One Thousand and One Nights

by Richard Burton

  Slender of waist, with streaming hair the hue of night, is she,

  With hips like hills of sand and shape straight as the

  balsam-tree.

  And as says another:

  There are four things that ne’er unite, except it be To shed my

  heart’s best blood and take my soul by storm.

  And these are night-black locks and brow as bright as day, Cheeks

  ruddy as the rose and straight and slender form.

  When I looked on her, I prostrated myself before her Maker, for the grace and beauty He had created in her and she looked at me and said, “Art thou a man or a genie?” “I am a man,” answered I; and she said, “And who brought thee to this place, where I have dwelt five-and-twenty years without seeing man?” Quoth I (and indeed her speech was sweet to me), “O my lady, my good star brought me hither for the dispelling of my grief and anxiety.” And I told her all that had befallen me from first to last. My case was grievous to her and she wept: then she said, “I will tell thee my story in turn. I am the daughter of a King of Farther India, by name Efitamous, Lord of the Ebony Islands, who married me to my cousin, but on my wedding-night an Afrit called Jerjis ben Rejmous, the mother’s sister’s son of Iblis, carried me off and flying away with me, set me down in this place whither he transported all that I needed of clothes and ornaments and furniture and meat and drink and so forth. Once in every ten days he comes to me and lies the night here, then goes his way; for he took me without the consent of his family: and he has agreed with me that, in case I should ever have occasion for him in the interval between his visits, whether by night or by day, I have only to touch these two lines engraved upon the alcove, and he will be with me before I take away my hand. It is now four days since he was here, and there remain six before he comes again. Wilt thou therefore spend five days with me and depart the day before his coming?” “I will well,” answered I. “O rare! if it be not all a dream.” At this she rejoiced and taking me by the hand, led me through a vaulted doorway into a small but elegant bath-room, where we put off our clothes and she washed me. Then she clad me in a new suit and seated me by her side on a high divan and gave me to drink of sherbet of sugar flavoured with musk. Then she brought food, and we ate and conversed. After awhile, she said to me, “Lie down and rest, for thou art weary.” So I lay down and slept and forgot all that had befallen me. When I awoke, I found her rubbing my feet: so I thanked her and blessed her, and we sat talking awhile. Quoth she, “By Allah, I was sad at heart, for that I have dwelt alone under ground these five-and-twenty years, without any to talk withal. So praised be God who hath sent thee to me!” Then she said, “O youth, art thou for wine?” And I answered, “As thou wilt.” Whereupon she went to the cupboard and took out a sealed flask of old wine and decked the table with flowers and green herbs. Then she recited the following verses:

  Had we thy coming known, we would for sacrifice Have poured thee

  forth heart’s blood and blackness of the eyes:

  Ay, and we would have laid our cheeks within thy way, That so thy

  feet might tread on eyelids, carpet-wise!

  I thanked her, for indeed love of her had taken hold of me, and my grief and anxiety left me. We sat carousing till nightfall, and I passed the night with her, never knew I such a night. On the morrow, delight succeeded delight till the middle of the day, when I drank wine, till I lost my senses and rose, staggering from side to side, and said to her, “Come, O fair one! I will carry thee up from under the earth and rid thee of this genie.” She laughed and replied, “Be content and hold thy peace. One day in every ten is the genie’s, and the other nine shall be thine.” Quoth I (and indeed drunkenness had got the better of me), “This very moment will I break the alcove, on which is graven the talisman, and summon the Afrit hither, that I may kill him, for I am used to kill Afrits ten at a time.” When she heard this, she conjured me by Allah to refrain and repeated the following verses:

  This is a thing wherein thine own destruction lies: I rede thee keep thyself therefrom, if thou be wise.

  And also these:

  O thou that seek’st to hasten on the feet Of parting’s steeds,

  the matchless swift of flight,

  Forbear, for fortune’s nature is deceit, And parting is the end

  of love delight.

  I paid no heed to her words, but kicked the alcove with all my might, and immediately the place grew dark, it thundered and lightened, the earth trembled and the world was wrapped in gloom. When I saw this, the fumes of the wine left my head and I said to the lady, “What is the matter?” “The Afrit is upon us,” answered she “Did I not warn thee of this! By Allah, thou hast ruined me! But fly for thy life and return whence thou camest.” So I ascended the stair, but, in the excess of my fear I forgot my sandals and hatchet. When I had mounted two steps, I turned to look, and behold, the ground clove in sunder and out came an Afrit of hideous aspect, who said to the lady, “What is this commotion with which thou disturbest me? What misfortune has befallen thee?” “Nothing has befallen me,” answered she, “except that I was heavy at heart and drank a little wine to hearten myself. Then I rose to do an occasion, but my head became heavy and I fell against the alcove.” “Thou liest, O harlot!” said he, and looked right and left, till he caught sight of the axe and the sandals and said, “These are some man’s gear. Who has been with thee?” Quoth she, “I never set eyes on them till this moment; they must have clung to thee as thou camest hither.” But he said, “This talk is absurd and will not impose on me, O strumpet!” Then he stripped her naked and stretching her on the ground, tied her hands and feet to four stakes and proceeded to torture her to make her confess. I could not bear to hear her weeping; so I ascended the stair, quaking for fear. When I reached the top, I replaced the trap-door and covered it over with earth; and I thought of the lady and her beauty and what had befallen her through my folly and repented me sore of what I had done. Then I bethought me of my father and his kingdom and how I had become a woodcutter, and how, after my life had been awhile serene, it had again become troubled, and I wept and repeated the following verse:

  What time the cruelties of Fate o’erwhelm thee with distress, Think that one day must bring thee ease, another day duresse.

  Then I went on till I reached the house of my friend, whom I found awaiting me, as he were on coals of fire on my account. When he saw me, he rejoiced and said, “O my brother, where didst thou pass the night? My heart has been full of anxiety on thine account, fearing for thee from the wild beasts or other peril: but praised be God for thy safety!” I thanked him for his solicitude, and retiring to my chamber, fell a-musing on what had passed and reproached myself grievously for my meddlesomeness in kicking the alcove. Presently the tailor came in to me and said, “O my son, there is without an old man, a foreigner, who seeks thee. He has thine axe and sandals and came to the woodcutters and said to them, ‘I went out at the hour of the call to morning prayer and happened on these and know not whose they are: direct me to their owner.’ They knew thine axe and sent him to thee; and he is now sitting in my shop. So do thou go out to him and thank him and take thy gear.” When I heard this, my colour changed and I was sick for terror but before I could think, the floor clove asunder and up came the stranger, and lo, it was the Afrit! Now he had tortured the lady in the most barbarous manner, without being able to make her confess: so he took the axe and sandals, saying, “As sure as I am Jerjis of the lineage of Iblis, I will bring back the owner of this axe and these sandals!” So he went to the woodcutters with the tale aforesaid, and they directed him to me. He snatched me up without parley and flew high into the air, but presently descended and plunged into the ground with me, and I the while unconscious. Then he came up with me in the underground palace, where I saw the lady stretched out naked, with the blood running from her sides. At this sight, my eyes ran over with tears; but the Afrit unbound her and veiling her, said to her, “O wanton, is not this thy lover?” She looked at me and said,
“I know not this man, nor have I ever seen him till now.” Quoth he, “Wilt thou not confess after all this torture?” And she answered, “I never saw him in my life, and God forbid that I should lie against him and thou kill him.” “Then,” said he, “if thou know him not, take this sword and cut off his head.” She took the sword and came and stood at my head; and I made signs to her with my eyebrows whilst the tears ran down my cheeks. She understood me and signed to me with her eyes as who should say, “Thou hast brought all this upon us.” And I answered her, in the same fashion, that it was a time for forgiveness; and the tongue of the case spoke the words of the poet:

  My looks interpret for my tongue and tell of what I feel: And all

  the love appears that I within my heart conceal.

  When as we meet and down our cheeks our tears are running fast,

  I’m dumb, and yet my speaking eyes my thought of thee

  reveal.

  She signs to me; and I, I know the things her glances say: I with

  my fingers sign, and she conceives the mute appeal.

