One Thousand and One Nights

by Richard Burton

  ruddy as the rose and straight and slender form.

  And also quoth another:

  She shineth forth, a moon, and bends, a willow-wand, And

  breathes, pure ambergris, and gazes, a gazelle.

  It seems as if grief loved my heart and when from her

  Estrangement I endure, possession to it fell.

  She was clad in a shift of Venetian silk, without drawers, and wore on her head a kerchief embroidered with gold and jewels; her ears were hung with earrings, that shone like stars, and round her neck was a collar of great pearls, past the competence of any king. When he saw this, his reason was confounded and natural heat began to stir in him; God awoke in him the desire of coition and he said, ‘What God wills, shall be, and what He will not, shall not be!’ So saying, he put out his hand and turning her over, loosed the collar of her shift, laying bare her bosom, with its breasts like globes of ivory; whereat his inclination for her redoubled and he desired her with an exceeding desire. Then he shook her and moved her, essaying to waken her and saying, ‘O my beloved, awake and look on me; I am Kemerezzeman.’ But she awoke not, neither moved her head, for Dehnesh made her sleep heavy. With this, he considered awhile and said to himself, ‘If I guess aright, this is she to whom my father would have married me and I have refused these three years past; but, God willing, as soon as it is day, I will say to him, “Marry me to her that I may enjoy her,” nor will I let half the day pass ere I possess her and take my fill of her beauty and grace.’ Then he bent over Budour, to kiss her, whereat Maimouneh trembled and was confounded and Dehnesh was like to fly for joy. But, as Kemerezzeman was about to kiss her, he was ashamed before God and turned away his head, saying to his heart, ‘Have patience.’ Then he considered awhile and said, ‘I will be patient, lest my father have brought this young lady and made her lie by my side, to try me with her, charging her not to be lightly awakened, whenas I would fain arouse her, and bidding her tell him all that I do to her. Belike, he is hidden somewhere whence he can see all I do with this young lady, himself unseen; and to-morrow he will flout me and say, “How comes it that thou feignest to have no mind to marry and yet didst kiss and clip yonder damsel?” So I will forbear her, lest I be shamed before my father; and it were well that I look not on her nor touch her at this present, except to take from her somewhat to serve as a sign of remembrance and a token between us.’ Then he lifted her hand and took from her little finger a ring worth much money, for that its beazel was of precious jewels and around it were graven the following verses:

  Think not that I have forgotten thy sometime promises, Though long

  thou hast protracted thy cruelty, ywis.

  Be generous, O my master, vouchsafe me of thy grace, So it to me

  be given thy lips and cheeks to kiss.

  Never, by Allah, never will I abandon thee, Though thou

  transgress thy limits in love and go amiss!

  Then he put the ring on his own little finger, and turning his back to her, went to sleep. When Maimouneh saw this, she was glad and said, ‘Saw ye how my beloved Kemerezzeman forbore this young lady? Verily, this was of the perfection of his excellences; for see how he looked on her and noted her beauty and grace, yet clipped her not neither kissed her nor put his hand to her, but turned his back to her and slept.’ ‘It is well,’ answered they; ‘we saw how perfectly he bore himself.’ Then Maimouneh changed herself into a flea and entering Budour’s clothes, crept up her leg and bit her four finger-breadths below the navel; whereupon she opened her eyes and sitting up in bed, saw a youth lying beside her and breathing heavily in his sleep, the loveliest of God’s creatures, with eyes that put to shame the fair maids of Paradise, mouth like Solomon’s seal, whose water was sweeter to the taste and more efficacious than triacle, lips the colour of coral and cheeks like blood-red anemones, even as saith one, describing him:

  From Zeyneb and Newar my mind is drawn away By the

  rose of a cheek, whereo’er a whisker’s myrtles stray.

  I’m fallen in love with a fawn, a youngling tunic-clad, And joy

  no more in love of bracelet-wearing may.

  My mate in banquet-hall and closet’s all unlike To her with whom

  within my harem’s close I play:

  O thou that blames me, because I flee from Hind And

  Zeyneb, my excuse is clear as break of day.

  Would’st have me be a slave, the bondsman of a slave, One

  cloistered and confined behind a wall alway?

  When the princess saw him, a transport of passion and longing seized her and she said to herself, ‘Alas my shame! This is a strange youth and I know him not. How comes he lying in one bed with me?’ Then she looked at him again and noting his beauty and grace, said, ‘By Allah, he is a comely youth and my heart is well-nigh torn in sunder with longing for him. But alas, how am I shamed by him! By Allah, had I known it was he who sought my hand of my father, I had not rejected him, but had married him and enjoyed his loveliness!’ Then she gazed in his face and said, ‘O my lord and light of mine eyes, awake from sleep and enjoy my beauty and grace.’ And she moved him with her hand; but Maimouneh let down sleep upon him (as it were a curtain) and pressed on his head with her wings, so that he awoke not. The princess went on to shake him and say, ‘My life on thee, give ear unto me! Awake and look on the narcissus and the tender green and enjoy my body and my secret charms and dally with me and touzle me from now till break of day! I conjure thee by Allah, O my lord, sit up and lean against the pillow and sleep not!’ Still he made her no answer, but breathed heavily in his sleep. ‘Alas! Alas!’ continued she. ‘Thou art proud in thy beauty and grace and lovely looks! But if thou art handsome, so am I; what then is this thou dost? Have they lessoned thee to flout me or has the wretched old man, my father, made thee swear not to speak to me to-night?’ But he opened not his mouth neither awoke, whereat her passion redoubled and God inflamed her heart with love of him. She stole one glance at him that cost her a thousand sighs: her heart fluttered and her entrails yearned and she exclaimed, ‘Speak to me, O my lord! O my friend, my beloved, answer me and tell me thy name, for indeed thou hast ravished my wit!’ Still he abode drowned in sleep and answered her not a word, and she sighed and said, ‘Alas! Alas! why art thou so self-satisfied?’ Then she shook him and turning his hand over, saw her ring on his little finger, whereat she cried out and said, with a sigh of passion, ‘Alack! Alack! By Allah, thou art my beloved and lovest me! Yet meseems thou turnest away from me out of coquetry, for all thou camest to me whilst I was asleep and knew not what thou didst, and tookest my ring. But I will not pull it off thy finger.’ So saying, she opened the bosom of his shirt and kissed him and put her hand to him, seeking somewhat that she might take as a token, but found nothing. Then she put her hand into his breast, and for the smoothness of his body, it slipped down to his navel and thence to his yard, whereupon her heart ached and her entrails quivered and desire was sore upon her, for that women’s lust is fiercer than that of men, and she was confounded. Then she took his ring from his finger and put it on her own and kissed his mouth and hands, nor did she leave any part of him unkissed; after which she took him to her breast and laying one of her hands under his neck and the other under his armpit, fell asleep by his side. Then said Maimouneh to Dehnesh, ‘O accursed one, sawst thou how prudishly and coquettishly my beloved bore himself and what ardour of passion thy mistress showed to him? There can be no doubt that my beloved is handsomer than thine; nevertheless I pardon thee.’ Then she wrote him a patent of manumission and said to Keshkesh, ‘Help Dehnesh to take up his mistress and carry her back to her own place, for the night wanes apace and there is but little left of it.’ ‘I hear and obey,’ answered Keshkesh. So the two Afrits lifted up the Princess Budour and flying away with her, carried her back to her own place and laid her on her bed, whilst Maimouneh abode alone with Kemerezzeman, gazing upon him as he slept, till the night was all but spent, when she went her way.

  At break of day, the pr
ince awoke from sleep and turned right and left, but found not the young lady by him and said in himself, ‘What is this? It would seem as if my father would fain incline me to marriage with the young lady, that was with me, and have now taken her away by stealth, to the intent that my desire for marriage may redouble.’ Then he called out to the eunuch who slept at the door, saying, ‘Out on thee, O accursed one, arise forthright!’ So the eunuch arose, dazed with sleep, and brought him basin and ewer, whereupon Kemerezzeman entered the draught-house and did his need; then, coming out, made his ablutions and prayed the morning-prayer, after which he sat telling his beads. Then he looked up, and seeing the eunuch standing waiting upon him, said to him, ‘Out on thee, O Sewab! Who was it came hither and took away the young lady from beside me, whilst I slept?’ ‘O my lord, what young lady?’ asked the eunuch. ‘She that lay with me last night,’ replied Kemerezzeman. The eunuch was troubled at his words and said to him, ‘By Allah, there has been with thee neither young lady nor other! How should she have come in to thee, when the door was locked and I asleep before it? By Allah, O my lord, neither man nor woman has come in to thee!’ ‘Thou liest, O pestilent slave!’ exclaimed the prince. ‘Dost thou also presume to hoodwink me and wilt thou not tell me what is come of the young lady who lay with me last night and who took her away?’ The eunuch was affrighted at him and answered, ‘By Allah, O my lord, I have seen neither girl nor boy!’ His words only angered Kemerezzeman and he said to him, ‘O accursed one, my father hath taught thee deceit! Come hither.’ So the eunuch came up to him, and the prince seized him by the collar and threw him to the ground. He let fly a crack of wind, and Kemerezzeman, kneeling upon him, kicked him and throttled him, till he fainted away. Then he tied him to the well-rope, and lowering him into the well, plunged him into the water, then drew him up and plunged him in again. Now it was hard winter weather, and Kemerezzeman ceased not to lower the eunuch into the water and pull him up again, whilst he screamed and called for help. Quoth the prince, ‘By Allah, O accursed one, I will not draw thee up out of the well, till thou tell me the story of the young lady and who it was took her away, whilst I slept.’ ‘O my lord,’ answered the eunuch, seeing death staring him in the face, ‘let me go and I will tell thee the truth.’ So Kemerezzeman pulled him up out of the well, all but dead for cold and wet and torture and beating and fear of drowning. His teeth chattered and he shook like the reed in the hurricane and his clothes were drenched and his body befouled and torn by the rough slimy sides of the well. When Kemerezzeman saw him in this sorry plight, he relented towards him; and as soon as the eunuch found himself on dry land, he said to him, ‘O my lord, let me go and put off my clothes and wring them out and spread them in the sun to dry and don others; after which I will return to thee forthwith and tell thee the truth of the matter.’ ‘O wretched slave,’ answered the prince, ‘hadst thou not seen death face to face, thou hadst never confessed; but go now and do thy will, and after return speedily and tell me the truth.’ So the eunuch went out, hardly crediting his escape, and gave not over running and stumbling, in his haste, till he came in to King Shehriman, whom he found sitting talking with his Vizier of Kemerezzeman’s case and saying, ‘I slept not last night, for anxiety concerning my son Kemerezzeman, and indeed I fear lest some harm befall him in that old tower. What good was there in imprisoning him?’ ‘Have no care for him,’ answered the Vizier. ‘By Allah, no hurt will befall him! Leave him in prison for a month, till his humour yield and his spirit be broken and he return to his senses.’ As he spoke, in came the eunuch, in the aforesaid plight, and said to the King, who was troubled at sight of him, ‘O our lord the Sultan, thy son’s wits are fled and he has gone mad; he has dealt with me thus and thus, so that I am become as thou seest, and says, “A young lady lay with me this night and stole away whilst I slept. Where is she?” And insists on my telling him where she is and who took her away. But I have seen neither girl nor boy; the door was locked all night, for I slept before it, with the key under my head, and opened to him in the morning with my own hand.’ When the King heard this, he cried out, saying, ‘Alas, my son!’ And he was sore enraged against the Vizier, who had been the cause of all this, and said to him, ‘Go, bring me news of my son and see what hath befallen his wit.’ So the Vizier rose and hastened with the slave to the tower, tumbling over his skirts, in his fear of the King’s anger. The sun had now risen and when he came in to Kemerezzeman, he found him sitting on the couch, reading the Koran; so he saluted him and sitting down by his side, said to him, ‘O my lord, this wretched slave brought us news that disquieted and alarmed us and incensed the King.’ ‘And what,’ asked Kemerezzeman, ‘hath he told you of me, to trouble my father? In good sooth, he hath troubled none but me.’ ‘He came to us in a sorry plight,’ answered the Vizier, ‘and told us of thee a thing which God forfend and a lie which it befits not to repeat, may God preserve thy youth and sound wit and eloquent tongue and forbid aught of foul to come from thee!’ ‘O Vizier,’ said the prince, ‘what did this pestilent slave say of me?’ ‘He told us,’ replied the Vizier, ‘thou hadst taken leave of thy wits and would have it that a young lady lay with thee last night and wast instant with him to tell thee whither she had gone and didst torture him to that end.’ When Kemerezzeman heard this, he was sore enraged and said to the Vizier, ‘It is manifest to me that you taught the eunuch to do as he did and forbade him to tell me what became of the young lady. But thou, O Vizier, art more reasonable than the eunuch; so do thou tell me forthright whither went the young lady that lay in my bosom last night; for it was you who sent her and bade her sleep in my arms, and we lay together till day; but when I awoke, I found her not. So where is she now?’ ‘O my lord Kemerezzeman,’ said the Vizier, ‘the name of God encompass thee! By Allah, we sent none to thee last night, but thou layest alone, with the door locked on thee and the eunuch sleeping before it, nor did there come to thee a young lady or any other. Stablish thy reason, O my lord, and return to thy senses and occupy thy mind no longer [with vain imaginations].’ ‘O Vizier,’ rejoined Kemerezzeman, incensed at his words, ‘the young lady in question is my beloved, the fair one with the black eyes and red cheeks, whom I held in my arms all last night.’ The Vizier wondered at his words and said to him, ‘Didst thou see this damsel with thine eyes and on wake, or in sleep?’ ‘O wretched old man,’ answered Kemerezzeman, ‘thinkest thou I saw her with my ears? Indeed, I saw her with my very eyes and on wake and touched her with my hand and watched by her half the night, gazing my fill on her beauty and grace and elegance and lovely looks. But thou hadst schooled her and charged her to speak no word to me; so she feigned sleep and I lay by her side till morning, when I awoke and found her gone.’ ‘O my lord Kemerezzeman,’ rejoined the Vizier, ‘surely thou sawest this in thy sleep; it must have been a delusion of dreams or a hallucination caused by eating various kinds of food or a suggestion of the accursed devils.’ ‘O pestilent old man,’ cried the prince, ‘wilt thou too make a mock of me and tell me this was an illusion of dreams, when this eunuch confessed to the young lady, saying, “I will return to thee forthwith and tell thee all about her?”’ So saying, he sprang up and laying hold of the Vizier’s long beard, twisted his hand in it and tugging him off the couch, threw him on the floor. It seemed to the Vizier as though his soul departed his body for the violent plucking at his beard, and Kemerezzeman fell to kicking him and pummelling his breast and sides and cuffing him on the nape, till he had well-nigh made an end of him. Then said the Vizier in himself, ‘I must save myself from this madman by telling him a lie, even as did the eunuch; else he will kill me, for he is mad beyond a doubt.’ So he said to Kemerezzeman, ‘O my lord, bear me not malice, for indeed thy father charged me to conceal from thee this affair of the young lady; but now I am weak and weary and sore with beating; for I am an old man and lack strength to endure blows. So have a little patience with me and I will tell thee all.’ When the prince heard this, he left beating him and said, ‘Why couldst thou not tell me without blows and h
umiliation? Rise now, unlucky old man that thou art, and tell me her story.’ Quoth the Vizier, ‘Dost thou ask of the young lady with the fair face and perfect shape?’ ‘Yes,’ answered Kemerezzeman. ‘Tell me who it was laid her by my side and took her away by night, and let me know whither she is gone, that I may go to her. If my father did this to try me, with a view to our marriage, I consent to marry her and be quit of this trouble; for he only dealt thus with me, because I refused to marry. I say again, I consent to marry: so tell this to my father, O Vizier, and advise him to marry me to her, for I will have none other and my heart loveth her alone. Go now to my father and counsel him to hasten our marriage and bring me his answer forthright.’ ‘It is well,’ rejoined the Vizier, and went out from him, hardly crediting his escape. Then he set off running and stumbling as he went, for excess of affright and agitation, till he came in to the King, who said to him, ‘O Vizier, what has befallen thee and who has maltreated thee and how comes it that I see thee thus confounded and terrified?’ ‘O King,’ answered the Vizier, ‘I bring thee news.’ ‘What is it?’ asked Shehriman, and the Vizier said, ‘Know that thy son Kemerezzeman’s wits are gone and that madness hath betided him.’ When the King heard this, the light in his face became darkness and he said, ‘Expound to me the nature of my son’s madness.’ ‘O my lord,’ answered the Vizier, ‘I hear and obey.’ Then he told him all that had passed and the King said to him, ‘O most ill-omened of Viziers and filthiest of Amirs, know that the reward I will give thee in return for this thy news of my son’s madness shall be the cutting off of thy bead and the forfeiture of thy goods; for thou hast caused my son’s disorder by the wicked and sinister counsel thou hast given me first and last. By Allah, if aught of mischief or madness have befallen him, I will nail thee upon the dome [of the palace] and make thee taste the bitterness of death!’ Then rising, he betook himself with the Vizier to the tower, and when Kemerezzeman saw him, he came down to him in haste from the couch on which he sat and kissing his hands, drew back and stood before him awhile, with his eyes cast down and his hands clasped behind him. Then he raised his head and repeated the following verses, whilst the tears streamed down his cheeks: