stuffs of thee yet again.\" \"And\nhow cometh it,\" asked I, \"that the Commander of the Faithful\ntrusteth her to go out?\" \"He loveth her with an exceeding love,\"\nanswered she, \"and is wrapped up in her and gainsayeth her not.\"\n\nThen the girl went away, running, after her mistress, whereupon I\nleft the shop and set out after them, so I might see her\nabiding-place. I followed after them all the way, till she\ndisappeared from mine eyes, when I returned to my place, with a\nheart on fire. Some days after, she came to me again and bought\nstuffs of me. I refused to take the price and she said, \"We have\nno need of thy goods.\" Quoth I, \"O my lady, accept them from me\nas a gift;\" but she said, \"[Wait] till I try thee and make proof\nof thee.\" Then she brought out of her pocket a purse and gave me\ntherefrom a thousand dinars, saying, \"Trade with this till I\nreturn to thee.\" So I took the purse and she went away [and\nreturned not to me] till six months had passed by. Meanwhile, I\ntraded with the money and sold and bought and made other thousand\ndinars profit [on it].\n\nPresently, she came to me again and I said to her, \"Here is thy\nmoney and I have gained [with it] other thousand dinars.\" Quoth\nshe, \"Keep it by thee and take these other thousand dinars. As\nsoon as I have departed from thee, go thou to Er Rauzeh[FN#183]\nand build there a goodly pavilion, and when the building thereof\nis accomplished, give me to know thereof.\" So saying, she left me\nand went away. As soon as she was gone, I betook myself to Er\nRauzeh and addressed myself to the building of the pavilion, and\nwhen it was finished, I furnished it with the goodliest of\nfurniture and sent to the lady to tell her that I had made an end\nof its building; whereupon she sent back to me, saying, \"Let him\nmeet me to-morrow at daybreak at the Zuweyleh gate and bring with\nhim a good ass.\" So I got me an ass and betaking myself to the\nZuweyleh gate, at the appointed time, found there a young man on\nhorse- back, awaiting her, even as I awaited her.\n\nAs we stood, behold, up came the lady, and with her a slave-girl.\nWhen she saw the young man, she said to him, \"Art thou here?\" And\nhe answered, \"Yes, O my lady.\" Quoth she, \"To-day I am bidden by\nthis man. Wilt thou go with us?\" And he replied, \"Yes.\" Then said\nshe, \"Thou hast brought me [hither] against my will and perforce.\nWilt thou go with us in any event?\"[FN#184] \"Yes, yes,\" answered\nhe and we fared on, [all three,] till we came to Er Rauzeh and\nentered the pavilion. The lady diverted herself awhile with\nviewing its ordinance and furniture, after which she put off her\n[walking-]clothes and sat down [with the young man] in the\ngoodliest and chiefest place. Then I went forth and brought them\nwhat they should eat at the first of the day; moreover, I went\nout also and fetched them what they should eat at the last of the\nday and brought them wine and dessert and fruits and flowers. On\nthis wise I abode in their service, standing on my feet, and she\nsaid not unto me, \"Sit,\" nor \"Take, eat\" nor \"Take, drink,\" what\nwhile she and the young man sat toying and laughing, and he fell\nto kissing her and pinching her and hopping about upon the ground\nand laughing.\n\nThey abode thus awhile and presently she said, \"Up to now we have\nnot become drunken; let me pour out.\" So she took the cup and\ngave him to drink and plied him with liquor, till he became\ndrunken, when she took him and carried him into a closet. Then\nshe came out, with his head in her hand, what while I stood\nsilent, fixing not mine eyes on hers neither questioning her of\nthis; and she said to me, \"What is this?\" \"I know not,\" answered\nI; and she said, \"Take it and cast it into the river.\" I obeyed\nher commandment and she arose and stripping herself of her\nclothes, took a knife and cut the dead man's body in pieces,\nwhich she laid in three baskets, and said to me, \"Throw them into\nthe river.\"\n\nI did as she bade me and when I returned, she said to me, \"Sit,\nso I may relate to thee yonder fellow's case, lest thou be\naffrighted at that which hath befallen him. Thou must know that I\nam the Khalif's favourite, nor is there any more in honour with\nhim than I; and I am allowed six nights in each month, wherein I\ngo down [into the city and take up my abode] with my [former]\nmistress, who reared me; and when I go down thus, I dispose of\nmyself as I will. Now this young man was the son of neighbours of\nmy mistress, when I was a virgin girl. One day, my mistress was\n[engaged] with the chief [officers] of the palace and I was alone\nin the house. When the night came on, I went up to the roof, so I\nmight sleep there, and before I was aware, this youth came up\nfrom the street and falling upon me, knelt on my breast. He was\narmed with a poniard and I could not win free of him till he had\ndone away my maidenhead by force; and this sufficed him not, but\nhe must needs disgrace me with all the folk, for, as often as I\ncame down from the palace, he would lie in wait for me by the way\nand swive me against my will and follow me whithersoever I went.\nThis, then, is my story, and as for thee, thou pleasest me and\nthy patience pleaseth me and thy good faith and loyal service,\nand there abideth with me none dearer than thou.\" Then I lay with\nher that night and there befell what befell between us till the\nmorning, when she gave me wealth galore and fell to coming to the\npavilion six days in every month.\n\nOn this wise we abode a whole year, at the end of which time she\nwas absent[FN#185] from me a month's space, wherefore fire raged\nin my heart on her account. When it was the next month, behold, a\nlittle eunuch presented himself to me and said, \"I am a messenger\nto thee from such an one,\" [naming my mistress], \"who giveth thee\nto know that the Commander of the Faithful hath sentenced her to\nbe drowned, her and those who are with her, six-and-twenty\nslave-girls, on such a day at Deir et Tin,[FN#186] for that they\nhave confessed against one another of lewdness, and she biddeth\nthee look how thou mayst do with her and how thou mayst contrive\nto deliver her, even if thou gather together all her money and\nspend it upon her, for that this is the time of manhood.\"[FN#187]\nQuoth I, \"I know not this woman; belike it is other than I [to\nwhom this message is addressed]; so beware, O eunuch, lest thou\ncast me into stress.\" Quoth he, \"Behold, I have told thee [that\nwhich I had to say,\"] and went away, leaving me in concern [on\nher account].\n\n[When the appointed day arrived], I arose and changing my clothes\nand favour, donned sailor's apparel; then I took with me a purse\nfull of gold and buying good [victual for the] morning-meal,\naccosted a boatman [at Deir et Tin] and sat down and ate with\nhim; after which said I to him, \"Wilt thou hire me thy boat?\"\nQuoth he, \"The Commander of the Faithful hath commanded me to be\nhere;\" and he told me the story of the concubines and how the\nKhalif purposed to drown them that day. When I heard this from\nhim, I brought out to him half a score dinars and discovered to\nhim my case, whereupon quoth he to me, \"O my brother, get thee\nempty calabashes, and when thy mistress cometh, give me to know\nof her and I will contrive the trick.\"\n\nI kissed his hand and thanked him, and as I was walking about,\n[waiting,] up came the guards and eunuchs with the women, who\nwere weeping and crying out and taking leave of one another. The\neunuchs cried out to us, whereupon we came with the boat, and\nthey said to the boatman, \"Who is this?\" \"This is my mate,\"\nanswered he, \"[whom I have brought,] to help me, so one of us may\nkeep the boat, whilst another doth your service.\" Then they\nbrought out to us the women, one by one, saying, \"Throw them [in]\nby the Island;\" and we answered, \"It is well.\" Now each of them\nwas shackled and they had made a jar of sand fast about her neck.\nWe did as the eunuchs bade us and ceased not to take the women,\none after another, and cast them in, till they gave us my\nmistress and I winked to my comrade. So we took her and carried\nher out into mid-stream, where I gave her the empty\ncalabashes[FN#188] and said to her, \"Wait for me at the mouth of\nthe canal.\" Then we cast her in, after we had loosed the jar of\nsand from her neck and done off her fetters, and returned.\n\nNow there remained one after her; so we took her and drowned her\nand the eunuchs went away, whilst we dropped down the river with\nthe boat till we came to the mouth of the canal, where I saw my\nmistress awaiting me. So we took her up into the boat and\nreturned to our pavilion on Er Rauzeh. Then I rewarded the\nboatman and he took his boat and went away; whereupon quoth she\nto me, \"Thou art indeed a friend in need.\"[FN#189] And I abode\nwith her some days; but the shock wrought upon her so that she\nsickened and fell to wasting away and redoubled in languishment\nand weakness till she died. I mourned for her with an exceeding\nmourning and buried her; after which I removed all that was in\nthe pavilion to my own house [and abandoned the former].\n\nNow she had brought to the pavilion aforetime a little brass\ncoffer and laid it in a place whereof I knew not; so, when the\ninspector of inheritances[FN#190] came, he searched the pavilion\nand found the coffer, with the key in the lock. So he opened it\nand finding it full of jewels and jacinths and earrings and\nseal-rings and precious stones, such as are not found save with\nkings and sultans, took it, and me with it, and ceased not to put\nme to the question with beating and torment till I confessed to\nthem the whole affair from beginning to end, whereupon they\ncarried me to the Khalif and I told him all that had passed\nbetween me and her; and he said to me, \"O man, depart from this\ncity, for I acquit thee for thy valiance sake and because of thy\n[constancy in] keeping thy secret and thy daring in exposing\nthyself to death.\" So I arose forthright and departed his city;\nand this is what befell me.'\"\n\n\n\n\n\n                    SHEHRZAD AND SHEHRIYAR.\n\n\n\nKing Shehriyar marvelled at these things and Shehrzad said to\nhim, \"Thou marvelledst at that which befell thee on the part of\nwomen; yet hath there befallen the kings of the Chosroes before\nthee what was more grievous than that which befell thee, and\nindeed I have set forth unto thee that which betided khalifs and\nkings and others than they with their women, but the exposition\nis long and hearkening groweth tedious, and in this [that I have\nalready told thee] is sufficiency for the man of understanding\nand admonishment for the wise.\"\n\nThen she was silent, and when the king heard her speech and\nprofited by that which she said, he summoned up his reasoning\nfaculties and cleansed his heart and caused his understanding\nrevert [to the right way] and turned [with repentance] to God the\nMost High and said in himself, \"Since there befell the kings of\nthe Chosroes more than that which hath befallen me, never, whilst\nI abide [on life], shall I cease to blame myself [for that which\nI did in the slaughter of the daughters of the folk]. As for this\nShehrzad, her like is not found in the lands; so extolled be the\nperfection of Him who appointed her a means for the deliverance\nof His creatures from slaughter and oppression!\" Then he arose\nfrom his session and kissed her head, whereat she rejoiced with\nan exceeding joy, she and her sister Dinarzad.\n\nWhen the morning morrowed, the king went forth and sitting down\non the throne of the kingship, summoned the grandees of his\nempire; whereupon the chamberlains and deputies and captains of\nthe host went in to him and kissed the earth before him. He\ndistinguished the vizier with his especial favour and bestowed on\nhim a dress of honour and entreated him with the utmost kindness,\nafter which he set forth briefly to his chief officers that which\nhad betided him with Shehrzad and how he had turned from that his\nformer usance and repented him of what he had done aforetime and\npurposed to take the vizier's daughter Shehrzad to wife and let\ndraw up the contract of marriage with her.\n\nWhen those who were present heard this, they kissed the earth\nbefore him and offered up prayers for him and for the damsel\nShehrzad, and the vizier thanked her. Then Shehriyar made an end\nof the session in all weal, whereupon the folk dispersed to their\ndwelling-places and the news was bruited abroad that the king\npurposed to marry the vizier's daughter Shehrzad. Then he\nproceeded to make ready the wedding gear, and [when he had made\nan end of his preparations], he sent after his brother King\nShahzeman, who came, and King Shehriyar went forth to meet him\nwith the troops. Moreover, they decorated the city after the\ngoodliest fashion and diffused perfumes [from the\ncensing-vessels] and [burnt] aloes-wood and other perfumes in all\nthe markets and thoroughfares and rubbed themselves with saffron,\nwhat while the drums beat and the flutes and hautboys sounded and\nit was a notable day.\n\nWhen they came to the palace, King Shehriyar commanded to spread\nthe tables with beasts roasted [whole] and sweetmeats and all\nmanner viands and bade the crier make proclamation to the folk\nthat they should come up to the Divan and eat and drink and that\nthis should be a means of reconciliation between him and them. So\ngreat and small came up unto him and they abode on that wise,\neating and drinking, seven days with their nights. Then the king\nshut himself up with his brother and acquainted him with that\nwhich had betided him with the vizier's daughter [Shehrzad] in\nthose three years [which were past] and told him what he had\nheard from her of saws and parables and chronicles and pleasant\ntraits and jests and stories and anecdotes and dialogues and\nhistories and odes and verses; whereat King Shahzeman marvelled\nwith the utterest of marvel and said, \"Fain would I take her\nyounger sister to wife, so we may be two own brothers to two own\nsisters, and they on likewise be sisters unto us; for that the\ncalamity which befell me was the means of the discovering of that\nwhich befell thee and all this time of three years past I have\ntaken no delight in woman, save that I lie each night with a\ndamsel of my kingdom, and when I arise in the morning, I put her\nto death; but now I desire to marry thy wife's sister Dinarzad.\"\n\nWhen King Shehriyar heard his brother's words he rejoiced with an\nexceeding joy and arising forthright, went in to his wife\nShehrzad and gave her to know of that which his brother purposed,\nto wit, that he sought her sister Dinarzad in marriage;\nwhereupon, \"O king of the age,\" answered she, \"we seek of him one\ncondition, to wit, that he take up his abode with us, for that I\ncannot brook to be parted from my sister an hour, because we were\nbrought up together and may not brook severance from each other.\nIf he accept this condition, she is his handmaid.\" King Shehriyar\nreturned to his brother and acquainted him with that which\nShehrzad had said; and he answered, saying, \"Indeed, this is what\nwas in my mind, for that I desire nevermore to be parted from\nthee. As for the kingdom, God the Most High shall send unto it\nwhom He chooseth, for that there abideth to me no desire for the\nkingship.\"\n\nWhen King Shehriyar heard his brother's words, he rejoiced with\nan exceeding joy and said, \"Verily, this is what I had wished, O\nmy brother. So praised be God who hath brought about union\nbetween us!\" Then he sent after the Cadis and learned men and\ncaptains and notables, and they married the two brothers to the\ntwo sisters. The contracts were drawn up and the two kings\nbestowed dresses of honour of silk and satin on those who were\npresent, whilst the city was decorated and the festivities were\nrenewed. The king commanded each amir and vizier and chamberlain\nand deputy to decorate his palace and the folk of the city\nrejoiced in the presage of happiness and content. Moreover, King\nShehriyar bade slaughter sheep and get up kitchens and made\nbride-feasts and fed all comers, high and low.\n\n\nThen the eunuchs went forth, that they might perfume the bath\n[for the use of the brides]; so they essenced it with rose-water\nand willow-flower-water and bladders of musk and fumigated it\nwith Cakili[FN#191] aloes-wood and ambergris. Then Shehrzad\nentered, she and her sister Dinarzad, and they cleansed their\nheads and clipped their hair. When they came forth of the bath,\nthey donned raiment and ornaments, [such as were] prepared for\nthe kings of the Chosroes; and among Shehrzad's apparel was a\ndress charactered with red gold and wroughten with semblants of\nbirds and beasts. Moreover, they both encircled their necks with\nnecklaces of jewels of price, in the like whereof\nIskender[FN#192] rejoiced not, for therein were great jewels such\nas amazed the wit and the eye, and the thought was bewildered at\ntheir charms, for indeed, each of them was brighter than the sun\nand the moon. Before them they kindled lighted flambeaux in\ntorch-holders of gold, but their faces outshone the flambeaux,\nfor that they had eyes sharper than drawn swords and the lashes\nof their eyelids ensorcelled all hearts. Their cheeks were rosy\nand their necks and shapes swayed gracefully and their eyes\nwantoned. And the slave-girls came to meet them with instruments\nof music.\n\nThen the two kings entered the bath, and when they came forth,\nthey sat down on a couch, inlaid with pearls and jewels,\nwhereupon the two sisters came up to them and stood before them,\nas they were moons, swaying gracefully from side to side in their\nbeauty and grace. Presently they brought forward Shehrzad and\ndisplayed her, for the first dress, in a red suit; whereupon King\nShehriyar rose to look upon her and the wits of all present, men\nand women, were confounded, for that she was even as saith of her\none of her describers:\n\nLike a sun at the end of a cane in a hill of sand, She shines in\n     a dress of the hue of pomegranate flower.\nShe gives me to drink of her cheeks and her honeyed lips And\n     quenches the worst of the fires that my heart devour.\n\nThen they attired Dinarzad in a dress of blue brocade and she\nbecame as she were the full moon, whenas it shineth forth. So\nthey displayed her in this, for the first dress, before King\nShahzeman, who rejoiced in her and well-nigh took leave of his\nwits for longing and amorous desire; yea, he was distraught with\nlove for her, whenas he saw her, for, indeed, she was as saith of\nher one of her describers in the following verses:\n\nShe comes in a robe the colour of ultramarine, Blue as the\n     stainless sky, unflecked with white;\nI view her with yearning eyes and she seems to me A moon of the\n     summer, set in a winter's night.\n\nThen they returned to Shehrzad and displayed her in the second\ndress. They clad her in a dress of surpassing goodliness, and\nveiled her face to the eyes with her hair. Moreover, they let\ndown her side locks and she was even as saith of her one of her\ndescribers in the following verses:\n\nBravo for her whose loosened locks her cheeks do overcloud! She\n     slays me with her cruelty, so fair she is and proud.\nQuoth I, \"Thou overcurtainest the morning with the night;\" And\n     she, \"Not so; it is the moon that with the dark I shroud.\"\n\n\nThen they displayed Dinarzad in a second and a third and a fourth\ndress and she came forward, as she were the rising sun, and\nswayed coquettishly to and fro; and indeed she was even as saith\nthe poet of her in the following verses:\n\nA sun of beauty she appears to all who look on her, Glorious in\n     arch and amorous grace, with coyness beautified;\nAnd when the sun of morning sees her visage and her smile,\n     O'ercome. he hasteneth his face behind the clouds to hide.\n\nThen they displayed Shehrzad in the third dress and the fourth\nand the fifth, and she became as she were a willow-wand or a\nthirsting gazelle, goodly of grace and perfect of attributes,\neven as saith of her one in the following verses:\n\nLike the full moon she shows upon a night of fortune fair,\n     Slender of shape and charming all with her seductive air.\nShe hath an eye, whose glances pierce the hearts of all mankind,\n     Nor can cornelian with her cheeks for ruddiness compare.\nThe sable torrent of her locks falls down unto her hips; Beware\n     the serpents of her curls, I counsel thee, beware!\nIndeed her glance, her sides are soft; but none the less, alas!\n     Her heart is harder than the rock; there is no mercy there.\nThe starry arrows of her looks she darts above her veil; They hit\n     and never miss the mark, though from afar they fare.\n\nThen they returned to Dinarzad and displayed her in the fifth\ndress and in the sixth, which was green. Indeed, she overpassed\nwith her loveliness the fair of the four quarters of the world\nand outshone, with the brightness of her countenance, the full\nmoon at its rising; for she was even as saith of her the poet in\nthe following verses:\n\nA damsel made for love and decked with subtle grace; Thou'dst\n     deem the very sun had borrowed from her face.\nShe came in robes of green, the likeness of the leaf That the\n     pomegranate's flower doth in the bud encase.\n\"How call'st thou this thy dress?\" quoth we, and she replied A\n     word wherein the wise a lesson well might trace;\n\"Breaker of hearts,\" quoth she, \"I call it, for therewith I've\n     broken many a heart among the amorous race.\"\n\nThen they displayed Shehrzad in the sixth and seventh dresses and\nclad her in youths' apparel, whereupon she came forward, swaying\ncoquettishly from side to side; and indeed she ravished wits and\nhearts and ensorcelled with her glances [all who looked on her].\nShe shook her sides and wagged her hips, then put her hair on the\nhilt of her sword and went up to King Shehriyar, who embraced\nher, as the hospitable man embraces the guest, and threatened her\nin her ear with the taking of the sword; and indeed she was even\nas saith of her the poet in these verses:\n\n\nWere not the darkness[FN#193] still in gender masculine, As\n     ofttimes is the case with she-things passing fine,\nTirewomen to the bride, who whiskers, ay, and beard Upon her face\n     produce, they never would assign.[FN#194]\n\nOn this wise they did with her sister Dinarzad, and when they had\nmade an end of displaying the two brides, the king bestowed\ndresses of honour on all who were present and dismissed them to\ntheir own places. Then Shehrzad went in to King Shehriyar and\nDinarzad to King Shahzeman and each of them solaced himself with\nthe company of his beloved and the hearts of the folk were\ncomforted. When the morning morrowed, the vizier came in to the\ntwo kings and kissed the ground before them; wherefore they\nthanked him and were bountiful to him. Then they went forth and\nsat down upon couches of estate, whilst all the viziers and amirs\nand grandees and the chief officers of the realm and the\nhousehold presented themselves before them and kissed the earth.\nKing Shehriyar ordered them dresses of honour and largesse and\nthey offered up prayers for the abiding continuance [on life] of\nthe king and his brother.\n\nThen the two kings appointed their father-in-law the vizier to be\nviceroy in Samarcand and assigned him five of the chief amirs to\naccompany him, charging them attend him and do him service. The\nvizier kissed the earth and prayed that they might be vouchsafed\nlength of life. Then he went in to his daughters, whilst the\neunuchs and ushers walked before him, and saluted them and bade\nthem farewell. They kissed his hands and gave him joy of the\nkingship and bestowed on him treasures galore. Then he took leave\nof them and setting out, journeyed days and nights till he came\nwithin three days' journey of Samarcand, where the townspeople\nmet him and rejoiced in him with an exceeding joy. So he entered\nSamarcand and they decorated the city, and it was a notable day.\nHe sat down on the throne of his kingship and the viziers did him\nhomage and the grandees and amirs of Samarcand and prayed that he\nmight be vouchsafed justice and victory and length of continuance\n[on life]. So he bestowed on them dresses of honour and entreated\nthem with worship and they made him Sultan over them.\n\nAs soon as his father-in-law had departed for Samarcand, King\nShehriyar summoned the grandees of his realm and made them a\nmagnificent banquet of all manner rich meats and exquisite\nsweetmeats. Moreover, he bestowed on them dresses of honour and\nguerdoned them and divided the kingdoms between himself and his\nbrother in their presence, whereat the folk rejoiced. Then the\ntwo kings abode, ruling each a day in turn and they accorded with\neach other, what while their wives continued in the love of God\nthe Most High and in thanksgiving to Him; and the subjects and\nthe provinces were at peace and the preachers prayed for them\nfrom the pulpits, and their report was bruited abroad and the\ntravellers bore tidings of them [to all countries].\n\nMoreover, King Shehriyar summoned chroniclers and copyists and\nbade them write all that had betided him with his wife, first and\nlast; so they wrote this and named it \"The Stories of the\nThousand Nights and One Night.\" The book came to[FN#195] thirty\nvolumes and these the king laid up in his treasury. Then the two\nkings abode with their wives in all delight and solace of life,\nfor that indeed God the Most High had changed their mourning into\njoyance; and on this wise they continued till there took them the\nDestroyer of Delights and Sunderer of Companies, he who maketh void\nthe dwelling-places and peopleth the tombs, and they were translated to the mercy of God the\nMost High; their houses were laid waste and their palaces ruined and the kings inherited their\nriches.\n\nThen there reigned after them an understanding king, who was just, keen-witted and\naccomplished and loved stories, especially those which chronicle the doings of kings and sultans,\nand he found [in the treasuries of the kings who had foregone him] these marvellous and rare and\ndelightful stories, [written] in the thirty volumes aforesaid. So he read in them a first book and a\nsecond and a third and [so on] to the last of them, and each book pleased him more than that\nwhich forewent it, till he came to the end of them. Then he marvelled at that which he had read\n[therein] of stories and discourse and witty traits and anecdotes and moral instances and\nreminiscences and bade the folk copy them and publish them in all lands and climes; wherefore\ntheir report was bruited abroad and the people named them \"The marvels and rarities of the\nThousand Nights and One Night.\" This is all that hath come down to us of [the history of] this\nbook, and God is All-Knowing.[FN#196]\n\n\n\n\n\n                  Calcutta (1814-18) Text. 183\n\n\n\n           Sindbad the Sailor and Hindbad the Porter\n\n\n\n                             NOTE.\n\n\n\nAs the version of the sixth and seventh voyages of Sindbad the Sailor contained in[FN#197] the\nCalcutta Edition (1814-18) of the first two hundred Nights and in the text of the Voyages\npublished by M. Langles (Paris, 1814) differs very materially from that of the complete Calcutta\n(1839-42) Edition[FN#198] (which is, in this case, practically identical with those of Boulac and\nBreslau), adopted by me as my standard text in the translation of \"The Book of the Thousand\nNights and One Night,\" the story of the seventh voyage in particular turning upon an altogether\ndifferent set of incidents, related nearly as in the old version of M. Galland, I now give a\ntranslation of the text of the two voyages in question afforded by the Calcutta (1814-18) Edition,\ncorrected and completed by collation with that of M. Langles, from which it differs only in being\nslightly less full. It will be observed that in this version of the story the name Sindbad is reserved\nfor the Sailor, the porter being called Hindbad.\n\n\n\n\n\n           SINDBAD THE SAILOR AND HINDBAD THE PORTER.\n\n\n\nOn the morrow they[FN#199] returned to their place, as of their wont, and betook themselves to\neating and drinking and merry-making and sporting till the last of the day, when Sindbad bade\nthem hearken to his relation concerning his sixth voyage, the which (quoth he) is of the most\nextraordinary of pleasant stories and the most startling [for that which it compriseth] of\ntribulations and disasters. Then said he,\n\n\n\n\n\n            THE SIXTH VOYAGE OF SINDBAD THE SAILOR.\n\n\n\n\"When I returned from my fifth voyage, I gave myself up to eating and drinking and passed my\ntime in solace and delight and forgot that which I had suffered of stresses and afflictions, nor was\nit long before the thought of travel again presented itself to my mind and my soul hankered after\nthe sea. So I brought out the goods and binding up the bales, departed from Baghdad, [intending]\nfor certain of the lands, and came to the sea-coast, where I embarked in a stout ship, in company\nwith a number of other merchants of like mind with myself, and we [set out and] sailed till we\ncame among certain distant islands and found ourselves in difficult and dangerous case.\n\n[One day], as the ship was sailing along, and we unknowing where we were, behold, the captain\ncame down [from the mast] and casting his turban from his head, fell to buffeting his face and\nplucking at his beard and weeping and supplicating [God for deliverance]. We asked him what\nailed him, and he answered, saying, 'Know, O my masters, that the ship is fallen among shallows\nand drifteth upon a sand-bank of the sea. Another moment [and we shall be upon it]. If we clear\nthe bank, [well and good]; else, we are all dead men and not one of us will be saved; wherefore\npray ye to God the Most High, so haply He may deliver us from these deadly perils, or we shall\nlose our lives.' So saying, he mounted [the mast] and set the sail, but at that moment a contrary\nwind smote the ship, and it rose upon the crest of the waves and sank down again into the trough\nof the sea.\n\nNow there was before us a high mountain,[FN#200] rising [abruptly] from the sea, and the ship\nfell off into an eddy,[FN#201] which bore it on till presently it struck upon the skirt[FN#202] of\nthe mountain and broke in sunder; whereupon the captain came down [from the mast], weeping,\nand said, 'God's will be done! Take leave of one another and look yourselves out graves from\nto-day, for we have fallen into a predicament[FN#203] from which there is no escape, and never\nyet hath any been cast away here and come off alive.' So all the folk fell a-weeping and gave\nthemselves up for lost, despairing of deliverance; friend took leave of friend and sore was the\nmourning and lamentation; for that hope was cut off and they were left without guide or\npilot.[FN#204] Then all who were in the ship landed on the skirt of the mountain and found\nthemselves on a long island, whose shores were strewn with [wrecks], beyond count or\nreckoning, [of] ships that had been cast away [there] and whose crews had perished; and there\nalso were dry bones and dead bodies, heaped upon one another, and goods without number and\nriches past count So we abode confounded, drunken, amazed, humbling ourselves [in supplication\nto God] and repenting us [of having exposed ourselves to the perils of travel]; but repentance\navailed not in that place.\n\nIn this island is a river of very sweet water, issuing from the shore of the sea and entering in at a\nwide cavern in the skirt of an inaccessible mountain, and the stones of the island are all limpid\nsparkling crystal and jacinths of price. Therein also is a spring of liquid, welling up like [molten]\npitch, and when it cometh to the shore of the island, the fish swallow it, then return and cast it up,\nand it becometh changed from its condition and that which it was aforetime; and it is crude\nambergris. Moreover, the trees of the island are all of the most precious aloes-wood, both Chinese\nand Comorin; but there is no way of issue from the place, for it is as an abyss midmost the sea; the\nsteepness of its shore forbiddeth the drawing up of ships, and if any approach the mountain, they\nfall into the eddy aforesaid; nor is there any resource[FN#205] in that island.\n\nSo we abode there, daily expecting death, and whoso of us had with him a day's victual ate it in\nfive days, and after this he died; and whoso had with him a month's victual ate it in five months\nand died also. As for me, I had with me great plenty of victual; so I buried it in a certain place and\nbrought it out, [little by little,] and fed on it; and we ceased not to be thus, burying one the other,\ntill all died but myself and I abode alone, having buried the last of my companions, and but little\nvictual remained to me. So I said in myself, 'Who will bury me in this place?' And I dug me a\ngrave and abode in expectation of death, for that I was in a state of exhaustion. Then, of the\nexcess of my repentance, I blamed and reproached myself for my much [love of] travel and said,\n'How long wilt thou thus imperil thyself?' And I abode as I were a madman, unable to rest; but, as\nI was thus melancholy and distracted, God the Most High inspired me with an idea, and it was\nthat I looked at the river aforesaid, as it entered in at the mouth of the cavern in the skirt of the\nmountain, and said in myself, 'Needs must this water have issue in some place.'\n\nSo I arose and gathering wood and planks from the wrecks, wrought of them the semblance of a\nboat [to wit, a raft,] and bound it fast with ropes, saying, 'I will embark thereon and fare with this\nwater into the inward of the mountain. If it bring me to the mainland or to a place where I may\nfind relief and safety, [well and good]; else I shall [but] perish, even as my companions have\nperished.' Then I collected of the riches and gold and precious stuffs, cast up there, whose owners\nhad perished, a great matter, and of jacinths and crude ambergris and emeralds somewhat past\ncount, and laid all this on the raft [together with what was left me of victual]. Then I launched it\non the river and seating myself upon it, put my trust in God the Most High and committed myself\nto the stream.\n\nThe raft fared on with me, running along the surface of the river, and entered into the inward of\nthe mountain, where the light of day forsook me and I abode dazed and stupefied, unknowing\nwhither I went. Whenas I hungered, I ate a little of the victual I had with me, till it was all spent\nand I abode expecting the mercy of the Lord of all creatures.[FN#206] Presently I found myself in\na strait [channel] in the darkness and my head rubbed against the roof of the cave; and in this case\nI abode awhile, knowing not night from day, whilst anon the channel grew straiter and anon\nwidened out; and whenas my breast was straitened and I was confounded at my case, sleep took\nme and I knew neither little nor much.\n\nWhen I awoke and opened my eyes, I found myself [in the open air] and the raft moored to the\nbank of the stream, whilst about me were folk of the blacks of Hind. When they saw that I was\nawake, they came up to me, to question me; so I rose to them and saluted them. They bespoke me\nin a tongue I knew not, whilst I deemed myself in a dream, and for the excess of my joy, I was\nlike to fly and my reason refused to obey me. Then there came to my mind the verses of the poet\nand I recited, saying:\n\nLet destiny with loosened rein its course appointed fare And lie thou down to sleep by night, with\n     heart devoid of care;\nFor 'twixt the closing of an eye and th'opening thereof, God hath it in His power to change a case\n     from foul to fair.\n\nWhen they heard me speak in Arabic, one of them came up to me and saluting me [in that\nlanguage], questioned me of my case. Quoth I, 'What [manner of men] are ye and what country is\nthis?' 'O my brother,' answered he, 'we are husbandmen and come to this river, to draw water,\nwherewithal to water our fields; and whilst we were thus engaged to-day, as of wont, this boat\nappeared to us on the surface of the water, issuing from the inward of yonder mountain. So we\ncame to it and finding thee asleep therein, moored it to the shore, against thou shouldst awake.\nAcquaint us, therefore, with thy history and tell us how thou camest hither and whence thou\nenteredst this river and what land is behind yonder mountain, for that we have never till now\nknown any make his way thence to us.' But I said to them, 'Give me somewhat to eat and after\nquestion me.' So they brought me food and I ate and my spirits revived and I was refreshed. Then\nI related to them all that had befallen me, whereat they were amazed and confounded and said, 'By\nAllah, this is none other than a marvellous story, and needs must we carry thee to our king, that\nthou mayst acquaint him therewith.' So they carried me before their king, and I kissed his hand\nand saluted him.\n\nNow he was the king of the land of Serendib,[FN#207] and he welcomed me and entreated me\nwith kindness, bidding me be seated and admitting me to his table and converse. So I talked with\nhim and called down blessings upon him and he took pleasure in my discourse and showed me\nsatisfaction and said to me, 'What is thy name?' 'O my lord,' answered I, 'my name is Sindbad the\nSailor;' and he said, 'And what countryman art thou?' Quoth I, 'I am of Baghdad.' 'And how\nearnest thou hither?' asked he. So I told him my story and he marvelled mightily thereat and said,\n'By Allah, O Sindbad, this thy story is marvellous and it behoveth that it be written in characters\nof gold.'\n\nThen they brought the raft before him and I said to him, 'O my lord, I am in thy hands, I and all\nmy good.' He looked at the raft and seeing therein jacinths and emeralds and crude ambergris, the\nlike whereof was not in his treasuries, marvelled and was amazed at this. Then said he, 'O\nSindbad, God forbid that we should covet that which God the Most High hath vouchsafed unto\nthee! Nay, it behoveth us rather to further thee on thy return to thine own country.' So I called\ndown blessings on him and thanked him. Then he signed to one of his attendants, who took me\nand established me in a goodly lodging, and the king assigned me a daily allowance and pages to\nwait on me. And every day I used to go in to him and he entertained me and entreated me friendly\nand delighted in my converse; and as often as our assembly broke up, I went out and walked\nabout the town and the island, diverting myself by viewing them.\n\nNow this island is under the Equinoctial line; its night is still twelve hours and its day the like. Its\nlength is fourscore parasangs and its breadth thirty, and it is a great island, stretching between a\nlofty mountain and a deep valley. This mountain is visible at a distance of three days' journey and\ntherein are various kinds of jacinths and other precious stones and metals of all kinds and all\nmanner spice-trees, and its soil is of emery, wherewith jewels are wrought. In its streams are\ndiamonds, and pearls are in its rivers.[FN#208] I ascended to its summit and diverted myself by\nviewing all the marvels therein, which are such as beggar description; after which I returned to the\nking and sought of him permission to return to my own country. He gave me leave, after great\npressure, and bestowed on me abundant largesse from his treasuries. Moreover, he gave me a\npresent and a sealed letter and said to me, 'Carry this to the Khalif Haroun er Reshid and salute\nhim for us with abundant salutation.' And I said, 'I hear and obey.'\n\nNow this letter was written with ultramarine upon the skin of the hog-deer, the which is goodlier\nthan parchment or paper and inclineth unto yellow, and was to the following effect: 'From the\nKing of Hind, before whom are a thousand elephants and on the battlements of his palace a\nthousand jewels, [to the Khalif Haroun er Reshid, greeting]. To proceed:[FN#209] we send thee\nsome small matter of presents, which do thou accept and be to us as a brother and a friend, for\nthat the love of thee aboundeth in our heart and we would have thee to know that we look to thee\nfor an answer. Indeed, we are sharers with thee in love and fear, ceasing[FN#210] never to do\nthee honour; and for a beginning, we send thee the Book of the Quintessence of Balms and a\npresent after the measure of that which is fallen to our lot. Indeed, this is unworthy of thy rank,\nbut we beseech thee, O brother, to favour us by accepting it, and peace be on thee!'\n\nNow this present was a cup of ruby, a span high and a finger's length broad, full of fine pearls,\neach a mithcal[FN#211] in weight and a bed covered with the skin of the serpent that swalloweth\nthe elephant, marked with spots, each the bigness of a dinar, whereon whoso sitteth shall never\nsicken; also an hundred thousand mithcals of Indian aloes-wood and thirty grains of camphor,\neach the bigness of a pistachio-nut, and a slave-girl with her paraphernalia, a charming creature, as\nshe were the resplendent moon. Then the king took leave of me, commending me to the\nmerchants and the captain of the ship, and I set out, with that which was entrusted to my charge\nand my own good, and we ceased not to pass from island to island and from country to country,\ntill we came to Baghdad, when I entered my house and foregathered with my family and brethren.\n\nThen I took the present and a token of service from myself to the Khalif and [presenting myself\nbefore him], kissed his hands and laid the whole before him, together with the King of Hind's\nletter. He read the letter and taking the present, rejoiced therein with an exceeding joy and\nentreated me with the utmost honour. Then said he to me, 'O Sindbad, is this king, indeed, such as\nhe avoucheth in this letter?' I kissed the earth and answered, saying, 'O my lord, I myself have\nseen the greatness of his kingship to be manifold that which he avoucheth in his letter. On the day\nof his audience,[FN#212] there is set up for him a throne on the back of a huge elephant, eleven\ncubits high, whereon he sitteth and with him are his officers and pages and session-mates,\nstanding in two ranks on his right hand and on his left. At his head standeth a man, having in his\nhand a golden javelin, and behind him another, bearing a mace of the same metal, tipped with an\nemerald, a span long and an inch thick. When he mounteth, a thousand riders take horse with him,\narrayed in gold and silk; and whenas he rideth forth, he who is before him proclaimeth and saith,\n\"This is the king, mighty of estate and high of dominion!\" And he proceedeth to praise him on this\nwise and endeth by saying, \"This is the king, lord of the crown the like whereof nor\nSolomon[FN#213] nor Mihraj[FN#214] possessed!\" Then is he silent, whilst he who is behind the\nking proclaimeth and saith, \"He shall die! He shall die! And again I say, he shall die!\" And the\nother rejoineth, saying, \"Extolled be the perfection of the Living One who dieth not!\" And by\nreason of his justice and judgment[FN#215] and understanding, there is no Cadi in his [capital]\ncity; but all the people of his realm distinguish truth from falsehood and know [and practise] truth\nand right for themselves.'\n\nThe Khalif marvelled at my speech and said, 'How great is this king! Indeed, his letter testifieth of\nhim; and as for the magnificence of his dominion, thou hast acquainted us with that which thou\nhast seen; so, by Allah, he hath been given both wisdom and dominion.' Then he bestowed on me\nlargesse and dismissed me, so I returned to my house and paid the poor-rate[FN#216] and gave\nalms and abode in my former easy and pleasant case, forgetting the grievous stresses I had\nsuffered. Yea, I cast out from my heart the cares of travel and traffic and put away travail from\nmy thought and gave myself up to eating and drinking and pleasure and delight.\"\n\n\n\n\n\n           SINDBAD THE SAILOR AND HINDBAD THE PORTER.\n\n\n\nWhen Sindbad the Sailor had made an end of his story, all who were present marvelled at that\nwhich had befallen him. Then he bade his treasurer give the porter an hundred mithcals of gold\nand dismissed him, charging him return on the morrow, with the rest of the folk, to hear the\nhistory of his seventh voyage. So the porter went away to his house, rejoicing; and on the morrow\nhe presented himself with the rest of the guests, who sat down, as of their wont, and occupied\nthemselves with eating and drinking and merry-making till the end of the day, when their host\nbade them hearken to the story of his seventh voyage. Quoth Sindbad the Sailor,\n\n\n\n\n\n\n           THE SEVENTH VOYAGE OF SINDBAD THE SAILOR.\n\n\n\n\"When I [returned from my sixth voyage, I] forswore travel and renounced commerce, saying in\nmyself, 'What hath befallen me sufficeth me.' So I abode at home and passed my time in pleasance\nand delight, till, one day, as I sat at mine ease, plying the wine-cup [with my friends], there came a\nknocking at the door. The doorkeeper opened and found without one of the Khalif's pages, who\ncame in to me and said, 'The Commander of the Faithful biddeth thee to him.' So I accompanied\nhim to the presence of the Khalif and kissing the earth before him, saluted him. He bade me\nwelcome and entreated me with honour and said to me, 'O Sindbad, I have an occasion with thee,\nwhich I would have thee accomplish for me.' So I kissed his hand and said, 'O my lord, what is the\nlord's occasion with the slave?' Quoth he, 'I would have thee go to the King of Serendib and carry\nhim our letter and our present, even as he sent us a present and a letter.'\n\nAt this I trembled and replied, 'By the Most Great God, O my lord, I have taken a loathing to\ntravel, and whenas any maketh mention to me of travel by sea or otherwise, I am like to swoon\nfor affright, by reason of that which hath befallen me and what I have suffered of hardships and\nperils. Indeed, I have no jot of inclination left for this, and I have sworn never again to leave\nBaghdad.' And I related to him all that had befallen me, first and last; whereat he marvelled\nexceedingly and said, 'By the Most Great God, O Sindbad, never was heard from time\nimmemorial of one whom there betided that which hath betided thee and well may it behove thee\nnever again to mention travel! But for my sake go thou this once and carry my letter to the King\nof Serendib and return in haste, if it be the will of God the Most High, so we may not remain\nindebted to the king for favour and courtesy.' And I answered him with 'Hearkening and\nobedience,' for that I dared not gainsay his commandment\n\nThen he gave me the present and letter and money for my expenses. So I kissed his hand and\ngoing out from before him, repaired to the sea-coast, where I took ship with many other\nmerchants and we sailed days and nights, till, after a prosperous voyage, God vouchsafed us a\nsafe arrival at the island of Serendib. We landed and went up to the city, where I carried the letter\nand present to the king and kissing the earth fell [prostrate before him], invoking blessings on him.\nWhen he saw me, 'Welcome to thee, O Sindbad!' quoth he. 'By the Most Great God, we have\nlonged for thy sight and the day is blessed on which we behold thee once more.' Then he took my\nhand and seating me by his side, welcomed me and entreated me friendly and rejoiced in me with\nan exceeding joy; after which he fell to conversing with me and caressing me and said, 'What\nbrings thee to us, O Sindbad?' I kissed his hand and thanking him, said, 'O my lord, I bring thee a\npresent and a letter from my lord the Khalif Haroun er Reshid.' Then I brought out to him the\npresent and the letter and he read the latter and accepted the former, rejoicing therein with an\nexceeding joy.\n\nNow this present was a horse worth ten thousand dinars and all its housings and trappings of gold\nset with jewels, and a book and five different kinds of suits of apparel and an hundred pieces of\nfine white linen cloths of Egypt and silks of Suez and Cufa and Alexandria and a crimson carpet\nand another of Tebaristan[FN#217] make and an hundred pieces of cloth of silk and flax mingled\nand a goblet of glass of the time of the Pharaohs, a finger-breadth thick and a span wide,\namiddleward which was the figure of a lion and before him an archer kneeling, with his arrow\ndrawn to the head, and the table of Solomon son of David,[FN#218] on whom be peace; and the\ncontents of the letter were as follows: 'From the Khalif Haroun er Reshid, unto whom and to his\nforefathers (on whom be peace) God hath vouchsafed the rank of the noble and exceeding glory,\nto the august, God-aided Sultan, greeting. Thy letter hath reached us and we rejoiced therein and\nhave sent thee the book [called] \"The Divan of Hearts and the Garden of Wits,\" of the translation\nwhereof when thou hast taken cognizance, its excellence will be established in thine eyes; and the\nsuperscription of this book we have made unto thee. Moreover, we send thee divers other kingly\npresents;[FN#219] so do thou favour us by accepting them, and peace be on thee!'\n\nWhen the king had read this letter, he rejoiced with an exceeding joy and bestowed on me great\nstore of presents and entreated me with the utmost honour. Some days after this, I sought of him\nleave to depart, but he granted it not to me save after much pressing. So I took leave of him and\nshipped with divers merchants and others, intending for my own country and having no desire for\ntravel or traffic. We sailed on, without ceasing, till we had passed many islands; but, one day, as\nwe fared on over a certain tract of the sea, there came forth upon us a multitude of boats full of\nmen like devils, clad in chain-mail and armed with swords and daggers and bows and arrows, and\nsurrounded us on every side. They entreated us after the cruellest fashion, smiting and wounding\nand slaying those who made head against them, and taking the ship, with the crew and all that\nwere therein, carried us to an island, where they sold us all for a low price. A rich man bought me\nand taking me into his house, gave me to eat and drink and clothed me and entreated me kindly,\ntill my heart was comforted and I was somewhat restored.\n\nOne day my master said to me, 'Knowest thou not some art or handicraft?' And I answered,\nsaying, 'O my lord, I am a merchant and know nought but traffic.' Quoth he, 'Knowest thou how\nto shoot with a bow and arrows?' And I replied, 'Yes, I know that.' So he brought me a bow and\narrows and mounting me behind him on an elephant, set out with me, at the last of the night, and\nfared on till we came to a forest of great trees; whereupon he made me climb a high and stout tree\nand giving me the bow and arrows, said to me, 'Sit here, and when the elephants come hither by\nday, shoot at them, so haply thou shalt hit one of them; and if any of them fall, come at nightfall\nand tell me.' Then he went away and left me trembling and fearful. I abode hidden in the tree till\nthe sun rose, when the elephants came out and fared hither and thither among the trees, and I\ngave not over shooting at them with arrows, till I brought down one of them. So, at eventide, I\nwent and told my master, who rejoiced in me and rewarded me; then he came and carried away\nthe dead elephant.\n\nOn this wise I abode a while of time, every day shooting an elephant, whereupon my master came\nand carried it away, till, one day, as I sat hidden in the tree, there came up elephants without\nnumber, roaring and trumpeting, so that meseemed the earth trembled for the din. They all made\nfor the tree whereon I was and the girth whereof was fifty cubits, and compassed it about. Then a\nhuge elephant came up to the tree and winding his trunk about it, tugged at it, till he plucked it up\nby the roots and cast it to the ground. I fell among the elephants, and the great elephant, coming\nup to me, as I lay aswoon for affright, wound his trunk about me and tossing me on to his back,\nmade off with me, accompanied by the others; nor did he leave faring on with me, and I absent\nfrom the world, till he brought me to a certain place and casting me down from off his back, went\naway, followed by the rest. I lay there awhile, till my trouble subsided and my senses returned to\nme, when I sat up, deeming myself in a dream, and found myself on a great hill, stretching far and\nwide and all of elephants' bones. So I knew that this was their burial-place and that they had\nbrought me thither on account of the bones.\n\nThen I arose and fared on a day and a night, till I came to the house of my master, who saw me\npale and disfeatured for fear and hunger. He rejoiced in my return and said to me, 'By Allah, thou\nhast made my heart ache on thine account; for I went and finding the tree torn up by the roots,\ndoubted not but the elephants had destroyed thee. Tell me then how it was with thee.' So I told\nhim what had befallen me and he marvelled exceedingly and rejoiced, saying, 'Knowst thou where\nthis hill is?' 'Yes, O my lord,' answered I. So he took me up with him on an elephant and we rode\ntill we came to the elephants' burial-place.\n\nWhen he saw those many bones, he rejoiced therein with an exceeding joy and carried away what\nhe had a mind to thereof. Then we returned to his house and he entreated me with increased\nfavour and said to me, 'Verily, O my son, thou hast directed us to a passing great gain, may God\nrequite thee with all good! Thou art free for the sake of God the Most High. Every year these\nelephants used to kill of us much people on account of these bones; but God delivered thee from\nthem and thou hast done us good service in the matter of these bones, of which thou hast given us\nto know; wherefore thou meritest a great recompense, and thou art free.' 'O my lord,' answered I,\n'may God free thy neck from the fire! I desire of thee that thou give me leave to return to my own\ncountry.' 'So be it,' replied he; 'but we have a fair, on occasion whereof the merchants come hither\nto us and take of us these elephants' bones. The time of the fair is now at hand, and when they\ncome to us, I will send thee with them and give thee somewhat to bring thee to thine own\ncountry.'\n\nI blessed him and thanked him and abode with him in all honour and consideration, till, after a\nlittle, the merchants came, even as he had said, and bought and sold and bartered; and when they\nwere about to depart, my master came to me and said, 'The merchants are about to depart; arise,\nthat thou mayst go with them to thy country.' So I betook myself to the folk, and behold, they had\nbought great store of elephants' bones and bound up their loads and embarked in the ship; and my\nmaster took passage for me with them and paid my hire and all that was chargeable upon\nme.[FN#220] Moreover, he gave me great store of goods and we set sail and passed from island\nto island, till we traversed the sea and arrived at the port of our destination; whereupon the\nmerchants brought out their goods and sold; and I also brought out that which was with me and\nsold it at a good profit.\n\nThen I bought of the best and finest of the produce and rarities of the country and all I had a mind\nto and a good hackney[FN#221] and we set out again and traversed the deserts from country to\ncountry till we came to Baghdad. Then I went in to the Khalif and saluted him and kissed his\nhand; after which I acquainted him with all that had passed and that which had befallen me. He\nrejoiced in my deliverance and thanked God the Most High; then he caused write my story in\nletters of gold and I betook myself to my house and foregathered with my brethren and family.\nThis, then,\" added Sindbad, \"is the last of that which befell me in my travels, and praise be to\nGod, the One, the Creator, the Maker!\"\n\nWhen Sindbad the Sailor had made an end of his story, he bade his servant give the porter an\nhundred mithcals of gold and said to him, \"How now, my brother! Hast ever in the world heard of\none whom such calamities have betided as have betided me and hath any suffered that which I\nhave suffered of afflictions or undergone that which I have undergone of hardships? Wherefore it\nbehoveth that I have these pleasures in requital of that which I have undergone of travail and\nhumiliations.\" So the porter came forward and kissing the merchant's hands, said to him, \"O my\nlord, thou hast indeed suffered grievous perils and hast well deserved these bounteous favours\n[that God hath vouchsafed thee]. Abide, then, O my lord, in thy delights and put away from thee\n[the remembrance of] thy troubles; and may God the Most High crown thine enjoyments with\nperfection and accomplish thy days in pleasance until the hour of thine admission [to His mercy]!\"\n\nTherewithal Sindbad the Sailor bestowed largesse upon him and made him his boon-companion,\nand he abode, leaving him not night or day, to the last of their lives. Praise be to God the\nGlorious, the Omnipotent, the Strong, the Exalted of estate, Creator of heaven and earth and land\nand sea, to whom belongeth glorification! Amen. Amen. Praise be to God, the Lord of the\nWorlds! Amen.\n\n\n\n\n\n                             NOTE.\n\n\n\nAs stated In the Prefatory Note to my \"Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night,\" four\nprinted Editions (of which three are more or less complete) exist of the Arabic text of the original\nwork, namely those of Calcutta (1839-42), Boulac (Cairo), Breslau (Tunis) and Calcutta\n(1814-18). The first two are, for purposes of tabulation, practically identical, one whole story\nonly,[FN#222] of those that occur in the Calcutta (1839-42) Edition, (which is the most complete\nof all,) being omitted from that of Boulac; and I have, therefore, given but one Table of Contents\nfor these two Editions. The Breslau Edition, though differing widely from those of Calcutta\n(1839-42) and Boulac in contents, resembles them in containing the full number (a thousand and\none) of Nights, whilst that of Calcutta (1814-18) is but a fragment, comprising only the first two\nhundred Nights and the Voyages of Sindbad, as a separate Tale.\n\nThe subscribers to my \"Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night\" and the present \"Tales from\nthe Arabic\" have now before them a complete English rendering (the first ever made) of all the\ntales contained in the four printed (Arabic) Texts of the original work and I have, therefore,\nthought it well to add to this, the last Volume of my Translation, full Tables of Contents of these\nlatter, a comparison of which will show the exact composition of the different Editions and the\nparticulars in which they differ from one another, together with the manner in which the various\nstories that make up the respective collections are distributed over the Nights. In each Table, the\ntitles of the stories occurring only in the Edition of which it gives the contents are printed in\nItalics and each Tale is referred to the number of the Night on which it is begun.\n\nThe Breslau Edition, which was printed from a Manuscript of the Book of the Thousand Nights\nand One Night alleged to have been furnished to the Editor by a learned Arab of Tunis, whom he\nstyles \"Herr M. Annaggar\" (Qu\u00e6re En Nejjar, the Carpenter), the lacunes found in which were\nsupplemented from various other MS. sources indicated by Silvestre de Sacy and other eminent\nOrientalists, is edited with a perfection of badness to which only German scholars (at once the\nbest and worst editors in the world) can attain. The original Editor, Dr. Maximilian Habicht, was\nduring the period (1825- 1839) of publication of the first eight Volumes, engaged in continual and\nsomewhat acrimonious[FN#223] controversy concerning the details of his editorship with Prof.\nH. L. Fleischer, who, after his death, undertook the completion of his task and approved himself a\nworthy successor of his whilom adversary, his laches and shortcomings in the matter of revision\nand collation of the text being at least equal in extent and gravity to those of his predecessor,\nwhilst he omitted the one valuable feature of the latter's work, namely, the glossary of Arabic\nwords, not occurring in the dictionaries, appended to the earlier volumes.\n\nAs an instance of the extreme looseness with which the book was edited, I may observe that the\nfirst four Vols. were published without tables of contents, which were afterwards appended en\nbloc to the fifth Volume. The state of corruption and incoherence in which the printed Text was\nplaced before the public by the two learned Editors, who were responsible for its production, is\nsuch as might well drive a translator to despair: the uncorrected errors of the press would alone\nfill a volume and the verse especially is so corrupt that one of the most laborious of English\nArabic scholars pronounced its translation a hopeless task. I have not, however, in any single\ninstance, allowed myself to be discouraged by the difficulties presented by the condition of the\ntext, but have, to the best of my ability, rendered into English, without abridgment or\nretrenchment, the whole of the tales, prose and verse, contained in the Breslau Edition, which are\nnot found in those of Calcutta (1839-42) and Boulac. In this somewhat ungrateful task, I have\nagain had the cordial assistance of Captain Burton, who has (as in the case of my \"Book of the\nThousand Nights and One Night\") been kind enough to look over the proofs of my translation and\nto whom I beg once more to tender my warmest thanks.\n\nSome misconception seems to exist as to the story of Seif dhoul Yezen, a fragment of which was\ntranslated by Dr. Habicht and included, with a number of tales from the Breslau Text, in the\nfourteenth Vol. of the extraordinary gallimaufry published by him in 1824-5 as a complete\ntranslation of the 1001 Nights[FN#224] and it has, under the mistaken impression that this long\nbut interesting Romance forms part of the Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, been\nsuggested that a complete translation of it should be included in the present publication. The\nRomance in question does not, however, in any way, belong to my original and forms no part of\nthe Breslau Text, as will be at once apparent from an examination of the Table of Contents of the\nlatter (see post, p. 261), by which all the Nights are accounted for. Dr. Habicht himself tells us, in\nhis preface to the first Vol. of the Arabic Text, that he found the fragment (undivided into Nights)\nat the end of the fifth Volume of his MS., into which other detached tales, having no connection\nwith the Nights, appear to have also found their way. This being the case, it is evident that the\nRomance of Seif dhoul Yezen in no way comes within the scope of the present work and would\n(apart from the fact that its length would far overpass my limits) be a manifestly improper addition\nto it. It is, however, possible that, should I come across a suitable text of the work, I may make it\nthe subject of a separate publication; but this is, of course, a matter for future consideration.\n\n\n\n\n\n          TABLE OF CONTENTS OF THE CALCUTTA (1839-42)\n           AND BOULAC EDITIONS OF THE ARABIC TEXT OF\n            THE BOOK OF THE THOUSAND NIGHTS AND ONE\n                             NIGHT.\n\n\n\n                                                          Night\n\nINTRODUCTION.--Story of King Shehriyar and his Brother.\n          a. Story of the Ox and the Ass\n     1. The Merchant and the Genie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .i\n          a. The First Old Man's Story . . . . . . . . . . . . .i\n          b. The Second Old Man's Story. . . . . . . . . . . . ii\n          c. The Third Old Man's Story . . . . . . . . . . . . ii\n     2. The Fisherman and the Genie. . . . . . . . . . . . . .iii\n          a. Story of the Physician Douban . . . . . . . . . . iv\n               aa. Story of King Sindbad and his Falcon. . . . .v\n               ab. Story of the King's Son and the Ogress. . . .v\n          b. Story of the Enchanted Youth. . . . . . . . . . .vii\n     3. The Porter and the Three Ladies of Baghdad . . . . . . ix\n          a. The First Calender's Story. . . . . . . . . . . . xi\n          b. The Second Calender's Story . . . . . . . . . . .xii\n               ba. Story of the Envier and the Envied[FN#225]xiii\n          c. The Third Calender's Story. . . . . . . . . . . .xiv\n          d. The Eldest Lady's Story . . . . . . . . . . . . xvii\n          e. The Story of the Portress . . . . . . . . . . .xviii\n     4. The Three Apples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xix\n     5. Noureddin Ali of Cairo and his Son Bedreddin Hassan. . xx\n     6. Story of the Hunchback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xxv\n          a. The Christian Broker's Story. . . . . . . . . . .xxv\n          b. The Controller's Story. . . . . . . . . . . . .xxvii\n          c. The Jewish Physician's Story. . . . . . . . . xxviii\n          d. The Tailor's Story. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxix\n          e. The Barber's Story. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxxi\n               ea. Story of the Barber's First Brother . . . xxxi\n               eb. Story of the Barber's Second Brother. . . xxxi\n               ec. Story of the Barber's Third Brother . . .xxxii\n               ed. Story of the Barber's Fourth Brother. . .xxxii\n               ee. Story of the Barber's Fifth Brother . . .xxxii\n               ef. Story of the Barber's Sixth Brother . . xxxiii\n     7. Noureddin Ali and the Damsel Enis el Jelis . . . . .xxxiv\n     8. Ghanim ben Eyoub the Slave of Love . . . . . . . . .xxxix\n          a. Story of the Eunuch Bekhit. . . . . . . . . . .xxxix\n          b. Story of the Eunuch Kafour. . . . . . . . . . .xxxix\n     9. The History of King Omar ben Ennuman and his Sons Sherkan and Zoulmekanxlv\n          a. Story of Taj el Mulouk and the Princess Dunya . cvii\n               aa. Story of Aziz and Azizeh. . . . . . . . cxliii\n          b. Bakoun's Story of the Hashish-Eater . . . . . cxliii\n          c. Hemmad the Bedouin's Story. . . . . . . . . . .cxliv\n     10. The Birds and Beasts and the Son of Adam. . . . . .cxlvi\n     11. The Hermits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .cxlviii\n     12. The Waterfowl and the Tortoise. . . . . . . . . .cxlviii\n     13. The Wolf and the Fox. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .cxlviii\n          a. The Hawk and the Partridge. . . . . . . . . . .cxlix\n     14. The Mouse and the Weasel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . cl\n     15. The Cat and the Crow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . cl\n     16. The Fox and the Crow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . cl\n          a. The Mouse and the Flea. . . . . . . . . . . . . .cli\n          b. The Falcon and the Birds. . . . . . . . . . . . clii\n          c. The Sparrow and the Eagle . . . . . . . . . . . clii\n     17. The Hedgehog and the Pigeons. . . . . . . . . . . . clii\n          a. The Merchant and the Two Sharpers . . . . . . . clii\n     18. The Thief and his Monkey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . clii\n          a. The Foolish Weaver. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . clii\n     19. The Sparrow and the Peacock . . . . . . . . . . . . clii\n     20. Ali ben Bekkar and Shemsennehar . . . . . . . . . .cliii\n     21. Kemerezzeman and Budour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . clxx\n          a. Nimeh ben er Rebya and Num his Slave-girl . ccxxxvii\n     22. Alaeddin Abou esh Shamat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ccl\n     23. Hatim et Tal; his Generosity after Death. . . . . .cclxx\n     24. Maan ben Zaideh and the three Girls . . . . . . . cclxxi\n     25. Maan ben Zaideh and the Bedouin . . . . . . . . . cclxxi\n     26. The City of Lebtait . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .cclxxii\n     27. The Khalif Hisham and the Arab Youth. . . . . . . cclxxi\n     28. Ibrahim ben el Mehdi and the Barber-surgeon . . cclxxiii\n     29. The City of Irem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .cclxxvi\n     30. Isaac of Mosul's Story of Khedijeh and the Khalif Mamouncclxxix\n     31. The Scavenger and the Noble Lady of Baghdad . . cclxxxii\n     32. The Mock Khalif . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . cclxxxvi\n     33. Ali the Persian and the Kurd Sharper. . . . . . . ccxciv\n     34. The Imam Abou Yousuf with Haroun er Reshid and his Vizier Jaaferccxcvi\n     35. The Lover who feigned himself a Thief to save his Mistress's Honourccxcvii\n     36. Jaafer the Barmecide and the Bean-Seller. . . . . ccxcix\n     37. Abou Mohammed the Lazy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ccc\n     38. Yehya ben Khalid and Mensour. . . . . . . . . . . . .ccv\n     39. Yehya ben Khalid and the Man who forged a Letter in his Nameccvi\n     40. The Khalif El Mamoun and the Strange Doctor . . . .cccvi\n     41. Ali Shar and Zumurrud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . cccvii\n     42. The Loves of Jubeir ben Umeir and the Lady Budourcccxxvii\n     43. The Man of Yemen and his six Slave-girls. . . . cccxxxiv\n     44. Haroun er Reshid with the Damsel and Abou Nuwascccxxxviii\n     45. The Man who stole the Dog's Dish of Gold. . . . . .cccxl\n     46. The Sharper of Alexandria and the Master of Policecccxli\n     47. El Melik en Nasir and the three Masters of Policecccxliii\n          a. Story of the Chief of the New Cairo Police. cccxliii\n          b. Story of the Chief of the Boulac Police . . .cccxliv\n          c. Story of the Chief of the Old Cairo Police. .cccxliv\n     48. The Thief and the Money-Changer . . . . . . . . . ccxliv\n     49. The Chief of the Cous Police and the Sharper. . . cccxlv\n     50. Ibrahim ben el Mehdi and the Merchant's Sister  Night ccxlvi\n     51. The Woman whose Hands were cut off for Almsgivingcccxlviii\n     52. The Devout Israelite. . . . . . . . . . . . . .cccxlviii\n     53. Abou Hassan es Ziyadi and the Man from Khorassan  Night ccxlix\n     54. The Poor Man and his Generous Friend. . . . . . . .cccli\n     55. The Ruined Man who became Rich again through a Dreamcccli\n     56. El Mutawekkil and his Favourite Mehboubeh . . . . .cccli\n     57. Werdan the Butcher's Adventure with the Lady and the Bearcccliii\n     58. The King's Daughter and the Ape . . . . . . . . . .ccclv\n     59. The Enchanted Horse  Night  . . . . . . . . . . . cclvii\n     60. Uns el Wujoud and the Vizier's Daughter Rose-in-budccclxxi\n     61. Abou Nuwas with the three Boys and the Khalif Haroun er Reshidccclxxxi\n     62. Abdallah ben Maamer with the Man of Bassora and his Slave-girlccclxxxiii\n     63. The Lovers of the Benou Udhreh. . . . . . . . ccclxxxiii\n     64. Tht Vizier of Yemen and his young Brother . . .ccclxxxiv\n     65. The Loves of the Boy and Girl at School . . . . ccclxxxv\n     66. El Mutelemmis and his Wife Umeimeh. . . . . . . ccclxxxv\n     67. Haroun er Reshid and Zubeideh in the Bath . . . ccclxxxv\n     68. Haroun er Reshid and the three Poets. . . . . .ccclxxxvi\n     69. Musab ben ez Zubeir and Aaisheh his Wife. . . .ccclxxxvi\n     70. Aboulaswed and his squinting Slave-girl . . . ccclxxxvii\n     71. Haroun er Reshid and the two Girls. . . . . . ccclxxxvii\n     72. Haroun er Reshid and the three Girls. . . . . ccclxxxvii\n     73. The Miller and his Wife . . . . . . . . . . . ccclxxxvii\n     74. The Simpleton and the Sharper . . . . . . . .ccclxxxviii\n     75. The Imam Abou Yousuf with Haroun er Reshld and Zubeidehccclxxxviii\n     76. The Khalif El Hakim and the Merchant. . . . . .ccclxxxix\n     77. King Kisra Anoushirwan and the Village Damsel .ccclxxxix\n     78. The Water-Carrier and the Goldsmith's Wife. . . . .cccxc\n     79. Khusrau and Shirin and the Fisherman. . . . . . . cccxci\n     80. Yehya ben Khalid and the Poor Man . . . . . . . . cccxci\n     81. Mohammed el Amin and Jaafer ben el Hadi . . . . .cccxcii\n     82. Said ben Salim and the Barmecides . . . . . . . .cccxcii\n     83. The Woman's Trick against her Husband . . . . . cccxciii\n     84. The Devout Woman and the two Wicked Elders. . . .cccxciv\n     85. Jaafer the Barmecide and the Old Bedouin. . . . . cccxcv\n     86. Omar ben el Khettab and the Young Bedouin . . . . cccxcv\n     87. El Mamoun and the Pyramids of Egypt . . . . . .cccxcviii\n     88. The Thief turned Merchant and the other Thief .cccxcviii\n     89. Mesrour and Ibn el Caribi . . . . . . . . . . . .cccxcix\n     90. The Devout Prince . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .cccci\n     91. The Schoolmaster who Fell in Love by Report . . . ccccii\n     92. The Foolish Schoolmaster. . . . . . . . . . . . .cccciii\n     93. The Ignorant Man who set up for a Schoolmaster. .cccciii\n     94. The King and the Virtuous Wife. . . . . . . . . . cccciv\n     95. Abdurrehman the Moor's Story of the Roc . . . . . cccciv\n     96. Adi ben Zeid and the Princess Hind. . . . . . . . .ccccv\n     97. Dibil el Khuzai with the Lady and Muslin ben el Welidccccvii\n     98. Isaac of Mosul and the Merchant . . . . . . . . .ccccvii\n     99. The Three Unfortunate Lovers. . . . . . . . . . . ccccix\n     100. The Lovers of the Benou Tai. . . . . . . . . . . .ccccx\n     101. The Mad Lover. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ccccxi\n     102. The Apples of Paradise . . . . . . . . . . . . .ccccxii\n     103. The Loves of Abou Isa and Curret el Ain. . . . .ccccxiv\n     104. El Amin and his Uncle Ibrahim ben el Mehdi . .ccccxviii\n     105. El Feth ben Khacan and El Mutawekkil . . . . . .ccccxix\n     106. The Man's Dispute with the Learned Woman of the relative Excellence of the\n          Sexes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ccccxix\n     107. Abou Suweid and the Handsome Old Woman . . . .ccccxxiii\n     108. Ali ben Tahir and the Girl Mounis. . . . . . . ccccxxiv\n     109. The Woman who had a Boy and the other who had a Man to Loverccccxxiv\n     110. The Haunted House in Baghdad . . . . . . . . . ccccxxiv\n     111. The Pilgrim and the Old Woman who dwelt in the Desertccccxxxiv\n     112. Aboulhusn and his Slave-girl Taweddud. . . . .ccccxxxvi\n     113. The Angel of Death with the Proud King and the Devout Mancccclxii\n     114. The Angel of Death and the Rich King . . . . . cccclxii\n     115. The Angel of Death and the King of the Children of Israelcccclxiii\n     116. Iskender Dhoulkernein and a certain Tribe of Poor Folkcccclxiv\n     117. The Righteousness of King Anoushirwan. . . . . cccclxiv\n     118. The Jewish Cadi and his Pious Wife . . . . . . .cccclxv\n     119. The Shipwrecked Woman and her Child. . . . . . cccclxvi\n     120. The Pious Black Slave. . . . . . . . . . . . .cccclxvii\n     121. The Devout Platter-maker and his Wife. . . . cccclxviii\n     122. El Hejjaj ben Yousuf and the Pious Man . . . . .cccclxx\n     123. The Blacksmith who could Handle Fire without Hurtcccclxxi\n     124. The Saint to whom God gave a Cloud to serve him and the Devout Kingcccclxxiii\n     125. The Muslim Champion and the Christian Lady . .cccclxxiv\n     126. Ibrahim ben el Khawwas and the Christian King's Daughtercccclxxvii\n     127. The Justice of Providence. . . . . . . . . .cccclxxviii\n     128. The Ferryman of the Nile and the Hermit. . . .cccclxxix\n     129. The King of the Island . . . . . . . . . . . .cccclxxix\n     130. Abulhusn ed Durraj and Abou Jaafer the Leper .cccclxxxi\n     131. The Queen of the Serpents. . . . . . . . . . cccclxxxii\n          a. The Adventures of Beloukiya . . . . . . . cccclxxxvi\n          b. The Story of Janshah. . . . . . . . . . . . ccccxcix\n     132. Sindbad the Sailor and Sindbad the Porter. . . . dxxxvi\n          a. The First Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor. . . dxxxviii\n          b. The Second Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor . . . dxliii\n          c. The Third Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor. . . . .dxlvi\n          d. The Fourth Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor . . . . . dl\n          e. The Fifth Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor. . . . . dlvi\n          f. The Sixth Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor. . . . . dlix\n          g. The Seventh Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor. . . dlxiii\n     133. The City of Brass. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .dlxvi\n     134. The Malice of Women. . . . . . . . . . . . . . dlxxviii\n          a. The King and his Vizier's Wife. . . . . . . dlxxviii\n          b. The Merchant's Wife and the Parrot. . . . . . dlxxix\n          c. The Fuller and his Son. . . . . . . . . . . . dlxxix\n          d. The Lover's Trick against the Chaste Wife . . .dlxxx\n          e. The Niggard and the Loaves of Bread . . . . . .dlxxx\n          f. The Lady and her Two Lovers . . . . . . . . . dlxxxi\n          g. The King's Son and the Ogress . . . . . . . . dlxxxi\n          h. The Drop of Honey . . . . . . . . . . . . . .dlxxxii\n          i. The Woman who made her Husband sift Dust. . .dlxxxii\n          j. The Enchanted Springs . . . . . . . . . . . .dlxxxii\n          k. The Vizier's Son and the Bathkeeper's Wife. .dlxxxiv\n          l. The Wife's Device to Cheat her Husband. . . .dlxxxiv\n          m. The Goldsmith and the Cashmere Singing- girl.dlxxxvi\n          n. The Man who never Laughed again . . . . . . dlxxxvii\n          o. The King's Son and the Merchant's Wife. . . . . dxci\n          p. The Page who feigned to know the Speech of Birdsdxcii\n          q. The Lady and her five Suitors . . . . . . . . dxciii\n          r. The Man who saw the Night of Power. . . . . . .dxcvi\n          s. The Stolen Necklace . . . . . . . . . . . . . .dxcvi\n          t. The two Pigeons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . dxcvii\n          u. Prince Behram of Persia and the Princess Ed Detmadxcvii\n          v. The House with the Belvedere. . . . . . . . .dxcviii\n          w. The King's Son and the Afrit's Mistress . . . . dcii\n          x. The Sandal-wood Merchant and the Sharpers . . .dciii\n          y. The Debauchee and the Three-year-old Child. . . .dcv\n          z. The Stolen Purse. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .dcv\n     135. Jouder and his Brothers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . dcvi\n     136. The History ot Gherib and his Brother Agib . . . dcxxiv\n     137. Otbeh and Reyya. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . dclxxx\n     138. Hind Daughter of En Numan and El Hejjaj. . . . .dclxxxi\n     139. Khuzeimeh ben Bishr and Ikrimeh el Feyyas. . . dclxxxii\n     140. Younus the Scribe and the Khalif Welid ben Sehldclxxxiv\n     141. Haroun er Reshid and the Arab Girl . . . . . . .dclxxxv\n     142. El Asmai and the three Girls of Bassora. . . . dclxxxvi\n     143. Ibrahim of Mosul and the Devil . . . . . . . .dclxxxvii\n     144. The Lovers of the Benou Udhreh . . . . . . . dclxxxviii\n     145. The Bedouin and his Wife . . . . . . . . . . . . .dcxci\n     146. The Lovers of Bassora. . . . . . . . . . . . . .dcxciii\n     147. Isaac of Mosul and his Mistress and the Devil. . .dcxcr\n     148. The Lovers of Medina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . dcxcvi\n     149. El Melik en Nasir and his Vizier . . . . . . . .dcxcvii\n     150. The Rogueries of Delileh the Crafty and her Daughter Zeyneb the Trickstressdcxcviii\n     151. The Adventures of Quicksilver Ali of Cairo, a Sequel to the Rogueries of Delileh\n          the Crafty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .dccviil\n     152. Ardeshir and Heyat en Nufous . . . . . . . . . . .dccxu\n     153. Julnar of the Sea and her Son King Bedr Basim of Persiaiccxxxviii\n     154. King Mohammed ben Sebaik and the Merchant Hassan dcclvi\n          a. Story of Prince Seif el Mulouk and the Princess Bediya el Jemal dcclviii\n     155. Hassan of Bassora and the King's Daughter of the Jinndcclxxviii\n     156. Khelifeh the Fisherman of Baghdad. . . . . . . cccxxxii\n     157. Mesrour and Zein el Mewasif. . . . . . . . . . .dcccxlv\n     158. Ali Noureddin and the Frank King's Daughter. .dccclxiii\n     159. The Man of Upper Egypt and his Frank Wife. . . dcccxciv\n     160. The Ruined Man of Baghdad and his Slave-girl . dcccxcvi\n     161. King Jelyaad of Hind and his Vizier Shimas: whereafter ensueth the History of\n          King Wird Khan son of King Jelyaad and his Women and Viziersdcccxciz\n          a. The Cat and the Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . .dccoc\n          b. The Fakir and his Pot of Butter . . . . . . .dccccii\n          c. The Fishes and the Crab . . . . . . . . . . dcccciii\n          d. The Crow and the Serpent. . . . . . . . . . dcccciii\n          e. The Fox and the Wild Ass. . . . . . . . . . .dcccciv\n          f. The Unjust King and the Pilgrim Prince. . . . dccccv\n          g. The Crows and the Hawk. . . . . . . . . . . .dccccvi\n          k. The Serpent-Charmer and his Wife. . . . . . dccccvii\n          i. The Spider and the Wind . . . . . . . . . .dccccviii\n          j. The Two Kings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .dccccix\n          k. The Blind Man and the Cripple . . . . . . . . dccccx\n          l. The Foolish Fisherman . . . . . . . . . . dccccxviii\n          m. The Boy and the Thieves . . . . . . . . . dccccxviii\n          n. The Man and his Wilful Wife . . . . . . . . dccccxix\n          o. The Merchant and the Thieves. . . . . . . . .dccccxx\n          p. The Foxes and the Wolf. . . . . . . . . . . dccccxxi\n          q. The Shepherd and the Thief. . . . . . . . . dccccxxi\n          r. The Heathcock and the Tortoises . . . . . .dccccxxiv\n     162. Aboukir the Dyer and Abousir the Barber. . . . dccccxxx\n     163. Abdallah the Fisherman and Abdallah the Merman .dccccxl\n     164. The Merchant of Oman . . . . . . . . . . . . .dccccxlvi\n     165. Ibrahim and Jemileh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . dcccciii\n     166. Aboulhusn of Khorassan . . . . . . . . . . . . dcccclix\n     167. Kemerezzeman and the Jeweller's Wife . . . . dcccclxiii\n     168. Abdallah ben Fasil and his Brothers. . . . dcccclixviii\n     169. Marouf the Cobbler and his Wife Fatimeh. dcccclxxxix-Mi\nConclusion.\n\n\n\n\n\n            TABLE OF CONTENTS OF THE BRESLAU (TUNIS)\n           EDITION OF THE ARABIC TEXT OF THE BOOK OF\n               THE THOUSAND NIGHTS AND ONE NIGHT.\n\n\n                                                          Night\nIntroduction.--Story of King Shehriyar and his Brother.\n          a. Story of the Ox and the Ass\n     1. The Merchant and the Genie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .i\n          a. The First Old Man's Story . . . . . . . . . . . . iv\n          b. The Second Old Man's Story. . . . . . . . . . . . vi\n          c. The Third Old Man's Story . . . . . . . . . . . viii\n     2. The Fisherman and the Genie. . . . . . . . . . . . . viii\n          a. Story of the Physician Douban . . . . . . . . . . xi\n               aa. Story of the Jealous Man and the Parrot[FN#226]xiv\n               ab. Story of the King's Son and the Ogress. . . xv\n          b. Story of the Enchanted Youth. . . . . . . . . . .xxi\n     3. The Porter and the Three Ladies of Baghdad . . . . xxviii\n          a. The First Calender's Story. . . . . . . . . . xxxvii\n          b. The Second Calender's Story . . . . . . . . . . . xl\n               ba. The Envier and the Envied . . . . . . . . xlvi\n          c. The Third Calender's Story. . . . . . . . . . . liii\n          d. The Eldest Lady's Story . . . . . . . . . . . .lxiii\n          e. Story of the Portress . . . . . . . . . . . . .lxvii\n     4. The Three Apples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . lxix\n     5. Noureddin Ali of Cairo and his Son Bedreddin Hassan.lxxii\n     6. Story of the Hunchback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .cii\n          a. The Christian Broker's Story. . . . . . . . . . cvii\n          b. The Controller's Story. . . . . . . . . . . . . cxix\n          c. The Jewish Physician's Story. . . . . . . . . .cxxix\n          d. The Tailor's Story. . . . . . . . . . . . . .cxxxvii\n          e. The Barber's Story. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .cxlix\n               ea. Story of the Barber's First Brother . . . . ci\n               eb. Story of the Barber's Second Brother. . . cliv\n               ec. Story of the Barber's Third Brother . . .clvii\n               ed. Story of the Barber's Fourth Brother. . clviii\n               ee. Story of the Barber's Fifth Brother . . . .clx\n               ef. Story of the Barber's Sixth Brother . . .clxiv\n     7. Ali ben Bekkar and Shemsennehar. . . . . . . . . . .clxix\n     8. Noureddin Ali and the Damsel Enis el Jelii . . . . .cxcix\n     9. Kemerezzeman and Budour. . . . . . . . . . . . . .ccxviii\n     10. The Enchanted Horse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ccxlir\n     11. The Voyages of Sindbad the Sailor . . . . . . . . ccxliv\n          a. The First Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor. . . . .cclii\n          b. The Second Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor . . . ccliii\n          c. The Third Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor. . . . . cclv\n          d. The Fourth Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor . . . .cclix\n          e. The Fifth Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor. . . .cclxiii\n          f. The Sixth Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor. . . . cclxvi\n          g. The Seventh Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor. . . cclxix\n     12. Asleep and Awake. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . cclxxi\n          a. The Lackpenny and the Cook. . . . . . . . . cclxxiii\n     13. Seif el Mulouk and Bediya el Jemal. . . . . . . .  ccxci\n     14. Khelif the Fisherman [FN#227] . . . . . . . . . . cccxxi\n     15. Ghanim ben Eyoub the Slave of Love. . . . . . . cccxxxii\n          a. Story of the Eunuch Sewab [FN#228]. . . . . cccxxxiv\n          b. Story of the Eunuch Kafour ,,\n     16. Uns el Wujoud and the Vizier's Daughter Rose- in-budcccxli\n     17. The Merchant of Oman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . cccliv\n     18. Ardeshir and Heyat en Nufous. . . . . . . . . . .ccclxiv\n     19. Hassan of Bassora and the King's Daughter of the Jinncclxxxvi\n     20. Haroun er Reshid and the three Poets. . . . . .ccccxxxii\n     21. Omar ben Abdulaziz and the Poets. . . . . . . .ccccxxxii\n     22. El Hejjaj and the three Young Mem . . . . . . .ccccxxxiv\n     23. Er Reshid and the Woman of the Barmecides . . .ccccxxxiv\n     24. The Ten Viziers; or the History of King Azad- bekht and his Sonccccxxxv\n          a. The Unlucky Merchant. . . . . . . . . . . . . ccccxl\n          b. The Merchant and his Sons . . . . . . . . . ccccxliv\n          c. Abou Sabir. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ccccxlviii\n          d. Prince Bihzad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ccccliii\n          e. King Dadbin and his Viziers . . . . . . . . . cccclv\n          f. King Bekhtzeman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .cccclxi\n          g. King Bihkerd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . cccclxiv\n          h. Ilan Shah and Abou Temam. . . . . . . . . . cccclxvi\n          i. King Ibrahim and his Son. . . . . . . . . . cccclxxi\n          j. King Suleiman Shah and his Sons . . . . . . cccclxxv\n          k. The Prisoner and how God gave him Relief . cccclxxxv\n     25. The City of Brass . . . . . . . . . . . . . .cccclxxxvii\n     26. Nimeh ben er Rebya and Num his Slave-girl . . . . . . di\n     27. Alaeddin Abou es Shamat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .dxx\n     28. Hatim Tai; his Generosity after Death . . . . . . .dxxxi\n     29. Maan ben Zaideh and the three Girls . . . . . . . dxxxii\n     30. Maan ben Zaideh and the Bedouin . . . . . . . . . dxxxii\n     31. The City of Lebtait . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . dxxxii\n     32. The Khalif Hisham and the Arab Youth. . . . . . . dxxxiv\n     33. Ibrahim ben el Mehdi and the Barber-Surgeon . . . dxxxiv\n     34. The City of Irem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . dxxxviii\n     35. Isaac of Mosul's Story of Khedijeh and the Khalif Mamoundxl\n     36. The Mock Khalif . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . dxliii\n     37. The Imam Abou Yousuf with Er Reshid and Jaafer. . . .dlv\n     38. The Lover who feigned himself a Thief to save his Mistress's Honourdlvii\n     39. Abou Mohammed the Lazy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . dlviii\n     40. Jaafer ben Yehya and Abdulmelik ben Salih . . . . . dlxv\n     41. Jaafer ben Yehya [FN#229] and the Man who forged a Letter in his Namedlxvi\n     42. Er Reshid and the Barmecides. . . . . . . . . . . dlxvii\n     43. Ibn es Semmak and Er Reshid . . . . . . . . . . .dlxviii\n     44. El Mamoun and Zubeideh. . . . . . . . . . . . . .dlxviii\n     45. Ali Shir [FN#230] and Zumurrud. . . . . . . . . . .dlxix\n     46. The Loves of Budour and Jubeir ben Umeir. . . . dlxxxvii\n     47. The Man of Yemen and his six Slave-girls. . . . . . dxcv\n     48. Haroun Er Reshid with the Damsel and Abou Nuwas . . . dc\n     49. The Man who stole the Dog's Dish of Gold. . . . . . dcii\n     50. El Melik en Nasir and the Three Masters of Police .dciii\n          a. Story of the Chief of the New Cairo Police. . . dciv\n          b. Story of the Chief of the Boulac Police . . . . .dcv\n          c. Story of the Chief of the Old Cairo Police. . . .dcv\n     51. The Thief and the Money-changer . . . . . . . . . . .dcv\n     52. Ibrahim ben el Mehdi and the Merchant's Sister. . . dcvi\n     53. King Kelyaad [FN#231] of Hind and his Vizier Shimas dcix\n          a. The Cat and the Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . dcix\n          b. The Fakir and his Pot of Butter . . . . . . . . .dcx\n          c. The Fishes and the Crab . . . . . . . . . . . . dcxi\n          d. The Crow and the Serpent. . . . . . . . . . . . dcxi\n          e. The Fox and the Wild Ass. . . . . . . . . . . . dcxi\n          f. The Unjust King and the Pilgrim Prince. . . . .dcxii\n          g. The Crows and the Hawk. . . . . . . . . . . . dcxiii\n          h. The Serpent-Charmer and his Wife. . . . . . . .dcxiv\n          i. The Spider and the Wind . . . . . . . . . . . . dcxv\n          j. The Two Kings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .dcxvi\n          k. The Blind Man and the Cripple . . . . . . . . .dcxvi\n          l. The Foolish Fisherman . dcxxvi\n          m. The Boy and the Thieves . . . . . . . . . . .dcxxvii\n          n. The Man and his Wilful Wife . . . . . . . . dcxxviii\n          o. The Merchant and the Thieves. . . . . . . . . dcxxix\n          p. The Foxes and the Wolf. . . . . . . . . . . . .dcxxx\n          q. The Shepherd and the Thief. . . . . . . . . .dcxxxii\n          r. The Heathcock and the Tortoises . . . . . . .dcxxxiv\n     54. The Woman whose Hands were cut off for Almsgiving .dcxli\n     55. The Poor Man and his Generous Friend. . . . . . .dcxliii\n     56. The Ruined Man who became Rich again through a Dreamdcxliv\n     57. Abou Nuwas with the Three Boys and the Khalif Haroun er Reshiddcxlv\n     58. The Lovers of the Benou Udhreh [FN#232] . . . . . dcxlvi\n     59. El Mutelemmis and his Wife Umeimeh. . . . . . . dcxlviii\n     60. Haroun Er Reshid and Zubeideh in the Bath . . . dcxlviii\n     61. Musab ben ez Zubeir and Aaisheh his Wife. . . . . dcxlix\n     62. Aboulaswed and his Squinting Slave-girl . . . . . . dcli\n     63. Haroun er Reshid and the Two Girls. . . . . . . . . dcli\n     64. Haroun er Reshid and the Three Girls. . . . . . . . dcli\n     65. The Simpleton and the Sharper . . . . . . . . . . .dclii\n     66. The Imam Abou Yousuf with Er Reshid and Zubeideh. .dclii\n     67. The Khalif El Hakim and the Merchant. . . . . . . dcliii\n     68. Kisra Anoushirwan and the Village Damsel. . . . . dcliii\n     69. The Water-Carrier and the Goldsmith's Wife. . . . .dcliv\n     70. Khusrau and Shirin and the Fisherman. . . . . . . .dclvi\n     71. Yehya ben Khalid and the Poor Man . . . . . . . . .dclvi\n     73. Mohammed el Amin and Jaafer ben el Hadi . . . . . dclvii\n     73. The Woman's Trick against her Husband . . . . . .dclviii\n     74. The Devout Woman and the Two Wicked Elders. . . . .dclix\n     75 El Fezl ben Rebiya[FN#233] and the Old Bedouin . . . dclx\n     76 En Numan and the Arab of the Benou Tai . . . . . . . dclx\n     77 The Draper and the Thief[FN#234] . . . . . . . . . .dclxi\n     78. Mesrour and Ibn el Caribi . . . . . . . . . . . . dclxii\n     79. The Devout Prince . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . dclxiv\n     80. The Schoolmaster who fell in Love by Report . . . .dclxv\n     81. The Foolish Schoolmaster. . . . . . . . . . . . . dclxvi\n     82. The Ignorant Man who set up for a Schoolmaster. .dclxvii\n     83. Adi ben Zeid and the Princess Hind. . . . . . . dclxviii\n     84. Dibil el Khuzai with the Lady and Muslim ben el Weliddclxx\n     85. Isaac of Mosul and the Merchant . . . . . . . . . .dclxx\n     86. The Three Unfortunate Lovers. . . . . . . . . . .dclxxii\n     87. The Lovers of the Benou Tai . . . . . . . . . . dclxxiii\n     88. The Mad Lover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .dclxxiv\n     89. Firous and his Wife . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . dclxxv\n     90. The Apples of Paradise. . . . . . . . . . . . . .dclxxvi\n     91. The Loves of Abou Isa and Curret el Ain . . . .dclxxviii\n     92. El Amin and his Uncle Ibrahim ben el Mehdi. . . dclxxxii\n     93. El Feth ben Khacan and El Mutawekkil. . . . . .dclxxxiii\n     94. The Man's Dispute with the Learned Woman of the relative Excellence of\n          the Sexes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .dclxxxiii\n     95. Abou Suweid and the Handsome Old Woman. . . . .dclxxxvii\n     96. Ali ben Tahir and the Girl Mounis . . . . . . dclxxxviii\n     97. The Woman who had a Boy and the other who had a Man to Loverdclxxxviii\n     98. The Haunted House in Baghdad. . . . . . . . . dclxxxviii\n     99. The History of Gherib and his brother Agib. . . dcxcviii\n     100. The Rogueries of Delileh the Crafty and her Daughter Zeyneb the Trickstressdcclvi\n     101. The Adventures of Quicksilver Ali of Cairo . . .dcclxvi\n     102. Jouder and his Brothers. . . . . . . . . . . . .dcclxxv\n     103. Julnar of the Sea and her Son King Bedr Basim of Persiadccxciv\n     104. Mesrour and Zein el Mewasif. . . . . . . . . . .dcccxxi\n     105. Ali Noureddin and the Frank King's Daughter. . dcccxxxi\n     106. The Man of Upper Egypt and his Frank Wife. . . dccclxii\n     107. The Ruined Man of Baghdad and his Slave-girl . dccclxiv\n     108. Aboukir the Dyer and Abousir the Barber. . . .dccclxvii\n     109. Abdallah the Fisherman and Abdallah the Mermandccclxxvii\n     110. King Shah Bekhi and his Vizier Er Rehwan . . .dccclxxxv\n          a. The Man of Khorassan, his Son and his Governordccclxxxvi\n          b. The Singer and the Druggist . . . . . . dccclxxxviii\n          c. The King who knew the Quintessence of Things.dcccxci\n          d. The Rich Man who gave his Fair Daughter in Marriage to the\n               Poor Old Man. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . dcccxcii\n          e. The Rich Man and his Wasteful Son . . . . .dcccxciii\n          f. The King's Son who fell in Love with the Picturedcccxciv\n          g. The Fuller and his Wife . . . . . . . . . . dcccxcvi\n          h. The Old Woman, the Merchant and the King. . dcccxcvi\n          i. The Credulous Husband . . . . . . . . . . dcccxcviii\n          j. The Unjust King and the Tither. . . . . . . dcccxcix\n               ja. Story of David and Solomon. . . . . . dcccxcix\n          h. The Thief and the Woman . . . . . . . . . . dcccxcix\n          l. The Three Men and our Lord Jesus. . . . . . . dcccci\n               la. The Disciple's Story. . . . . . . . . . dcccci\n          m. The Dethroned King whose Kingdom and Good were Restored to Himdcccci\n          n. The Man whose Caution was the Cause of his Deathdcccciii\n          o. The Man who was lavish of his House and his Victual to one whom\n               he knew not . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .dcccciv\n          p. The Idiot and the Sharper . . . . . . . . . . dccccv\n          q. Khelbes and his Wife and the Learned Man. . .dccccvi\n          r. The Pious Woman accused of Lewdness . . . . dccccvii\n          s. The Journeyman and the Girl . . . . . . . . .dccccix\n          t. The Weaver who became a Physician by his Wife's Commandmentdccccix\n          u. The Two Sharpers who cheated each his Fellow.dccccxi\n          v. The Sharpers with the Money-Changer and the Assdccccxiv\n          w. The Sharper and the Merchants . . . . . . . .dccccxv\n               wa. The Hawk and the Locust . . . . . . . dccccxvi\n          x. The King and his Chamberlain's Wife . . . .dccccxvii\n               xa. The Old Woman and the Draper's Wife .dccccxvii\n          y. The foul-favoured Man and his Fair Wife . dccccxviii\n          z. The King who lost Kingdom and Wife and Wealth and God\n               restored them to him. . . . . . . . . . . dccccxix\n          aa. Selim and Selma. . . . . . . . . . . . . .dccccxxii\n          bb. The King of Hind and his Visier. . . . .dccccxxviii\n     111 El Melik es Zahir Rukneddin Bibers el Bunducdari and the Sixteen\n          Officers of Police . . . . . . . . . . . . . . dccccxxx\n          a. The First Officer's Story . . . . . . . . . dccccxxx\n          b. The Second Officer's Story. . . . . . . . dccccxxxii\n          c. The Third Officer's Story . . . . . . . . dccccxxxii\n          d. The Fourth Officer's Story. . . . . . . . dccccxxxiv\n          e. The Fifth Officer's Story . . . . . . . . dccccxxxiv\n          f. The Sixth Officer's Story . . . . . . . . dccccxxxiv\n          g. The Seventh Officer's Story . . . . . . . dccccxxxiv\n          h. The Eighth Officer's Story. . . . . . . . .dccccxxxv\n               ha. The Thief's Story . . . . . . . . dccccxxxviii\n          i The Ninth Officer's Story. . . . . . . . dccccxxxviii\n          j. The Tenth Officer's Story . . . . . . . dccccxxxviii\n          k. The Eleventh Officer's Story. . . . . . dccccxxxviii\n          l. The Twelfth Officer's Story . . . . . . . dccccxxxix\n          m. The Thirteenth Officer's Story. . . . . . dccccxxxix\n          n. The Fourteenth Officer's Story. . . . . . dccccxxxix\n               na. A Merry Jest of a Thief . . . . . . . .dccccxl\n               nb. Story of the Old Sharper. . . . . . . .dccccxl\n          o. The Fifteenth Officer's Story . . . . . . . .dccccxl\n          p. The Sixteenth Officer's Story . . . . . . . .dccccxl\n     112. Abdallah ben Nafi and the King's Son of Cashghardccccxli\n          a. Story of Tuhfet el Culoub and Haroun er Reshiddccccxlii\n     113. Noureddin Ali and Sitt el Milah. . . . . . . dcccclviii\n     114. El Abbas and the King's Daughter of Baghdad. .dcccclxvi\n     115. The Malice of Women. . . . . . . . . . . . . dcccclxxix\n          a. The King and his Vizier's Wife. . . . . . .dcccclxxx\n          b, The Merchant's Wife and the Parrot. . . . .dcccclxxx\n          c. The Fuller and his Son. . . . . . . . . . .dcccclxxx\n          d. The Lover's Trick against the Chaste Wife .dcccclxxx\n          e. The Niggard and the Loaves of Bread . . .dcccclxxxiv\n          f. The Lady and her Two Lovers . . . . . . .dcccclxxxiv\n          g. The King's Son and the Ogress . . . . . . dcccclxxxv\n          h. The Drop of Honey . . . . . . . . . . . .dcccclxxxvi\n          i. The Woman who made her Husband Sift Dust.dcccclxxxvi\n          j. The Enchanted Springs . . . . . . . . . .dcccclxxxvi\n          k. The Vizier's Son and the Bathkeeper's Wifedcccclxxxviii\n          l. The Wife's Device to Cheat her Husband. .dcccclxxxix\n          m. The Goldsmith and the Cashmere Singing-Girl .dccccxc\n          n. The Man who never Laughed again . . . . . . dccccxci\n          o. The King's Son and the Merchant's Wife. . dccccxciii\n          p. The Man who saw the Night of Power. . . . dccccxciii\n          q. The Stolen Necklace . . . . . . . . . . . .dccccxciv\n          r. Prince Behram of Persia and the Princess Ed Detmadccccxciv\n          s. The House with the Belvedere. . . . . . . . dccccxcv\n          t. The Sandalwood Merchant and the Sharpers.dccccxcviii\n          u. The Debauchee and the Three-year-old Childdccccxcviii\n          v. The Stolen Purse. . . . . . . . . . . . . .dccccxcix\n          w. The Fox and the Folk[FN#235]. . . . . . . . . . . .M\n     116. The Two Kings and the Vizier's Daughters . . . . . . .M\n     117. The Favourite and her Lover. . . . . . . . . . . . . .M\n     118. The Merchant of Cairo and the Favourite of the Khalif El Mamoun\n          El Hikim bi Amrillak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M\nConclusion\n\n\n\n\n\n              TABLE OF CONTENTS OF THE UNFINISHED\n         CALCUTTA (1814-18) EDITION (FIRST TWO HUNDRED\n          NIGHTS ONLY) OF THE ARABIC TEXT OF THE BOOK\n             OF THE THOUSAND NIGHTS AND ONE NIGHT.\n\n\n\nIntroduction.\n          a. The Ox and the Ass\n     1. The Merchant and the Genie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .i\n          a. The First Old Man's Story . . . . . . . . . . . . ii\n          b. The Second Old Man's Story[FN#236]. . . . . . . . iv\n     2. The Fisherman and the Genie. . . . . . . . . . . . . viii\n          a. The Physician Douban. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi\n               aa. The Merchant and the Parrot . . . . . . . .xiv\n               ab. The King's Son and the Ogress . . . . . . . xv\n          b. The Enchanted Youth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xxi\n     3. The Porter and the Three Ladies of Baghdad . . . . xxviii\n          a. The First Calender's Story. . . . . . . . . . .xxxix\n          b. The Second Calender's Story . . . . . . . . . . xlii\n               ba. The Envier and the Envied . . . . . . . . xlvi\n          c. The Third Calender's Story. . . . . . . . . . . liii\n          d. The Eldest Lady's Story[FN#237] . . . . . . . . lxiv\n     4. The Three Apples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . lxviii\n     5. Noureddin Ali of Cairo and his Son Bedreddin Hassan.lxxii\n     6. Isaac of Mosul's Story of Khedijeh and the Khalif El Mamounxciv\n     7. Story of the Hunchback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ci\n          a. The Christian Broker's Story. . . . . . . . . . .cix\n          b. The Cook's Story[FN#238]. . . . . . . . . . . . cxxi\n          c. The Jewish Physician's Story. . . . . . . . . .cxxix\n          d. The Tailor's Story. . . . . . . . . . . . . . cxxxvi\n          e. The Barber's Story. . . . . . . . . . . . . . cxliii\n               ea. Story of the Barber's First Brother . . . cxlv\n               eb. Story of the Barber's Second Brother. .cxlviii\n               ec. Story of the Barber's Third Brother . . . .cli\n               ed. Story of the Barber's Fourth Brother. . . clii\n               ee. Story of the Barber's Fifth Brother . . . cliv\n               ef. Story of the Barber's Sixth Brother . . clviii\n     8. Ali ben Bekkar and Shemsennehar. . . . . . . . . . clxiii\n     9. Noureddin Ali and the Damsel Ennis el Jelis. . . . clxxxi\n     10. Women's Craft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .cxcv-cc\n     11. Sindbad the Sailor and Hindbad the Porter[FN#239]\n          a. The First Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor\n          b. The Second Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor\n          c. The Third Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor\n          d. The Fourth Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor\n          e. The Fifth Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor\n          f. The Sixth Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor\n          g. The Seventh Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor\n\n\n\n\n\n          ALPHABETICAL TABLE OF THE FIRST LINES OF THE\n             VERSE IN THE \"TALES FROM THE ARABIC.\"\n\n\n\nN.B.--The Roman numerals denote the volume, the Arabic the page\n\nA Damsel made for love and decked with subtle grace, iii. 192.\nA fair one, to idolaters if she herself should show, iii. 10.\nA sun of beauty she appears to all who look on her, iii. 191.\nA white one, from her sheath of tresses now laid bare, ii. 291.\nAfter your loss, nor trace of me nor vestige would remain, iii. 41.\nAlgates ye are our prey become; this many a day and night, iii. 6.\nAll intercessions come and all alike do ill succeed, ii. 218.\nAn if my substance fail, no one there is will succour me, i. 6.\nAn if ye'd of evil be quit, look that no evil ye do, ii. 192.\nAssemble, ye people of passion, I pray, iii. 31.\nAwaken, O ye sleepers all, and profit, whilst it's here, ii. 234.\n\nBeard of the old he-goat, the one-eyed, what shall be, ii. 231.\nBehold, I am clad in a robe of leaves green, ii. 242.\nBut for the spying of the eyes [ill-omened,] we had seen, i. 50.\nBy Allah, but that I trusted that I should meet you again, ii. 266.\nBy Him whom I worship, indeed, I swear, O thou that mine eye dost fill, ii. 213.\n\nDamascus is all gardens decked for the pleasance of the eyes, iii. 9.\nDrink ever, O lovers, I rede you, of wine, ii. 230.\n\nEl Abbas from Akil his stead is come again, iii. 108.\nEndowed with amorous grace past any else am I, ii 253.\n\nFair fall the maid whose loosened locks her cheeks do overcloud! iii. 191.\nFair patience practise, for thereon still followeth content, iii. 116.\nFair patience use, for ease still followeth after stress, iii. 117.\nFor the uses of food I was fashioned and made, ii. 223.\n\"Forget him,\" quoth my censurers, \"forget him; what is he?\" iii. 42.\nFortune its arrows all, through him I love, let fly, iii. 31.\nFull many a man incited me to infidelity, i. 205.\n\nGod judge betwixt me and her lord! Away, i. 48.\nGod keep the days of love-delight! How dearly sweet they were! i. 225.\nGod keep the days of love-delight! How passing sweet they were! ii. 96\nGod knows I ne'er recalled thy memory to my thought, iii. 46.\n\nHad we thy coming known, we would for sacrifice, i. 13.\nHaste not to that thou dost desire; for haste is still unblest, ii. 88.\nHe who Mohammed sent, as prophet to mankind, i. 50.\nHis love he'd have hid, but his tears denounced him to the spy, iii. 42\nHis love on him took pity and wept for his dismay, ii. 210.\nHow long, O Fate, wilt thou oppress and baffle me? ii. 69.\nHow long shall I thus question my heart that's drowned in woe? iii. 42.\nHow long will ye admonished be, without avail or heed? iii. 40.\nHow many, in Yemameh, dishevelled widows plain! i. 50.\n\nI am content, for him I love, to all abide, iii. 25.\nI am filled full of longing pain and memory and dole, iii. 15.\nI am the champion-slayer he warrior without peer, iii. 94. 249----\nI clipped her in mine arms and straight grew drunken with the scent, iii. 125.\nI fear to be seen in the air, ii. 255.\nI marvel for that to my love I see thee now incline, iii. 112.\nI saw thee, O thou best of all the human race, display, i. 46.\nI swear by his life, yea, I swear by the life of my love without peer, iii. 21.\nIf I must die, then welcome death to heal, iii. 23.\nIf, in his own land, midst his folk, abjection and despite, ii. 196.\nI'm the crown of every sweet and fragrant weed, ii. 255.\nIn every rejoicing a boon[FN#240] midst the singers and minstrels am I, ii. 258\nIn my soul the fire of yearning and affliction rageth aye, iii. 65.\nIndeed, thou'st told the tale of kings and men of might, iii. 87.\nIt chances whiles that the blind man escapes a pit, ii. 51.\nIt is as the jasmine, when it I espy, ii. 236.\n\nLet destiny with loosened rein its course appointed fare, iii. 211\nLike a sun at the end of a cane in a hill of sand, iii. 190.\nLike the full moon she shows upon a night of fortune fair, iii. 191.\nLo, since the day I left you, O my masters, iii. 24.\nLook at the moss-rose, on its branches seen, ii. 256.\n\nMay the place of my session ne'er lack thee! Oh, why, iii. 118\nMe, till I stricken was therewith, to love thou didst excite, iii. 113\nMidst colours, my colour excelleth in light, ii. 258.\nMost like a wand of emerald my shape it is, trow I, ii. 245.\nMy flower a marvel on your heads doth show, ii. 254.\nMy fortitude fails, my endeavour is vain, ii. 95.\nMy fruit is a jewel all wroughten of gold, ii. 245.\nMy heart will never credit that I am far from thee, ii. 275.\nMy secret is disclosed, the which I strove to hide, iii. 89.\nMy watering lips, that cull the rose of thy soft cheek, declare, iii. 134.\n\nNo good's in life (to the counsel list of one who's purpose-whole), i. 28.\n\nO amir of justice, be kind to thy subjects, iii. 24.\nO friends, the East wind waxeth, the morning draweth near, iii. 123.\nO friends, the tears flow ever, in mockery of my pain, iii. 116.\nO hills of the sands and the rugged piebald plain, iii. 20.\nO thou that blamest me for my heart and railest at my ill, ii. 101.\nO thou that questionest the lily of its scent, ii. 256.\nO son of Simeon, give no ear to other than my say, iii. 36.\nO'er all the fragrant flowers that be I have the pref'rence aye, ii. 235.\nO'erbold art thou in that to me, a stranger, thou hast sent, iii. 83.\nOft as my yearning waxeth, my heart consoleth me, ii. 228.\nOne of the host am I of lovers sad and sere, ii. 252.\n\nPease on thee! Would our gaze might light on thee once more! ii. 89.\nPeace on you, people of my troth! With peace I do you greet, ii. 224.\n\nQuoth I (and mine a body is of passion all forslain), iii. 81.\n\nRail not at the vicissitudes of Fate, ii. 219.\nRamazan in my life ne'er I fasted, nor e'er, i. 49.\n\nSay, by the lightnings of thy teeth and thy soul's pure desire, iii. 19.\nShe comes in a robe the colour of ultramarine, iii. 190.\nSherik ben Amrou, what device avails the hand of death to stay? i. 204.\nSome with religion themselves concern and make it their business all, i. 48.\nStill by your ruined camp a dweller I abide, ii. 209.\nStill do I yearn, whilst passion's fire flames in my liver are, iii. 111\n\nThe absent ones' harbinger came us unto, iii. 153.\nThe billows of thy love o'erwhelm me passing sore, ii. 226.\nThe crown of the flow'rets am I, in the chamber of wine, ii. 224.\nThe Merciful dyed me with that which I wear, ii. 245.\nThe season of my presence is never at an end, ii. 246.\nThe two girls let me down from fourscore fathoms' height, i. 49.\nThe zephyr's sweetness on the coppice blew, ii. 235.\nThey have departed, but the steads yet full of them remain, ii. 239.\nThey have shut out thy person from my sight, iii. 43.\nThou that the dupe of yearning art, how many a melting wight, iii. 86.\nThou that wast absent from my stead, yet still with me didst bide, iii. 46.\nThy haters say and those who malice to thee bear, iii. 8.\nThy letter reached me; when the words thou wrot'st therein I read, iii. 84.\nThy loss is the fairest of all my heart's woes, iii. 43.\nThy presence honoureth us and we, i. 13.\nTo his beloved one the lover's heart's inclined, iii. 22.\n'Twere better and meeter thy presence to leave, ii. 85.\n'Twere fitter and better my loves that I leave, i. 26.\n\nUnto its pristine lustre your land returned and more, iii. 132.\nUnto me the whole world's gladness is thy nearness and thy sight, iii. 15.\nUpon the parting day our loves from us did fare, iii. 114.\n\nWere not the darkness still in gender masculine, iii. 193.\nWhat strength have I solicitude and long desire to bear, iii. 20.\nWhen in the sitting-chamber we for merry-making sate, iii. 135.\nWhenas mine eyes behold thee not, that day, iii. 47.\nWhenas the soul desireth one other than its peer, ii 207.\nWind of the East, if thou pass by the land where my loved ones dwell, I pray, ii. 204, 271.\nWould God upon that bitterest day, when my death calls for me, i. 47\nWould we may live together, and when we come to die, i. 47.\n\nYe chide at one who weepeth for troubles ever new, iii. 30.\nYe know I'm passion-maddened, racked with love and languishment, ii. 230.\nYour coming to-me-ward, indeed, with \"Welcome! Fair welcome!\" I hail, iii. 136.\nYour water I'll leave without drinking, for there, i. 210.\n\n\n\n\n\n           INDEX TO THE NAMES OF THE \"TALES FROM THE\n                            ARABIC\"\n\n\n\nN.B.-The Roman numerals denote the volume, the Arabic the page\n\nAbbas (El) and the King's Daughter of Baghdad, iii. 53.\nAbbaside, Jaafer ben Yehya and Abdulmelik ben Salih the, i. 183.\nAbdallah ben Nafi and the King's Son of Cashghar, ii. 195.\nAbdulmelik ben Salih the Abbaside, Jaafer ben Yehya, and, i. 183.\nAbou Sabir, Story of, i. 90.\nAbou Temam, Story of Ilan Shah and, i. 126.\nActions, Of the Issues of Good and Evil, i. 103.\nAdvantages of Patience, Of the, i. 89.\nAffairs, Of Looking to the Issues of, i. 80.\nAli of Damascus and Sitt el Milah, Noureddin, iii. 3.\nAppointed Term, Of the, i. 147.\nArab of the Benou Tai, En Numan and the, i. 203.\nAsleep and Awake, i. 5.\nAss, the Sharpers, the Money-Changer and the, ii. 41.\nAwake, Asleep and, i. 5.\nAzadbekht and his Son, History of King, i. 61\n\nBaghdad, El Abbas and the King's Daughter of, iii. 53.\nBarmecides, Er Reshid and the, i. 189.\nBarmecides, Haroun er Reshid and the Woman of the, i. 57.\nBekhtzeman, Story of King, i. 115.\nBenou Tai, En Numan and the Arab of the, i. 203.\nBibers el Bunducdari and the Sixteen Officers of Police, El Melik ez Zahir Rukneddin, ii. 117.\nBihkerd, Story of King, i. 121.\nBihzad, Story of Prince, i. 99.\nBunducdari (El) and the Sixteen Officers of Police, El Melik ez Zahir Rukneddin Bibers, ii. 117.\n\nCairo (The Merchant of) and the Favourite of the Khalif El Mamoun El Hakim bi Amrillah, iii.\n     171.\nCashghar, Abdallah ben Nafi and the King's Son of, ii. 195.\nCaution was the Cause of his Death, The Man whose, i 291.\nChamberlain's Wife, The King and his, ii. 53.\nClemency, Of, i. 120.\nCook, The Lackpenny and the, i. 9.\nCraft, Women's, ii. 287.\nCredulous Husband, The, i. 270.\n\nDadbin (King) and his Viziers, Story of, i. 104.\nDamascus (Noureddin Ali of) and Sitt el Milah, iii. 3.\nDaughter of the Poor Old Man, The Rich Man who married his Fair, i. 247.\nDaughters, The Two Kings and the Vizier's, iii. 145.\nDavid and Solomon, i. 275.\nDeath, The Man whose Caution was the Cause of his, i. 291.\nDestiny, Of, i. 136.\nDethroned King whose Kingdom and Good were restored to him, The, i. 285.\nDisciple's Story, The, i. 283.\nDraper's Wife, The Old Woman and the, ii. 55.\nDruggist, The Singer and the, i. 229.\n\nEighth Officer's Story, The, ii. 155.\nEleventh Officer's Story, The, ii. 175.\nEndeavour against Persistent Ill Fortune, Of the Uselessness of, i. 70.\nEnvy and Malice, Of, i. 125.\n\nFavourite and her Lover, The, iii. 165.\nFavourite of the Khalif El Mamoun el Hakim bi Amrillah, The Merchant of Cairo and the, iii. 171.\nFifteenth Officer's Story, The, ii. 190.\nFifth Officer's Story, The, ii. 144.\nFirouz and his Wife, i. 209.\nFirst Officer's Story, The, ii. 122.\nForehead, Of that which is written on the, i. 136.\nFortune, Of the Uselessness of Endeavour against Persistent Ill, i. 70.\nFoul-favoured Man and his Fair Wife, The, ii. 61.\nFourteenth Officer's Story, The, ii. 183.\nFourth Officer's Story, The, ii. 142.\nFuller and his Wife, The, i. 261.\n\nGirl, The Journeyman and the, ii. 17.\nGod, Of the Speedy Relief of, i. 174.\nGod, Of Trust in, i. 114.\nGovernor, Story of the Man of Khorassan, his Son and his, i. 218.\n\nHakim (El) bi Amrillah, The Merchant and the Favourite of the Khalif El Mamoun, iii. 171.\nHaroun er Reshid, Tuhfet el Culoub and, ii. 203.\nHaroun er Reshid and the Woman of the Barmecides, i. 57.\nHawk and the Locust, The, ii. 50.\nHejjaj (El) and the Three Young Men, i. 53.\nHind and his Vizier, The King of, ii. 105.\nHindbad the Porter, Sindbad the Sailor and, iii. 199.\nHusband, The Credulous, i. 270.\n\nIbn es Semmak and Er Reshid, i. 195.\nIbrahim and his Son, Story of King, i. 138.\nIdiot and the Sharper, The, i. 298.\nIlan Shah and Abou Temam, Story of, i. 126.\nIll Effects of Precipitation, Of the, i. 98.\nIll Fortune, Of the Uselessness of Endeavour against Persistent, i 70.\nIssues of Affairs, Of Looking to the, i. 80.\nIssues of Good and Evil Actions, Of the, i. 103.\n\nJaafer ben Yehya and Abdulmelik ben Salih the Abbaside, i. 183.\nJest of a Thief, A Merry, ii. 186.\nJesus, The Three Men and our Lord, i. 282.\nJourneyman and the Girl, The, ii. 17.\n\nKhalif, El Mamoun El Hakim bi Amrillah, The Merchant of Cairo and the Favourite of the, iii.\n     171.\nKhalif Omar ben Abdulaziz and the Poets, The, i. 45.\nKhelbes and his Wife and the Learned Man, i. 301.\nKhorassan, his Son and his Governor, Story of the Man of, i. 218.\nKing Azadbekht and his Son, History of, i. 61.\nKing Bekhtzeman, Story of, i. 115.\nKing Bihkerd, Story of, i. 121.\nKing and his Chamberlain's Wife, The, ii. 53.\nKing Dadbin and his Viziers, Story of, i. 104.\nKing (The Dethroned), whose Kingdom and Good were restored to him, i. 285.\nKing of Ind and his Vizier, The, ii. 105.\nKing Ibrahim and his Son, Story of, i. 138.\nKing who lost Kingdom and Wife and Wealth, The, ii. 66.\nKing, The Old Woman, the Merchant and the, i. 265.\nKing who knew the Quintessence of Things, The, i. 230.\nKing Shah Bekht and his Vizier Er Rehwan, i. 215.\nKing Suleiman Shah and his Sons, Story of, i. 150\nKing (The Unjust) and the Tither, i. 273.\nKing's Daughter of Baghdad, El Abbas and the, iii. 53.\nKing's Son of Cashghar, Abdullah ben Nafi and the, ii. 195.\nKings and the Vizier's Daughters, The Two, iii. 145.\n\nLackpenny and the Cook, The, i. 9.\nLavish of House and Victual to one whom he knew not, The Man who was, i. 293.\nLearned Man, Khelbes and his Wife and the, i. 301.\nLewdness, The Pious Woman accused of, ii. 5.\nLocust, The Hawk and the, ii. 50.\nLooking to the Issues of Affairs, Of, i. 80.\nLover, The Favourite and her, iii. 165.\n\nMalice, Of Envy and, i. 125.\nMamoun (El) El Hakim bi Amrillah, The Merchant and the Favourite of the Khalif, iii. 171.\nMamoun (El) and Zubeideh, i. 199.\nMan whose Caution was the Cause of his Death, The, i. 291.\nMan and his Fair Wife, The Foul-favoured, ii. 61.\nMan of Khorassan, his Son and his Governor, Story of the, i. 218.\nMan who was lavish of House and Victual to One whom he knew not, The, i 293.\nMariyeh, El Abbas and, iii. 53.\nMarriage to the Poor Old Man, The Rich Man who gave his Fair Daughter in, i. 247.\nMelik (El) Ez Zahir Rukneddin Bibers el Bunducdari and the Sixteen Officers of Police, ii. 117.\nMen and our Lord Jesus, The Three, i. 282.\nMerchant of Cairo and the Favourite of the Khalif El Maraoun El Hakim bi Amrillah, The, iii.\n     171.\nMerchant and the King, The Old Woman, the, i. 265.\nMerchant and his Sons, The, i. 81.\nMerchant, The Unlucky, i. 73.\nMerchants, The Sharper and the, ii. 46.\nMerouzi (El) and Er Razi, ii. 28.\nMerry Jest of a Thief, A, ii. 186.\nMoney-Changer and the Ass, The Sharpers, the, ii. 41.\n\nNinth Officer's Story, The, ii. 167.\nNoureddin Ali of Damascus and Sitt el Milan, iii, 3.\nNuman (En) and the Arab of the Benou Tai, i. 203.\n\nOfficer's Story, The First, ii. 122.\nOfficer's Story, The Second, ii. 134.\nOfficer's Story, The Third, ii. 137.\nOfficer's Story, The Fourth, ii. 142.\nOfficer's Story, The Fifth, ii. 144.\nOfficer's Story, The Sixth, ii. 146.\nOfficer's Story, The Seventh, ii. 150.\nOfficer's Story, the Eighth, ii. 155.\nOfficer's Story, The Ninth, ii. 167.\nOfficer's Story, The Tenth, ii. 172.\nOfficer's Story, The Eleventh, ii. 175.\nOfficer's Story, The Twelfth, ii. 179.\nOfficer's Story, The Thirteenth, ii. 181.\nOfficer's Story, The Fourteenth, ii. 183.\nOfficer's Story, The Fifteenth, ii. 190.\nOfficer's Story, The Sixteenth, ii. 193.\nOfficers of Police, El Melik ez Zahir Rukneddin Bibers el Bunducdar and the Sixteen, ii. 117.\nOld Sharper, Story of the, ii. 187.\nOld Woman and the Draper's Wife, The, ii. 55.\nOld Woman, the Merchant and the King, The, i. 265.\nOmar ben Abdulaziz and the Poets, The Khalif, i. 45.\n\nPatience, Of the Advantages of, i. 89.\nPhysician by his Wife's Commandment, The Weaver who became a, ii. 21.\nPicture, The Prince who fell in love with the, i. 256.\nPious Woman accused of Lewdness, The, ii. 5.\nPoets, The Khalif Omar ben Abdulaziz and the, i. 45.\nPolice, El Melik ez Zahir Rukneddin Bibers el Bunducdari and the Sixteen Officers of, ii. 117.\nPoor Old Man, The Rich Man who gave his Fair Daughter in Marriage to the, i. 247.\nPorter, Sindbad the Sailor and Hindbad the, iii. 199\nPrecipitation, Of the Ill Effects of, i. 98\nPrince Bihzad, Story of, i. 99.\nPrince who fell in Love with the Picture, The, i. 256.\nPrisoner and how God gave him Relief, Story of the, i. 174.\n\nQuintessence of Things, The King who knew the, i. 230.\n\nRazi (Er) and El Merouzi, ii. 28.\nRehwan (Er), King Shah Bekht and his Vizier, i. 215.\nRelief of God, Of the Speedy, i. 174.\nRelief, Story of the Prisoner and how God gave him, i. 174.\nReshid (Er) and the Barmecides, i. 189.\nReshid (Er), Ibn es Semmak and, i. 195.\nReshid (Er), Tuhfet el Culoub and, ii. 203.\nReshid (Haroun er) and the Woman of the Barmecides, i. 57.\nRich Man who gave his Fair Daughter in Marriage to the Poor Old Man, The, i. 247.\nRich Man and his Wasteful Son, The, i. 252.\n\nSabir (Abou), Story of, i. 90.\nSailor and Hindbad the Porter, Sindbad the, iii. 199.\nSecond Officer's Story, The, ii. 134.\nSelim and Selma, ii. 81.\nSelma, Selim and, ii. 81.\nSemmak (Ibn es) and Er Reshid, i. 195.\nSeventh Officer's Story, The, ii. 150.\nSeventh Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor, The, iii. 224.\nShah Bekht and his Vizier Er Rehwan, King, i. 215.\nSharper, The Idiot and the, i. 298.\nSharper and the Merchant, The, ii. 46\nSharper, Story of the Old, ii. 187.\nSharpers who cheated each his Fellow, The Two, ii. 28.\nSharpers, The Money-Changer and the Ass, The, ii. 41.\nShehriyar, Shehrzad and, ii. 111, iii. 141, 157.\nShehrzad and Shehriyar, ii. 111, iii. 141, 157.\nSindbad the Sailor and Hindbad the Porter, iii. 199.\nSindbad the Sailor, The Seventh Voyage of, iii. 224.\nSindbad the Sailor, The Sixth Voyage of, iii. 203.\nSinger and the Druggist, The, i. 229.\nSitt el Milah, Noureddin Ali of Damascus and, iii. 3.\nSixteen Officers of Police, El Melik ez Zahir Rukneddin Bibers el Bunducdari and the, ii. 117.\nSixteenth Officer's Story, The, ii. 193.\nSixth Officer's Story, The, ii. 146.\nSixth Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor, The, iii. 203.\nSolomon, David and, i. 275.\nSon, The History of King Azadbekht and his, i. 61.\nSon and his Governor, Story of the Man of Khorassan, his, i. 218\nSon, Story of King Ibrahim and his, i. 138.\nSon, The Rich Man and his Wasteful, i. 252.\nSons, Story of King Suleiman Shah and his, i. 150.\nSons, The Merchant and his, i. 81.\nSpeedy Relief of God, Of the, i. 174.\nSuleiman Shah and his Sons, Story of King, i. 150.\n\nTai, En Numan and the Arab of the Benou. i. 203.\nTemam (Abou), Story of Ilan Shah and, i. 126.\nTen Viziers, The, i. 61\nTenth Officer's Story, The, ii. 172\nTerm, Of the Appointed, i. 147.\nThief, A Merry Jest of a, ii. 186.\nThiefs Story, The, ii. 165.\nThief and the Woman, The, i. 278\nThings, The King who knew the Quintessence of, i. 239\nThird Officer's Story, The, ii. 137.\nThirteenth Officer's Story, The, ii. 181.\nThree Men and our Lord Jesus, The, i. 282.\nThree Young Men, El Hejjaj and the, i. 53.\nTither, The Unjust King and the, i. 273.\nTrust in God, Of, 114.\nTuhfet el Culoub and Er Reshid, ii. 203.\nTwelfth Officer's Story, The, ii. I79.\nTwo Kings and the Vizier's Daughters, The, iii. 145\n\nUnjust King and the Tither, The, i. 272\nUnlucky Merchant, The, i 73.\nUselessness of Endeavour against Persistent Ill Fortune, Of the, i. 70\n\nVizier, The King of Hind and his, ii. 105.\nVizier Er Rehwan, King Shah Bekht and his, i. 215.\nVizier's Daughters, The Two Kings and the, iii. 145,\nViziers, Story of King Dadbin and his. i. 104.\nViziers, The Ten, i. 61.\nVoyage of Sindbad the Sailor, The Seventh, iii. 224.\nVoyage of Sindbad the Sailor, The Sixth, iii. 203.\n\nWasteful Son, The Rich Man and his, i. 252.\nWeaver who became a Physician by his Wife's Commandment, The ii. 21.\nWife, The King and his Chamberlain's, ii. 53.\nWife, The Old Woman and the Draper's, ii. 55.\nWife, Firouz aad his, i. 209.\nWife, The Fuller and his, i. 261.\nWife and the Learned Man, Khelbes and his, i. 301.\nWoman accused of Lewdness, The Pious, ii. 5.\nWoman of the Barmecides, Haroun er Reshid and the, i. 57.\nWoman, The Thief and the, i. 278.\nWoman (The Old) and the Draper's Wife, ii. 55.\nWoman (The Old), the Merchant and the King, i. 265.\nWomen's Craft, ii. 287.\n\nYoung Men, El Hejjaj and the Three, i. 53.\n\nZubeideh, El Mamoun and, i. 199\n\n\n\n\n\nThe End.\n\n\n\n\n\n                Tales from the Arabic, Volume 3\n                            Endnotes\n\n\n\n\n\n[FN#1]  Breslau Text, vol. xii. pp. 50-116, Nights dcccclviii-dcccclxv.\n\n[FN#2]  Babylon, according to the Muslims, is the head-quarters of sorcery and it is there that the\ntwo fallen angels, Harout and Marout, who are appointed to tempt mankind by teaching them the\nart of magic, are supposed to be confined.\n\n[FN#3]  i.e. \"my lord,\" a title generally prefixed to the names of saints. It is probable, therefore,\nthat the boy was named after some saint or other, whose title, as well as name, was somewhat\nignorantly appropriated to him.\n\n[FN#4]  i.e. one and all?\n\n[FN#5]  i.e. a foretaste of hell.\n\n[FN#6] Lit. he loaded his sleeve with.\n\n[FN#7]  A mithcal is the same as a dinar, i.e. about ten shillings.\n\n[FN#8]  Masculine.\n\n[FN#9]  He was a noted debauchee, as well as the greatest poet of his day See my \"Book of the\nThousand Nights and One Night,\" Vol. IV. p. 205, and Vol. IX. p. 332.\n\n[FN#10] See ante, Vol. II. p. 240. note.\n\n[FN#11] Princess of the Fair.\n\n[FN#12] i.e. Ye are welcome to.\n\n[FN#13] i.e. the place in which those accused or convicted of crimes of violence were confined.\n\n[FN#14] i.e. a youth slender and flexile as a bough.\n\n[FN#15] i.e. sway gracefully. A swimming gait is the ideal of elegance to the Arab.\n\n[FN#16] An Arab of Medina, proverbial for faithlessness.\n\n[FN#17] Joseph is the Mohammedan prototype of beauty.\n\n[FN#18] For the loss of Joseph. Jacob, in like manner, is the Muslim type of inconsolable grief.\n\n[FN#19] Uncle of the Prophet.\n\n[FN#20] First cousin of the Prophet.\n\n[FN#21] i.e. cut off her head.\n\n[FN#22] When asked, on the Day of Judgment, why he had slain her.\n\n[FN#23] i.e. that some one of the many risings in Khorassan (which was in a chronic state of\nrebellion during Er Reshid's reign) had been put down.\n\n[FN#24] Lit. fry. The custom is to sear the stump by plunging it into boiling oil.\n\n[FN#25] Lit. of those having houses.\n\n[FN#26] i.e. from God in the world to come.\n\n[FN#27] I look to get God's favour in consequence of thy fervent prayers for me.\n\n[FN#28] Provided for ablution.\n\n[FN#29] i.e. if you want a thing done, do it yourself.\n\n[FN#30] i.e. put on the ordinary walking dress of the Eastern lady, which completely hides the\nperson.\n\n[FN#31] This is apparently said in jest; but the Muslim Puritan (such as the strict Wehhabi) is\noften exceedingly punctilious in refusing to eat or use anything that is not sanctified by mention in\nthe Koran or the Traditions of the Prophet, in the same spirit as the old Calvinist Scotchwoman of\npopular tradition, who refused to eat muffins, because they \"warna mentioned in the Bible.\"\n\n[FN#32] i.e. a leader (lit. foreman, antistes) of the people at prayer.\n\n[FN#33] Koran ii. 168.\n\n[FN#34] i.e. I have eaten largely and the food lies heavy on my stomach.\n\n[FN#35] Wine is considered by the Arabs a sovereign digestive. See my \"Book of the Thousand\nNights and One Night,\" Vol. IV. p. 357.\n\n[FN#36] \"The similitude of Paradise, the which is promised unto those who fear [God]. Therein\nare rivers of water incorruptible and rivers of milk, the taste whereof changeth not, and rivers of\nwine, a delight to the drinkers, and rivers of clarified honey.\"--Koran xlvii. 16, 17.\n\n[FN#37] The ox is the Arab type of stupidity, as with us the ass.\n\n[FN#38] Syn. wood (oud).\n\n[FN#39] i.e. my pallor and emaciation testify to the affliction of my heart and the latter bears\nwitness that the external symptoms correctly indicate the internal malady.\n\n[FN#40] Lit. he is [first] the deposit of God, then thy deposit.\n\n[FN#41] Or \"by.\"\n\n[FN#42] See supra, Vol. I. p. 35, note.\n\n[FN#43] i.e. made him Chief of the Police of Baghdad, in place of the former Prefect, whom he\nhad put to death with the rest of Noureddin's oppressors.\n\n[FN#44] For affright.\n\n[FN#45] i.e. religious ceremonies so called. See my \"Book of the Thousand Nights and One\nNight,\" Vol. IX. p. 113, note.\n\n[FN#46] Breslau Text, vol. xii. pp. 116-237, Nights dcccclxvi-dcccclxxix.\n\n[FN#47] i.e. A member of the tribe of Sheiban. No such King of Baghdad (which was not\nfounded till the eighth century) as Ins ben Cais is, I believe, known to history.\n\n[FN#48] The cities and provinces of Bassora and Cufa are generally known as \"The Two Iraks\";\nbut the name is here in all probability used in its wider meaning of Irak Arabi (Chaldaea) and Irak\nFarsi (Persian Irak).\n\n[FN#49] i.e. all those languages the knowledge whereof is necessary to an interpreter or\ndragoman (properly terjeman). Or quaere is the word terjemaniyeh (dragomanish) here a\nmistranscription for turkumaniyeh (Turcoman).\n\n[FN#50] i.e. gilded?\n\n[FN#51] i.e. sperma hominis.\n\n[FN#52] Syn. good breeding.\n\n[FN#53] i.e. those women of equal age and rank with herself.\n\n[FN#54] i.e. vaunting himself of offering richer presents.\n\n[FN#55] Apparently Zebid, the ancient capital of the province of Tehameh in Yemen, a town on\nthe Red Sea, about sixty miles north of Mocha. The copyist of the Tunis MS. appears to have\nwritten the name with the addition of the characteristic desinence (oun) of the nominative case,\nwhich is dropped except in the Koran and in poetry.\n\n[FN#56] Name of the province in which Mecca is situated.\n\n[FN#57] Syn. assembly.\n\n[FN#58] i.e. day and night, to wit, for ever.\n\n[FN#59] Syn. the loftiness of his purpose.\n\n[FN#60] Lit \"I charm thee by invoking the aid of God for thee against evil\" or \"I seek refuge with\nGod for thee.\"\n\n[FN#61] Or \"determinate.\"\n\n[FN#62] Koran xxxiii. 38.\n\n[FN#63] Or \"accomplishments.\"\n\n[FN#64] i.e. to make a pleasure-excursion.\n\n[FN#65] Lit. beset his back.\n\n[FN#66] Lit. in its earth.\n\n[FN#67] The king's own tribe.\n\n[FN#68] i.e. the Arab of the desert or Bedouin (el Aarabi), the nomad.\n\n[FN#69] i.e. the martial instinct.\n\n[FN#70] Lit. \"And he who is oppressed shall become oppressor.\"\n\n[FN#71] i.e. be not ashamed to flee rather than perish in thy youth, if his prowess (attributed to\ndiabolical aid or possession) prove too much for thee.\n\n[FN#72] A periphrastic way of saying, \"I look to God for help.\"\n\n[FN#73] i.e. from the world.\n\n[FN#74] In laughter.\n\n[FN#75] i.e. as he were a flying genie, swooping down upon a mortal from the air, hawk-fashion.\n\n[FN#76] Syn. \"Thou settest out to me a mighty matter.\"\n\n[FN#77] i.e. the castle.\n\n[FN#78] i.e. was eloquent and courtly to the utmost.\n\n[FN#79] i.e. died.\n\n[FN#80] The Arabs use the right hand only in eating.\n\n[FN#81] Name of a quarter of Baghdad.\n\n[FN#82] i.e. he summoneth thee to his presence by way of kindness and not because he is wroth\nwith thee.\n\n[FN#83] i.e. in allowing thee hitherto to remain at a distance from as and not inviting thee to\nattach thyself to our person.\n\n[FN#84] An Arab idiom, meaning \"he showed agitation.\"\n\n[FN#85] Apparently two well-known lovers.\n\n[FN#86] Apparently two well-known lovers.\n\n[FN#87] i.e. the wandering Arabs.\n\n[FN#88] i.e. slain.\n\n[FN#89] \"O ye who believe, seek aid of patience and prayer; verily, God is with the\npatient.\"--Koran ii. 148.\n\n[FN#90] Lit. \"ignorant one\" (jahil).\n\n[FN#91] i.e. Peninsula. Jezireh (sing, of jezair, islands) is constantly used by the Arabs in this\nsense; hence much apparent confusion in topographical passages.\n\n[FN#92] i.e. Mecca and Medina.\n\n[FN#93] i.e. whether on a matter of sport, such as the chase, or a grave matter, such as war, etc.\n\n[FN#94] i.e. the children of his fighting-men whom thou slewest.\n\n[FN#95] Arab fashion of shaking hands. See my \"Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night,\"\nVol. IX p. 171, note.\n\n[FN#96] Lit. a cleft meadow (merj selia). This is probably a mistranscription for merj sselia, a\ntreeless champaign.\n\n[FN#97] i.e. one of the small rooms opening upon the hall of audience at saloon of estate.\n\n[FN#98] So she might hear and see what passed, herself unseen.\n\n[FN#99] Or knowledge of court etiquette.\n\n[FN#100] i.e. richer.\n\n[FN#101] Lit. seen.\n\n[FN#102] Lit. what she did.\n\n[FN#103] i.e. tabooed or unlawful in a religious sense (heram).\n\n[FN#104] i.e. those of El Aziz, who had apparently entered the city or passed through it on their\nway to the camp of El Abbas.\n\n[FN#105] Lit. none of the sons of the road.\n\n[FN#106] i.e. the stars.\n\n[FN#107] i.e. in falsetto?\n\n[FN#108] by thine absence.\n\n[FN#109] Common abbreviation for \"May I be thy ransom!\"\n\n[FN#110] i.e. for love of and longing for.\n\n[FN#111] i.e. leather from Et Taif, a town of the Hejaz, renowned for the manufacture of scented\ngoats' leather.\n\n[FN#112] Or \"suspended in.\"\n\n[FN#113] i.e. violateth my privacy.\n\n[FN#114] i.e. the plaintive song of a nightingale or turtle-dove.\n\n[FN#115] This curious comparison appears to be founded upon the extreme tenuity of the\nparticles of fine dust, so minutely divided as to seem almost fluid.\n\n[FN#116] i.e. he carried it into the convent, hidden under his cloak.\n\n[FN#117] i.e. all the delights of Paradise, as promised to the believer by the Koran.\n\n[FN#118] \"Him\" in the text and so on throughout the piece; but Mariyeh is evidently the person\nalluded to, according to the common practice of Muslim poets of a certain class, who consider it\nindecent openly to mention a woman as an object of love.\n\n[FN#119] i.e. from the witchery of her beauty. See Vol. II. p. 240, note.\n\n[FN#120] Lit \"if thou kohl thyself\" i.e. use them as a cosmetic for the eye.\n\n[FN#121] i.e. we will assume thy debts and responsibilities.\n\n[FN#122] Lit \"behind.\"\n\n[FN#123] i.e. a specially auspicious hour, as ascertained by astrological calculations. Eastern\npeoples have always laid great stress upon the necessity of commencing all important\nundertakings at an (astrologically) favourable time.\n\n[FN#124] Or \"more valuable.\" Red camels are considered better than those of other colours by\nsome of the Arabs.\n\n[FN#125] i.e. couriers mounted on dromedaries, which animals are commonly used for this\npurpose, being (for long distances) swifter and more enduring than horses.\n\n[FN#126] Lit. he sinned against himself.\n\n[FN#127] i.e. in falsetto?\n\n[FN#128] i.e. of gold or rare wood, set with balass rubies.\n\n[FN#129] i.e. whose absence.\n\n[FN#130] i.e. in a throat voice?\n\n[FN#131] Koranic synonym, victual (rihan). See Vol. II. p. 247, note.\n\n[FN#132] Apparently, the apple of the throat.\n\n[FN#133] Apparently, the belly.\n\n[FN#134] Apparently, the bosom.\n\n[FN#135] Cf. Fletcher's well-known song in The Bloody Brother;\n\n     \"Hide, O hide those hills of snow,\n        That thy frozen bosom bears,\n     On Whose Tops the Pinks That Grow\n        Are of those that April wears.\"\n\n[FN#136] i.e. the breasts themselves.\n\n[FN#137] i.e. your languishing beauties are alone present to my mind's eye. A drowsy voluptuous\nair of languishment is considered by the Arabs an especial charm.\n\n[FN#138] Syn. chamberlain (hajib).\n\n[FN#139] Syn. eyebrow (hajib). The usual trifling play of words is of course intended.\n\n[FN#140] Lit. feathers.\n\n[FN#141] Solomon is fabled by the Muslims to have compelled the wind to bear his throne when\nplaced upon his famous magic carpet. See my \"Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night,\"\nVol. V. pp. 235-6.\n\n[FN#142] Qu\u00e6re the teeth.\n\n[FN#143] i.e. the return of our beloved hath enabled us to remove the barriers that stood between\nus and delight.\n\n[FN#144] Singing (as I have before pointed out) is not, in the eyes of the strict Muslim, a\nreputable occupation and it is, therefore, generally the first idea of the \"repentant\" professional\nsongstress or (as in this case) enfranchised slave-girl, who has been wont to entertain her master\nwith the display of her musical talents, to free herself from all signs of her former profession and\nidentify herself as closely as possible with the ordinary \"respectable\" bourgeoise of the harem,\nfrom whom she has been distinguished hitherto by unveiled face and freedom of ingress and\negress; and with this aim in view she would naturally be inclined to exaggerate the rigour of\nMuslim custom, as applied to herself.\n\n[FN#145] Breslau Text, vol. xii. pp. 383-4 (Night mi).\n\n[FN#146] i.e. that of the king, his seven viziers, his son and his favourite, which in the Breslau\nEdition immediately follows the Story of El Abbas and Mariyeh and occupies pp. 237-383 of vol.\nxii. (Nights dcccclxxix-m). It will be found translated in my \"Book of the Thousand Nights and\nOne Night,\" Vol. V. pp. 260-346, under the name of \"The Malice of Women.\"\n\n[FN#147] i.e. those who practise it.\n\n[FN#148] Or \"cause\" (sebeb).\n\n[FN#149] Or \"preservation\" (selameh).\n\n[FN#150] Or \"turpitude, anything that is hateful or vexatious\" (keraheh).\n\n[FN#151] Or \"preservation\" (selameh).\n\n[FN#152] Or \"turpitude, anything that is hateful or vexatious\" (keraheh).\n\n[FN#153] These preliminary words of Shehrzad have no apparent connection with the story that\nimmediately follows and which is only her own told in the third person, and it is difficult to\nunderstand why they should be here introduced. The author may have intended to connect them\nwith the story by means of a further development of the latter and with the characteristic\ncarelessness of the Eastern story-teller, forgotten or neglected to carry out his intention; or, again,\nit is possible that the words in question may have been intended as an introduction to the Story of\nthe Favourite and her Lover (see post, p. 165), to which they seem more suitable, and have been\nmisplaced by an error of transcription. In any case, the text is probably (as usual) corrupt.\n\n[FN#154] Breslau Text, vol. xii. pp. 384-394.\n\n[FN#155] The kingdom of the elder brother is afterwards referred to as situate in China. See post,\np. 150.\n\n[FN#156] Tubba was the dynastic title of the ancient Himyerite Kings of Yemen, even as\nChosro\u00ebs and C\u00e6sar of the Kings of Persia and the Emperors of Constantinople respectively.\n\n[FN#157] i.e. a king similar in magnificence and dominion to the monarchs of the three dynasties\naforesaid, whose names are in Arab literature synonyms for regal greatness.\n\n[FN#158] i.e. his rage was ungovernable, so that none dared approach him in his heat of passion.\n\n[FN#159] i.e. maidens cloistered or concealed behind curtains and veiled in the harem.\n\n[FN#160] i.e. those whose business it is to compose or compile stories, verses, etc., for the\nentertainment of kings and grandees.\n\n[FN#161] i.e. that his new and damnable custom. The literal meaning of bidah is \"an innovation\nor invention, anything new;\" but the word is commonly used in the sense of \"heresy\" or\n\"heterodox innovation,\" anything new being naturally heretical in the eyes of the orthodox\nreligionist.\n\n[FN#162] i.e. women.\n\n[FN#163] Breslau Text, vol. xii. pp. 394-398.\n\n[FN#164] i.e. his apathy or indifference to the principles of right and wrong and the consequences\nof his wicked behaviour.\n\n[FN#165] i.e. in a state of reprobation, having incurred the wrath of God.\n\n[FN#166] hath mentioned the office of vizier.\n\n[FN#167] Koran xx. 30.\n\n[FN#168] i.e. none had been better qualified to dispense with a vizier than he.\n\n[FN#169] i.e. the essential qualification.\n\n[FN#170] The word jeish (troops) is here apparently used in the sense at officials, ministers of\ngovernment.\n\n[FN#171] Or \"rectification.\"\n\n[FN#172] Koran xxxiii. 35.\n\n[FN#173] i.e. I know not which to choose of the superabundant material at my command in the\nway of instances of women's craft.\n\n[FN#174] Breslau Text, vol xii. pp. 398-402.\n\n[FN#175] i.e. incensed with the smoke of burning musk. It is a common practice in the East to\nfumigate drinking-vessels with the fragrant smoke of aloes-wood and other perfumes, for the\npurpose of giving a pleasant flavour to the water, etc., drunk from them.\n\n[FN#176] Huneini foucaniyeh. Foucaniyeh means \"upper\" (fem.); but the meaning of huneini is\nunknown to me.\n\n[FN#177] Heriseh. See supra, Vol. II. p. 26, note 4.\n\n[FN#178] The Arabs distinguish three kinds of honey, i.e. bees' honey, cane honey (treacle or\nsyrup of sugar) and drip-honey (date-syrup).\n\n[FN#179] i.e. yet arrive in time for the rendezvous.\n\n[FN#180] Breslau Text, pp. 402-412.\n\n[FN#181] i.e. on an island between two branches of the Nile.\n\n[FN#182] It is not plain what Khalif is here meant, though it is evident, from the context, that an\nEgyptian prince is referred to, unless the story is told of the Abbaside Khalif El Mamoun, son of\nEr Reshid (A.D. 813-33), during his temporary residence in Egypt, which he is said to have\nvisited. This is, however, unlikely, as his character was the reverse of sanguinary; besides, El\nMamoun was not his name, but his title (Aboulabbas Abdallah El Mamoun Billah). Two Khalifs of\nEgypt assumed the title of El Hakim bi Amrillah (He who rules or decrees by or in accordance\nwith the commandment of God), i.e. the Fatimite Abou Ali El Mensour (A.D. 995-1021), and the\nfaineant Abbaside Aboulabbas Ahmed (A.D. 1261-1301); but neither of these was named El\nMamoun. It is probable, however, that the first named is the prince referred to in the story, the\nlatter having neither the power nor the inclination for such wholesale massacres as that described\nin the text, which are perfectly in character with the brutal and fantastic nature of the founder of\nthe Druse religion.\n\n[FN#183] i.e. the well-known island of that name (The Garden).\n\n[FN#184] i.e. \"whatever may betide\" or \"will I, nill I\"?\n\n[FN#185] Lit. she was cut off or cut herself off.\n\n[FN#186] Lit. \"The convent of Clay.\"\n\n[FN#187] i.e. this is the time to approve thyself a man.\n\n[FN#188] To keep her afloat.\n\n[FN#189] Lit \"Thou art the friend who is found (or present) (or the vicissitudes of Time (or\nFortune).\"\n\n[FN#190] i.e. the officer whose duty it is to search out the estates of intestates and lay hands upon\nsuch property as escheats to the Crown for want of heirs.\n\n[FN#191] i.e. Sumatran.\n\n[FN#192] i.e. Alexander.\n\n[FN#193] i.e. the blackness of the hair.\n\n[FN#194] The ingenuity of the bride's attendants, on the occasion of a wedding, is strained to the\nutmost to vary her attire and the manner in which the hair is dressed on the occasion of her being\ndisplayed to her husband, and one favourite trick consists in fastening her tresses about her chin\nand cheeks, so as to produce a sort of imitation of beard and whiskers.\n\n[FN#195] Literal.\n\n[FN#196] i.e. God only knows if it be true or not.\n\n[FN#197] Or rather appended to. The Voyages of Sindbad the Sailor form no part of the scheme\nof Nights in this edition, but are divided into \"Voyages\" only and form a sort of appendix,\nfollowing the Two hundredth Night. See my \"Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night,\" Vol.\nIX. pp. 307-8.\n\n[FN#198] See my \"Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night,\" Vol. V. pp. 202 and 210.\n\n[FN#199] i.e. the porter and the other guests.\n\n[FN#200] i.e. a mountainous island.\n\n[FN#201] Kherabeh, lit. a hole. Syn. ruin or destruction.\n\n[FN#202] i.e. an outlying spur or reef.\n\n[FN#203] Syn. perilous place.\n\n[FN#204] Lit. their guide was disappointed.\n\n[FN#205] i.e. means (hileh) of sustaining life.\n\n[FN#206] i.e. death.\n\n[FN#207] i.e. Ceylon.\n\n[FN#208] Audiyeh (plural of wadi, a valley). The use of the word in this sense points to an\nAfrican origin of this version of the story. The Moors of Africa and Spain commonly called a river\n\"a valley,\" by a natural figure of metonymy substituting the container for the contained; e.g.\nGuadalquiver (Wadi el Kebir, the Great River), Guadiana, etc.\n\n[FN#209] i.e. after the usual compliments, the letter proceeded thus.\n\n[FN#210] i.e. we are thine allies in peace and war, for offence and defence. Those whom thou\nlovest we love, and those whom thou hatest we hate.\n\n[FN#211] About seventy-two grains.\n\n[FN#212] Or public appearance.\n\n[FN#213] Solomon was the dynastic name of the kings of the prae-Adamite Jinn and is here used\nin a generic sense, as Chosroes for the ancient Kings of Persia, Caesar for the Emperors of\nConstantinople, Tubba for the Himyerite Kings of Yemen, etc., etc.\n\n[FN#214] i.e. Maharajah.\n\n[FN#215] Or \"government.\"\n\n[FN#216] Every Muslim is bound by law to give alms to the extent of two and half per cent. of\nhis property.\n\n[FN#217] In North-east Persia.\n\n[FN#218] Alleged to have been found by the Arab conquerors of Spain on the occasion of the\nsack of Toledo and presented by them to the Ommiade Khalif El Welid ben Abdulmelik (A.D.\n705-716). See my \"Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night,\" Vol. III. p. 331.\n\n[FN#219] i.e. such as are fit to be sent from king to king.\n\n[FN#220] i.e, the price of his victual and other necessaries for the voyage.\n\n[FN#221] Lit. riding-beast (French monture, no exact English equivalent), whether camel, mule\nor horse does not appear.\n\n[FN#222] The Envier and the Envied.\n\n[FN#223] After the manner of Orientalists, a far more irritable folk than any poets.\n\n[FN#224] By the by, apropos of this soi-disant complete translation of the great Arabian\ncollection of romantic fiction, it is difficult to understand how an Orientalist of repute, such as Dr.\nHabicht, can have put forth publication of this kind, which so swarms with blunders of every\ndescription as to throw the mistakes of all other translators completely into the shade and to\nrender it utterly useless to the Arabic scholar as a book of reference. We can only conjecture that\nhe must have left the main portion of the work to be executed, without efficient supervision, by\nincapable collaborators or that he undertook and executed the translation in such haste as to\npreclude the possibility of any preliminary examination and revision, worthy of the name, of the\noriginal MS.; and this latter supposition appears to be borne out by the fact that the translation\nwas entirely published before the appearance of any portion of the Arabic Text, as printed from\nthe Tunis Manuscript. Whilst on the subject of German translations, it may be well to correct an\nidea, which appears to prevail among non-Arabic scholars, to the effect that complete translations\nof the Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night exist in the language of Hoffmann and Heine,\nand which is (as far, at least, as my own knowledge extends) a completely erroneous one. I have,\nI believe, examined all the German translations in existence and have found not one of them\nworthy of serious consideration; the best, that of Hammer-Purgstall, to which I had looked for\nhelp in the elucidation of doubtful and corrupt passages, being so loose and unfaithful, so\ndisfigured by ruthless retrenchments and abridgments, no less than by gross errors of all kinds,\nthat I found myself compelled to lay it aside as useless. It is but fair, however, to the memory of\nthe celebrated Austrian Orientalist, to state that the only form in which Von Hammer's translation\nis procurable is that of the German rendering of Prof. Zinserling (1823-4), executed from the\noriginal (French) manuscript, which latter was unfortunately lost before publication.\n\n[FN#225] The Boulac Edition omits this story altogether.\n\n[FN#226] Calcutta (1839-42) and Boulac 134b. \"The Merchant's Wife and the Parrot.\"\n\n[FN#227] This will be found translated in my \"Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night,\"\nVol. VII. p. 307, as an Appendix to the Calcutta (1839-42) and Boulac version of the story, from\nwhich it differs in detail.\n\n[FN#228] Called \"Bekhit\" in Calcutta (1839-42) and Boulac Editions.\n\n[FN#229] Yehya ben Khalid (Calcutta (1839-42) and Boulac).\n\n[FN#230] \"Shar\" (Calcutta (1839-42) and Boulac).\n\n[FN#231] \"Jelyaad\" (Calcutta (1839-42) and Boulac).\n\n[FN#232] Calcutta (1839-42) and Boulac, No. 63. See my \"Book of the Thousand Nights and\nOne Night,\" Vol. IV. p. 211.\n\n[FN#233] Calcutta (1839-42) and Boulac, \"Jaafer the Barmecide.\"\n\n[FN#234] Calcutta (1839-42) and Boulac, \"The Thief turned Merchant and the other Thief,\" No.\n88.\n\n[FN#235] This story will be found translated in my \"Book at the Thousand Nights and One\nNight,' Vol. V. p. 345.\n\n[FN#236] The Third Old Man's Story is wanting.\n\n[FN#237] The Story of the Portress is wanting.\n\n[FN#238] Calcutta (1839-42), Boulac and Breslan, \"The Controller's Story.\"\n\n[FN#239] Calcutta (1839-42) and Boulac, \"Sindbad the Sailor and Sindbad the Porter.\"\n\n[FN#240] Tuhfeh.","title":"Tales from the Arabic \u2014 Volume 03","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":68018}