  Our eyebrows of themselves suffice unto our intercourse: We’re

  mute; but passion none the less speaks in the looks we

  steal.

  Then she threw down the sword and said, “How shall I strike off the head of one whom I know not and who has done me no hurt? My religion will not allow of this.” Quoth the Afrit, “It is grievous to thee to kill thy lover. Because he hath lain a night with thee, thou endurest this torture and wilt not confess upon him. It is only like that pities like.” Then he turned to me and said, “O mortal, dost thou not know this woman?” “Who is she?” answered I. “I never saw her till now.” “Then,” said he “take this sword and strike off her head and I will believe that thou knowest her not and will let thee go and do thee no hurt.” Quoth I, “It is well;” and taking the sword, went up to her briskly and raised my hand. But she signed to me with her eyebrows, as who should say, “What hurt have I done thee? Is it thus thou requitest me?” I understood what she would say and replied in the same manner, “I will ransom thee with my life.” And the tongue of the case repeated the following verses:

  How many a lover with his eyelids speaks And doth his thought

  unto his mistress tell

  He flashes signals to her with his eyes, And she at once is ware

  of what befell.

  How swift the looks that pass betwixt the twain! How fair,

  indeed, and how delectable!

  One with his eyelids writes what he would say: The other with her

  eyes the writ doth spell.

  Then my eyes ran over with tears and I said, “O mighty Afrit and doughty hero! if a woman, lacking sense and religion, deem it unlawful to strike off my head, how can I, who am a man, bring myself to slay her whom I never saw in my life? Never will I do it, though I drink the cup of death and ruin!” And I threw the sword from my hand. Quoth the Afrit, “Ye show the good understanding between you, but I will let you see the issue of your doings.” Then he took the sword and cut off the lady’s hands and feet at four strokes; whilst I looked on and made sure of death; and she signed me a farewell with her eyes. Quoth he, “Thou cuckoldest me with thine eyes!” And struck off her head with a blow of his sword. Then he turned to me and said, “O mortal, by our law; when our wives commit adultery, it is lawful to us to put them to death. As for this woman, I stole her away on her wedding-night, when she was a girl of twelve, and she has known no one but myself. I used to come to her once in every ten days in the habit of a man, a foreigner, and pass one night with her; and when I was assured that she had played me false, I slew her. But as for thee, I am not sure that thou west her accomplice: nevertheless, I must not let thee go unharmed; but I will grant thee a favour.” At this I rejoiced greatly and said, “What favour wilt thou grant me?” “I will give thee thy choice,” replied he, “whether I shall change thee into a dog, an ass or an ape.” Quoth I (and indeed I had hoped that he would pardon me), “By Allah, spare me, and God will reward thee for sparing a true believer, who hath done thee no harm.” And I humbled myself before him to the utmost and wept, saying, “Indeed, thou dost me injustice.” “Do not multiply words on me,” answered he; “it is in my power to kill thee: but I give thee thy choice.” “O Afrit,” rejoined I, “it would best become thee to pardon me, even as the envied pardoned the envier.” Quoth he, “And how was that?” “They say, O Afrit,” answered I, “that

  John Payne’s translation: detailed table of contents

  Story of the Envier and the Envied.

  There dwelt once in a certain city two men, who occupied adjoining houses, having a common party-wall; and one of them envied the other and looked on him with an evil eye and did his utmost endeavour to work him ill; and his envy grew on him till he could hardly eat or enjoy the delight of sleep for it. But the envied man did nought but prosper, and the more the other strove to do him hurt, the more he increased and throve and flourished. At last the hatred his neighbour bore him and his constant endeavour to do him hurt came to his knowledge and he said, ‘By Allah, I will renounce the world on his account!’ So he left his native place and settled in a distant city, where he bought a piece of land, in which was a dried-up well, that had once been used for watering the fields. Here he built him an oratory, which he fitted up with all that he required, and took up his abode therein, devoting himself with a sincere heart to the service of God the Most High. Fakirs and poor folk soon flocked to him from all sides, and his fame spread abroad in the city, so that the notables resorted to him. After awhile, the news reached the envious man of the good fortune that had befallen his old neighbour and the high consideration in which he was held: so he set out for the town in which the latter dwelt and repaired to the hermitage, where the envied man welcomed him and received him with the utmost honour. Quoth the envier, ‘I have journeyed hither on purpose to tell thee a piece of good news. So order thy fakirs to retire to their cells and go with me apart, for I will not say what I have to tell thee, except privately where none may overhear us.’ Accordingly the envied man ordered the fakirs to retire to their cells; and they did so. Then he took the other by the hand and walked on with him a little way, till they came to the deserted well, when the envious man gave the other a push and cast him into the well, unseen of any; after which, he went out and went his way thinking that he had killed him. Now this well was haunted by Jinn, who bore up the envied man and let him down little by little, so that he reached the bottom unhurt, and they seated him on a stone. Then said one of the Jinn to the others, ‘Know ye who this is?’ And they answered, ‘No.’ Quoth he, ‘This is the envied man who fled from him who envied him and settled in our city, where he built him this oratory and entertains us with his litanies and recitations of the Koran. But the envious man set out and journeyed till he rejoined him and contrived to throw him into this well. Now the news of him hath this very night come to the Sultan of the city and he purposes to visit him to-morrow, on account of his daughter. ‘And what ails his daughter?’ asked another. ‘She is possessed of an evil spirit,’ replied the first, ‘for the genie Meimoun ben Demdem has fallen in love with her; but if the pious man knew the remedy, he could cure her; and it is the easiest of things.’ ‘And what is the remedy?’ asked the other. Quoth the first speaker ‘The black cat that is with him in the oratory has a white spot, the size of a dirhem, at the end of her tail: he should take seven white hairs from this spot and fumigate the princess therewith; whereupon the Marid will leave her and never return, and she will be cured immediately.’ And the envied man heard all this. When the day broke and the morning appeared and shone, the fakirs came to seek their chief and found him rising from the well, wherefore he was magnified in their eyes; and he took the black cat and plucking seven white hairs from the spot at the end of her tail, laid them aside. The sun had hardly risen when the King arrived and entered the hermitage, attended by his chief officers, leaving the rest of his suite without. The envied man bade him welc
ome and drawing near to him, said, ‘Shall I tell thee the object of thy visit?’ ‘Yes,’ answered the King. And he said, ‘Thou comest to consult me concerning thy daughter.’ Quoth the King, ‘Thou sayst truly, O virtuous elder!’ Then said the envied man, ‘Send and fetch her, and (God willing) I trust to cure her at once.’ The King rejoiced and sent for his daughter; and they brought her bound hand and foot. The envied man made her sit down behind a curtain and taking out the hairs, fumigated her with them; whereupon the Afrit that was in her roared out and departed from her. And she was restored to her right mind and veiled her face, saying, ‘What has happened and who brought me hither?’ At this, the Sultan rejoiced beyond measure and kissed her on the eyes and kissed the envied man’s hand. Then he turned to his officers and said, ‘How say you? What reward doth he deserve who cured my daughter?’ They answered, ‘He deserves to have her to wife;’ and the King, ‘Ye say well.’ So he married him to her, and the envied man became the King’s son-in-law. After awhile, the Vizier died, and the King said, ‘Whom shall we make Vizier in his stead?’ ‘Thy son-in-law,’ answered the courtiers. So the envied man was made Vizier. Presently the Sultan also died, and the grandees determined to appoint the Vizier King in his place. So they made him Sultan, and he became King regnant. One day, as he was riding forth in his royal state, surrounded by his Viziers and Amirs and grandees, his eyes fell on his old neighbour, the envious man; so he turned to one of his viziers and said to him, ‘Bring me yonder man and frighten him not.’ So the Vizier went and returned with the envious man: and the King said, ‘Give him a thousand dinars from my treasury and twenty loads of merchandise and send him under an escort to his own city.’ Then he bade him farewell and sent him away and forbore to punish him for what he had done with him See, O Afrit, how the envied man forgave his envier, who had always hated him and borne him malice and had journeyed to him and made shift to throw him into the well: yet did he not requite him his ill-doing, but on the contrary was bountiful to him and forgave him.” Then I wept before him exceeding sore, and repeated the following verses: