Chapter 477

The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night

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Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was

The Seven Hundredth Night,

Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that when the Grandees of King Al-Mihrjan"s reign saw their Sovran slain, they flocked to Prince Yusuf and greeted him, marvelling at his beauty and valour and excellence: then they all agreed to salute him as their Sultan and they raised him to the rank of King and sole ruler over them. Presently they led him with them, and fared seeking the city of Al-Mihrjan until they reached it, when they adorned the streets on the occasion of his coming. And King Yusuf having entered his capital took seat on the throne of his kingship and bade and forbade and deposed and appointed; and lastly freed Mohammed ibn Ibrahim from gaol, and established him his Wazir. Hereupon the new Minister displayed to him the four wives and the hundred concubines of King Al-Mihrjan, also the negro slaves, male and female, whom he found to number two hundred and four hundred. Moreover, he showed his riches and rarities and treasuries wherein were found an hundred boxes full of silk and fine linen, and parcels of pearls and rubies and jacinths and jewels and precious minerals and other wealth in abundance. So he distributed the whole amongst his n.o.bles, and largessed them with excessive largesses; and his partisans of his subjects and his guards flocked to him with presents and offerings; and all the city-folk gave him joy and rejoiced in him. Then he commissioned Ibn Ibrahim to Al-Hayfa, daughter of King Al-Mihrjan, saying "Do thou bring her hither to me, her and her hand-maids and all that be in her palace." Accordingly he went forth to Al-Hayfa"s Castle, and ceased not wending till he came to its entrance where he discovered that King Yusuf had appointed a craft for the river transport. And when he arrived there and found the vessel afloat he went in to Al-Hayfa and he greeted her. Then he related to her what had betided her sire from Yusuf and how the Prince had slain him after the fashion of what befel; so she cried, "There is no Majesty and no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great; and this was writ in the Book of Life!" Then she asked Ibn Ibrahim touching her mother, and he answered that she was sound and safe in her own home which she had never left nor did any one go in to her; and (added he) "she expecteth thy coming to her." Then he bade carry down her impediments and her bondmaids and all the good that was in her Castle until nothing remained, and embarked them upon the craft; and presently, mounting her in a litter of sandal-wood plated with ruddy gold, he set her women in Howdahs;[FN#274] and, taking horse himself, he rode until they drew near the city. And when they arrived there he went up to King Yusuf whom he informed of their coming and was told, "Suffer them to be till night shall set in." Hereupon he took patience, and when came the appointed term Al-Hayfa went up to the Palace. Now as Allah caused the morn to morrow and to light the world with its shine and sheen, King Yusuf sent to summon the Kazi and witnesses and bade them write his writ of marriage with Al-Hayfa and was wedded to her by Book and traditional Usage.[FN#275] After this Al-Hayfa sent to fetch her mother and bore her to her home and their joy and enjoyment were great and lasting. Now by the decree of the Decreer anon it befel that the Caliph Al-Maamun waxed strait of breast one night of the nights: so he summoned a certain of his courtiers whose name was Ibrahim the Cup-companion;[FN#276] but, as they found him not, he bade bring a man hight Al-Khadi"a, and when he came between his hands quoth he to him, ""Tis a while since I have seen thee here." Quoth the other, "O Commander of the Faithful, I have been wayfaring about the land of Syria." Continued the Prince of True Believers, "Do thou this very night broaden the Caliph"s heart with a delectable tale;" and the other rejoined, "O Viceregent of Allah upon Earth, know thou an adventure befel me with a youth named the Veiled Yusuf of Beauty, son to King Sahl, the friendly ruler of Al-Sind, and with Al-Hayfa the daughter of King Al-Mihrjan, and "tis a tale whose like hath never been heard; no, never." Hereupon he related to Al-Maamun the history of the two, first and last, adding, "Furthermore, O Commander of the Faithful, I have learnt that Al-Hayfa owneth ten handmaidens whose peers are not to be found in thy Palace, and they are mistresses of all manner instruments of mirth and merriment and other matters; and amongst things said of them by their lady when they marvelled at her good fortune, "Verily this day I have acquired half a score of slave- girls the like of which Al-Maamun hath never collected."" But when the Prince of True Believers heard this he gave ear to the tale anent them during the livelong night till Allah caused the morn to morrow.

Then he sent for Ibrahim the Cup-companion, and to him coming into the presence the Viceregent of Allah exclaimed "Mount without stay and delay taking with thee one thousand Mamelukes and make thy way to this youth who is King of Al-Sind[FN#277] and named "The Veiled Yusuf of Beauty," and bring me his ten handmaidens. After which do thou ask concerning his case and anent his subjects, whether he be just or unjust to the lieges, and if he be righteous I will robe him in honourable robes and if otherwise do thou bring him to my presence." Hereupon Ibrahim took leave of the Caliph and went forth at that very time and tide intending for Al-Sind, and he ceased not wending till he arrived there and found Yusuf setting out for the chase. But when the youth saw the host approaching him--And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!"

Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the King suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night, and that was

The Seven Hundred and Second Night,

"My heart for parting ever burns with lowe; * My lids fiery with tear-floods ever flow: Ho thou in lover"s loving ferly fair, * Cut is the road for those Love gars to glow.

How many a youth has felt his vitals torn * By slender forms and glances forceful prow?

Alas for lover slain by might of Love; * Nor friend avails nor brother true, I trow!"

When the first handmaiden had finished, Yusuf rejoiced (as did Ibrahim the Cup-companion) with excessive joy and the King bade robe her in a sumptuous robe. Hereupon she drained her cup and pa.s.sed it to her compeer whose name was Takna, and this second handmaiden taking beaker in hand placed it afore her and hending the lute smote on it with many a mode; then, returning to the first[FN#279] while the wits of all were bewildered, she improvised the following verses,

"Look on the lute that "minds of Mangonel; * Whose strings are ropes that make each shot to tell: And note the pipes that sound with shriek and cry, * The pipes that cast a fearful joyful spell; Espy the flagons ranged in serried rank * And crops becrowned with wine that longs to well."

But when Takna had finished her poetry Yusuf and Ibrahim were gladdened and the King bade largesse her with a sumptuous robe and a thousand dinars and she tossed off her cup and pa.s.sed it to her successor the third handmaiden Mubdi"[FN#280] hight. She accepted it and setting it before her took the lute and smote it after manifold fashions and presently she spake these couplets,

"Love with his painful pine doth rack this frame of me; * Melts heart and maims my vitals cruel agony; And rail my tears like cloud that rains the largest drops; * And fails my hand to find what seek I fain to see: Thee I conjure, O Yusuf, by Him made thee King * O Sahl-son, Oh our dearest prop, our dignity, This man methinks hath come to part us lovers twain * For in his eyes I see the flame of jealousy."

And when Mubdi" had sung her song, Ibrahim the Cup-companion and King Yusuf smiled and rejoiced and anon there befel them what there befel and the two slipt down aswoon;--And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!"

quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran suffer me to survive?"

Now when it was the next night and that was

The Seven Hundred and Third Night,

"O Blamer, blaming me for draining lonely wine, * Stint carping, I this day to Holy War incline: Oh fair reflection she within her wine-cup shows * Her sight makes spirit dullest earthly flesh refine: How mention her? By Allah "tis forbid in writ * To note the meaner charms in Eden-garth divine."

When the fourth handmaiden had ended her verse, Ibrahim gifted her with one thousand dinars and presented a sumptuous robe to her owner, then she drank off her cup and pa.s.sed it to her compeer hight Al-Badr[FN#282] and she sang the following lines,

"One robbed of heart amid song and wine * And Love that smiteth with babe of eyne: His voice to the lute shall make vitals pain * And the wine shall heal all his pangs and pine: Hast e"er seen the vile drawing near such draught * Or miser close-fisted thereto incline?

The wine is set free in the two-handed jar[FN#283] * Like sun of summer in Aries" sign.

When she had finished Ibrahim bade reward her like the rest with gold and gear and she pa.s.sed her cup to her compeer whose name was Radah.[FN#284] The sixth handmaiden drained it and performed in four-and-twenty modes after which she sang these couplets,

"O thou wine-comrade languor cease to show; * Hand me the morning draught and ne"er foreslow; And prize fair poesy and sweet musick hear * And shun the "say"

and naught of "said" beknow: The wine of day-dawn drunk with joyous throng * From house of Reason garreth Grief to go: The man of Kays aye loved his wine right well * And from his lips made honey"d verse to flow; And in like guise[FN#285] came Isa singing sweet * For such was custom of the long-ago.

When Radah ended her verse and her improvising of mysterious significance, and secret, King Yusuf and Ibrahim the Cup- companion tore their robes from their bodies until naught remained upon them save only the bag-breeches about their waists.

Then the twain shrieked aloud and at one moment and they fell fainting to the floor, unheeding the world and their own selves from the excess of that was in their heads of wine and hearing of poetry spoken by the slave-girl. They remained in such condition for a while of time, after which they recovered though still amazed, a-drunken. Then they donned other dresses and sat down to listen as before, when Radah drained her goblet and filled and pa.s.sed it to her compeer whose name was Na"im;[FN#286] and she taking her lute, improvised the following verses,

"My poesy-gem showeth clear of shine, * When appears that pearl with cheek coralline: "Tis marvel the cloud cannot quench the blaze * That fire in the heart and this water of eyne!

Then alas for Love who hath made me woe! * Pine that rends and racks limbs and vitals o" mine: O thou Well of Poetry well forth thy gems * O"er our drink when our cups overbrim with wine: And sing in her presence, for Envy hath fled * And flies jealous spite and all joys combine.

Oh the charms of wine which enthral the mind, * Clear and clearing sprites by its sprite refined!"

When the seventh handmaiden had ended her verses, King Yusuf and Ibrahim rejoiced with exceeding joy and each of them bade gift her with a thousand gold pieces and quoth the courtier, "By Allah Almighty, none of the Emirs or of the Wazirs or of the Kings or of the Caliphs hath attained excellence like unto this handmaid."

Hereupon Na"im pa.s.sed her goblet to her compeer and she, whose name was Surur,[FN#287] tossed it off and taking in hand her lute, sang these couplets,

"How is"t with heart of me all cares waylay * As drowned in surging tears of Deluge-day?

I weep for Time endured not to us twain * As though Time"s honour did not oft betray.

O my lord Yusuf, O my ending hope, * By Him who made thee lone on Beauty"s way, I dread lest glorious days us twain depart * And youth"s bright world be dimmed to old and grey; O Lord! be Parting"s palm for us undyed[FN#288] * Ere death, nor carry this my lord away."

When the eighth handmaiden had ended her song, the twain marvelled at her eloquence and were like to rend that was upon them of raiment--And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the King suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was

The Seven Hundred and Fifth Night,

"O cup-boy, I crave thee cup-comrade to be * And hearten my heart of its malady; Nor pa.s.s me the bowls for I sorely dread * when drunken all dolours of Love- lowe to dree, To be vilely reviled in the sittings of men, * To be frowardly treated where zephyrs play free.

G.o.d-blest is the Lute for her melodies * Which pain me with painfullest penalty, With the jewels of speech whose transcendent charms * Like fires of Jahim[FN#290] burn the vitals of me.

By Allah, show ruth, be compa.s.sionate, * For Allah deals pardon compa.s.sionately.

Yusuf and Ibrahim, hearing her words, were gladdened with excessive gladness and cried to the ninth handmaid, "May the lord be copious to thee like the fruitful years!" Then the Cup- companion bade gift her with one thousand gold pieces as like- wise did her lord. Hereupon she pa.s.sed her cup to the tenth handmaiden known as Muhjat al-Kulub[FN#291] who fell to improvising these couplets,

"O Blamer, who canst not my case explain; * Cease, for who blame friends shall of blame complain; And whoso unknoweth the workings of Love * Mankind shall reckon him mean and vain: Alas for Love, O ye tribe-landers, I * Am weaned that wont nipples of union to drain.

I have learnt the whole of Love"s governance * Since my baby days amid cradles lain.

Forbear by Allah to ask of my state * How shall morn one banned with debtor bane?

O thou jewel of speech, O thou Yusuf, laud * To the Lord who robed thee with charms amain!

Deign the G.o.d of "Arsh make thy days endure * In wealth and honour sans pause or wane; E"en as Ishak"s son[FN#292] every gift conjoined * Amid men, making rulers to serve him fain."

When Muhjat al-Kulub ended her song, Yusuf gifted her with a splendid robe and a thousand gold pieces as eke did Ibrahim and presently the courtier said to the handmaiden, "Who is Ibrahim that thou shouldst sing of him in song?" She replied, "Wallahi, O my lord, he is son of Ishak, amongst the pleasant ones sans peer and a cup-companion to the Caliphs dear and the pearl concealed and the boon friend of our lord the Commander of the Faithful Al-Maamun and his familiar who to him joy and enjoyment maketh known. Ah! happy the man who can look upon him and forgather with him and company with him before his death; and verily by Allah he is the Master of the Age and the one Wonder of the World.

Moreover, by the Almighty, O my lord, wert thou to see this lute fall into his hands, thou wouldst hear it converse in every language with the tongues of birds and beasts and of the sons of Adam: and well nigh would the place dance ere he had improvised a word. And he the horizons can make to joy and lovers with overlove can destroy, nor shall any after his decease such excellence of speech employ." All this, and Muhjat al-Kulub knew not who was sitting beside them as she went on to praise Ibrahim.

Hereupon he took the lute from her hand and smote it till thou hadst deemed that within the instrument lurked babes of the Jinns[FN#293] which were crying and wailing while spake the strings, and in fine King Yusuf imagined that the palace had upflown with them between heaven and earth. And the handmaidens sang to his tunes in sore astonishment; when Ibrahim designed to talk but King Yusuf cut kin short and fell to saying poetry in these couplets,

"By the rights of our lord who shows ruth in extreme, * And Giver and Guide and boon Prophet we deem, And by Ka"abah resplendent and all its site * And by Zemzem, Safa and the wall Hatim, Lo! thou"rt hight Ibrahim, and suppose I say * Thee sooth, my wits thou must surely esteem: And thy face shows signalled with clearest eyne * Deliv"rance followed by Ya and Mim."[FN#294]

Now Ibrahim kept his secret and did not manifest himself to any, but presently he also improvised and spake in these words preserving the measure and rhyme,

"By him who chose Musa, the Speaker,[FN#295] by Him * who made[FN#296] Hashimite orphan select and supreme!

Ibrahim am I not, but I deem this one * The Caliph who sits by Baghdadian stream; Of his grace the heir of all eloquent arts * And no partner hath he in all gifts that beseem."

And when Ibrahim had finished his verses, Yusuf said to him, "By the virtue of Almighty Allah, an I guess aright and my shot[FN#297] go not amiss, thou art Ibrahim the musician;" but the courtier retained his incognito and replied, "O my lord, Ibrahim is my familiar friend and I am a man of Al-Basrah who hath stolen from him sundry of his modes and airs for the lute and other instruments and I have the practice of improvisation."

Now when Ibrahim was speaking behold, there came one of the Caliph"s pages and he walked up to the head of the a.s.sembly bearing with him a letter, which he handed to his lord. But Yusuf put forth his hand and took it, and after reading the superscription he learnt that his companion was Ibrahim without doubt or mistake, so he said to him, "By Allah, O my lord, verily thou hast slighted me, for that thou hast not informed me of thyself." Quoth the other, "By Allah, I feared from thee lest I give thee excess of trouble;" and quoth Yusuf, "Do thou take to thee all these handmaids whom the Commander of the Faithful hath bid thee receive." Ibrahim replied, "Nay, I will not accept from thee the hand- maidens but rather will I fend from thee the Prince of True Believers;" however, King Yusuf rejoined, "I have gifted them to the Viceregent of Allah: an thou take them not I will send them by other than thyself." Presently King Yusuf set apart for the Caliph great store of gifts, and when the handmaidens heard of that they wept with sore weeping. Ibrahim, hearing their wailing, found it hard to bear, and he also shed tears for the sobbing and crying of them; and presently he exclaimed, "Allah upon thee, O Yusuf leave these ten handmaidens by thee and I will be thy ward with the Prince of True Believers." But Yusuf answered, "Now by the might of Him who stablished the mountains stable, unless thou bear them away with thee I will despatch them escorted by another." Hereupon Ibrahim took them and farewelled King Yusuf and fared forth and hastened his faring till the party arrived at Baghdad, the House of Peace, where he went up into the Palace of the Commander of the Faithful-- And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was

The Seven Hundred and Seventh Night,

whereto he answered, "O our lord, I have come to thee with all thou willest and wishest that of rede be right and of word apposite." Quoth he, "And what may that be?" and quoth the other, "The ten handmaids:" and so saying he set them before the Caliph, whereupon they kissed ground and did him suit and service and deprecated for him and greeted him with blessings, and each and every of them addressed him in tongue most eloquent and with theme most prevalent. The Prince of True Believers hugely admired them, marvelling at their deftness of address and their sweetness of speech which he had never witnessed in any other; and he was delighted with their beauty and loveliness and their stature and symmetrical grace, and he wondered with extreme wonderment how their lord had consented they should be brought before him. Then cried he, "O Ibrahim, what hath been thy case with the owner of these damsels, and did he commit them to thee despite himself in anger and care or with resignation of mind and broadening of bosom and joy and satisfaction?" "O my lord," said Ibrahim, "verily he made them over to me in none except the best of dispositions, and Allah give him length of life for a youth! How benign was his countenance and how beautiful, and how perfect and how liberal were his hands and prompt to act, and how excellent were his wits and how goodly and gracious was his society and how yielding was his nature and how great was his dignity and how just were his dealings with his lieges! By Allah, O Commander of the Faithful, when I went to him from thee I found him outside his city intending for the hunt and chase and about to enjoy himself in pleasurable case, but seeing our coming he met me and salam"d to me and greeted me and rejoiced in me with extreme joy.

All this, and he knew me not nor did I on my part know him; but he took me with him and returned to town, and as we entered he was met by the Lords of the land and the lieges who prayed for him; so I knew that man to be their King and Captain of commandment, also that he was equitable to his subjects. Then he made me alight in his House of Hospitality, and went up into his Palace, after which he sent to call me and I obeyed his summons, when he set apart for me an apartment under his own roof and taking me by the hand led me thereto, where I found everything the best that could be. Anon he despatched for us wine and wax candles and perfumes and fruits fresh and dry and whatnot of that which becometh such a.s.sembly; and, when this was done, he bade summon the ten handmaidens, and they also took their seats in the session, and they smote their instruments and they sang verse wherein each one excelled her companion. But one of them insisted in her song upon the name of me, saying, "None availeth to compose such lines save Ibrahim the Cup-companion, the son of Ishak." Now I had denied myself to their lord and acquainted him not with my name; but when the damsel had finished her verse, I largessed to her a thousand gold pieces and asked her, "Who may be this Ibrahim whereat thou hast hinted in thy song?" Said she, "He is the boon-companion of the Caliph and he is unique among the pleasant"; then she fell to praising me with praise galore than which naught could be more, unknowing me the while, until I took the lute from her hand and smote it with a touch unlike their play. Hereby their lord discovered me and said in his verse, "Thou art Ibrahim without doubt or mistake"; but still I denied myself, replying, "I am a man from Al-Basrah and a familiar of Ibrahim the Master-Musician": And on this wise I answered him, when behold, there came up to us a page bearing a rescript from thee. So King Yusuf took it from his hand and read the address when he made certain that I was Ibrahim, the Cup-companion, and having learnt my name he blamed me saying, "O Ibrahim, thou hast denied thyself to me." "O my lord," I replied, "Twas that I feared for thee excess of trouble"; after which quoth he, "Verily these ten damsels are a free gift from me to the Commander of the Faithful." Hearing these words I refused to receive them and promised on my return to the Caliph that I would defend their lord from all detraction, but he cried, "O Ibrahim, unless thou take them I will forward them with other than thyself" And lastly, O Prince of True Believers, he presented to me fifty slave-girls and as many Mamelukes and an hundred and fifty negro-serviles and twenty steeds of purest blood, with their housings and furniture, and four hundred she-camels and twenty pods of musk."[FN#298] Then having told his tale, the Cup-companion fell to commending Yusuf, and the Caliph inclined ear to him admiring at this man and his generosity and his openness of hand and the eloquence of his tongue and the excellence of his manners, until Al-Maamun desired to forgather with him and work him weal and gift him with liberal gifts.

Presently the Caliph bade summon the ten handmaidens and the hour was past supper-tide, at which time Ibrahim the Cup-companion was seated beside him without other being present. And as soon as the girls came before him the Caliph bade them take their seats, and when they obeyed his order the wine cups went merrily round, and the ten were directed to let him hear somewhat of their chaunting and playing. So they fell to smiting their instruments of mirth and merriment and singing their songs, one after other, and each as she ended her poetry touched the Caliph with delight until it came to the last of them, who was hight Muhjat al-Kulub;--And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the King suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was

The Seven Hundred and Ninth Night,

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