One Thousand and One Nights

by Richard Burton

  He comes and shows me, all in one, fawn, moon and sapling slight:

  Foul fall the heart for thought of him that watches not the

  night!

  A fair one, Allah had a mind t’ extinguish from his cheek One

  ravishment, and straight, instead, another sprang to light.

  Whenas my censors speak of him, I cavil at their word, Feigning

  as if I did mislike the mention of the wight;

  Yea, and I hearken, when they speak of other than of him, Though

  for the thought of him, nathelesse, I am consumed outright.

  Prophet of beauty, all in him ‘s a very miracle Of grace, and

  greatest of them all his face’s splendid sight.

  The sable mole upon his cheek hath taken up its stead, Against

  the troubles of this life to ward his forehead bright.

  The censors, of their ignorance, bid me forget; but I From true-

  believer cannot turn an infidel forthright.

  We were ravished by the sweet music she made and the beauty of the verses she sang and the other damsels went on to sing, one after another, till ten had done so; when the lady Dunya took the lute and playing a lively measure, sang these verses:

  By the softness of thy graceful-gaited shape I swear, For

  estrangement from thy presence the pangs of hell I bear.

  Have pity on a heart that burns i’ the hell-fire of thy love, O

  full moon in the darkness of the night that shinest fair!

  Vouchsafe to me thy favours, and by the wine-cup’s light To

  blazon forth thy beauties, henceforth, I’ll never spare.

  A rose hath ta’en me captive, whose colours varied are, Whose

  charms outvie the myrtle and make its thorns despair.

  When she had finished, I took the lute and playing a quaint prelude, sang the following verses:

  Glory to Him who gave thee all beauty in earth and skies So I’m

  become of thy bondsmen for ever and thy prize.

  Thou that art gifted with glances that make mankind thy slaves,

  Pray we may come off scathless from the sorcery of thine

  eyes.

  Two opposites, fire, incarnate in shining splendour of flame, And

  water, thy cheek uniteth, conjoined in wondrous wise.

  How dulcet and yet how bitter thou art to my heart, alack! To

  which thou at once and ever art Hell and Paradise!

  When she heard this, she rejoiced with an exceeding joy; then, dismissing her women, she brought me to a most goodly place, where they had spread us a bed of various colours. She did off her clothes and I had a lover’s privacy of her and found her an unpierced pearl and a filly no man had ridden. So I rejoiced in her and repeated the following verses:

  Stay with us, Night, I prithee! I want no morning white; The face

  of my beloved sufficeth me for light.

  I gave my love, for chin-band, my palm spread open wide And eke

  for ringdove’s collar, my arms about him dight.

  This is indeed th’ attainment of fortune’s topmost height! We

  clip and clip and care not to stir from our delight.

  Never in my life knew I a more delightful night than this, and I abode with her a whole month, forsaking shop and home and family, till one day she said to me, “O light of my eyes, O my lord Mohammed, I have a mind to go to the bath to-day; so sit thou on this couch and budge not from thy place, till I return to thee.” “I hear and obey,” answered I, and she made me swear to this; after which she took her women and went off to the bath. But, by Allah, O my brothers, she had not reached the end of the street, when the door opened and in came an old woman, who said to me, “O my lord Mohammed, the lady Zubeideh bids thee to her, for she hath heard of thine elegance and accomplishments and skill in singing.” “By Allah,” answered I, “I will not rise from my place, till the lady Dunya come back.” “O my lord,” rejoined the old woman, “do not anger the lady Zubeideh with thee and make an enemy of her. Come, speak with her and return to thy place.” So I rose and followed her into the presence of the princess, who said to me, “O light of the eye, art thou the lady Dunya’s beloved?” “At thy service,” answered I. Quoth she, “He spoke sooth who reported thee possessed of grace and beauty and good breeding and all good qualities; indeed, thou surpassest report; but now sing to me, that I may hear thee.” “I hear and obey,” answered I. So she brought me a lute, and I sang the following verses:

  The heart of the lover is weary with loving and striving in vain,

  And even as a spoil is his body in the hands of sickness and

  pain.

  Who should there be, ‘mongst the riders on camels with haltered

  head, Save a lover whose dear-beloved the camel-litters

  contain!

  A moon, in your tents that rises, to Allah I commend, One my

  heart loves and tenders, shut in from the sight of her

  swain.

  Anon she is kind, anon angry: how goodly her coquetry is! For all

  that is done of a loved one must needs to her lover be fain.

  When I had finished, she said to me, “God assain thy body and sweeten thy voice! Verily, thou art perfect in beauty and good breeding and singing. But now rise and return to thy place, ere the lady Dunya come back, lest she find thee not and be wroth with thee.” So I kissed the earth before her and the old woman forewent me to the door whence I came. I entered and going up to the couch, found that my wife had come back and was lying asleep there. So I sat down at her feet and rubbed them; whereupon she opened her eyes and seeing me, drew up her feet and gave me a kick that threw me off the couch, saying, “O traitor, thou hast been false to thine oath and hast perjured thyself. Thou sworest to me that thou wouldst not stir from thy place; yet didst thou break thy promise and go to the lady Zubeideh. By Allah, but that I fear scandal, I would pull down the palace over her head!” Then said she to her black slave, “Harkye, Sewab, arise and strike off this lying traitor’s head, for we have no further need of him.” So the slave came up to me and tearing a strip from his skirt, bound my eyes with it and would have cut off my head; but all her women, great and small, came up to her and said to her, “O our lady, this is not the first who hath erred: indeed, he knew not thy humour and hath done nothing deserving of death.” “By Allah,” replied she, “I must needs set my mark on him.” And she bade beat me; so they beat me on my sides, and the marks ye saw are the scars of that beating. Then she bade them put me out, and they carried me to a distance from the house and cast me down. I rose and dragged myself little by little to my own house, where I sent for a surgeon, who dressed my wounds and comforted me. As soon as I was recovered and my pains and sickness had left me, I went to the bath and thence betaking myself to my shop, sold all that was therein. With the proceeds, I bought four hundred white slaves, such as no king ever got together, and caused two hundred of them ride out with me every day. Then I made me yonder barge, on which I spent five thousand dinars, and styled myself Khalif and appointed each of my servants to the charge and clad him in the habit of some one of the Khalif’s officers. Moreover, I let cry abroad, “Whoso goeth a-pleasuring on the Tigris [by night], I will strike off his head without mercy;” and on this wise have I done this whole year past, during which time I have heard no news of the lady neither happened upon any trace of her.’ And he wept copiously and repeated the following verses:

  By Allah, I will never all my life long forget her, my dear; And

  those only will I tender, who shall bring her to me to draw

  near.

  Now glory to her Maker and Creator be given evermore! As the full

  moon in the heavens, in her aspect and her gait she doth

  appear.

  She, indeed, hath made me weariful and wakeful, full of sorrow,

  sick for love; Yea, my heart is all confounded at her

  beauty, dazed for trouble and for fear.

 
; When Er Reshid heard the young man’s story and knew the passion and transport and love-longing that afflicted him, he was moved to compassion and wonder and said, ‘Glory be to God who hath appointed to every thing a cause!’ Than they craved the young man’s leave to depart; which being granted, they took leave of him, the Khalif purposing to do him justice and entreat him with the utmost munificence, and returned to the palace of the Khalifate, where they changed their clothes for others befitting their station and sat down, whilst Mesrour stood before them. After awhile, the Khalif said to Jaafer, ‘O Vizier, bring me the young man with whom we were last night.’ ‘I hear and obey,’ answered Jaafer, and going to the youth, saluted him, saying, ‘The Commander of the Faithful calls for thee.’ So he returned with him to the palace, in great concern by reason of the summons, and going in to the Khalif, kissed the earth before him. Then said he, ‘Peace be on thee, O Commander of the Faithful and Protector of the people of the Faith!’ And offered up a prayer for the endurance of his glory and prosperity, for the accomplishment of his desires and the continuance of his bounty and the cessation of evil and punishment, ordering his speech as best he might and ending by repeating the following verses:

  Still may thy threshold as a place of adoration Be sought

  and on men’s brows its dust bespeak prostration,

  That so in every land be made this proclamation, “Thou, thou art

  Abraham and this his very station.”

  The Khalif smiled in his face and returned his salute, looking on him with the eye of favour. Then he bade him draw near and sit down before him and said to him, ‘O Mohammed Ali, I wish thee to tell me what befell thee last night, for it was rare and passing strange.’ ‘Pardon, O Commander of the Faithful!’ replied the youth. ‘Give me the handkerchief of immunity, that my trouble may be appeased and my heart set at rest.’ Quoth the Khalif, ‘Thou art safe from fear and trouble.’ So the young man told him his story from first to last, whereby the Khalif knew him to be a lover and severed from his beloved and said to him, ‘Wilt thou that I restore her to thee?’ ‘This were of the bounty of the Commander of the Faithful,’ answered the youth and repeated the following verses:

  Kiss thou his finger-tips, for no mere fingers they, But keys to

  all the goods by God to men assigned;

  And praise his deeds no less, for no mere deeds are they, But

  jewels to adorn the necks of humankind.

  Thereupon the Khalif turned to Jaafer and said to him, ‘Bring me thy sister the lady Dunya.’ ‘I hear and obey,’ answered he and fetched her forthright. When she stood before the Khalif, he said to her, ‘Dost thou know who this is?’ ‘O Commander of the Faithful,’ answered she, ‘how should women have knowledge of men?’ The Khalif smiled and said, ‘O Dunya, this is thy beloved, Mohammed ben Ali the jeweller. We are acquainted with his case, for we have heard the whole story, from beginning to end, and apprehended its inward and its outward; and it is no more hidden, for all it was kept secret.’ ‘O Commander of the Faithful,’ rejoined she, ‘this was written in the book of destiny. I crave the forgiveness of the Most High God for that which I have done and beseech thee to pardon me of thy favour.’ At this the Khalif laughed and summoning the Cadi and the witnesses, renewed the marriage-contract between Dunya and her husband, whereby there betided them the utmost of felicity and those who envied them were mortified. Moreover, he made Mohammed Ali one of his boon- companions, and they abode in joy and cheer and gladness, till there came to them the Destroyer of Delights and the Sunderer of Companies.

  John Payne’s translation: detailed table of contents

  ALI THE PERSIAN’S STORY OF THE KURD SHARPER

  The Khalif Haroun er Reshid, being more than commonly restless one night, sent for his Vizier and said to him, ‘O Jaafer, I am sore wakeful and heavy at heart to-night, and I desire of thee what may cheer my spirit and ease me of my oppression.’ ‘O Commander of the Faithful,’ answered Jaafer, ‘I have a friend, by name Ali the Persian, who hath store of tales and pleasant stories, such as lighten the heart and do away care.’ ‘Fetch him to me,’ said the Khalif. ‘I hear and obey,’ replied Jaafer and going out from before him, sent for Ali the Persian and said to him, ‘The Commander of the Faithful calls for thee.’ ‘I hear and obey,’ answered Ali and followed the Vizier into the presence of the Khalif, who bade him be seated and said to him, ‘O Ali, my heart is heavy within me this night and I hear that thou hast great store of tales and anecdotes; so I desire of thee that thou let me hear what will relieve my oppression and gladden my melancholy.’ ‘O Commander of the Faithful,’ said he, ‘shall I tell thee what I have seen with my eyes or what I have heard with my ears?’ ‘An thou have seen aught [worth telling],’ replied the Khalif, ‘let me hear that.’ ‘Know then, O Commander of the Faithful,’ said Ali, ‘that some years ago I left this my native city of Baghdad on a journey, having with me a boy who carried a light wallet. Presently, we came to a certain city, where, as I was buying and selling, a rascally thief of a Kurd fell on me and seized my wallet, saying, “This is my bag, and all that is in it is my property.” Thereupon, “Ho, Muslims all,” cried I, “deliver me from the hand of the vilest of oppressors!” But they all said, “Come, both of you, to the Cadi and submit yourselves to his judgement.” I agreed to this and we both presented ourselves before the Cadi, who said, “What brings you hither and what is your case?” Quoth I, “We are men at difference, who appeal to thee and submit ourselves to thy judgement.” “Which of you is the complainant?” asked the Cadi. So the Kurd came forward and said, “God preserve our lord the Cadi! Verily, this bag is my bag and all that is in it is my property. It was lost from me and I found it with this man.” “When didst thou lose it?” asked the Cadi. “But yesterday,” replied the Kurd; “and I passed a sleepless night by reason of its loss.” “If it be thy bag,” said the Cadi, “tell me what is in it.” Quoth the Kurd, “There were in my bag two silver styles and eye-powders and a handkerchief, and I had laid therein two gilt cups and two candlesticks. Moreover it contained two tents and two platters and two hooks and a cushion and two leather rugs and two ewers and a brass tray and two basins and a cooking-pot and two water-jars and a ladle and a sacking-needle and a she-cat and two bitches and a wooden trencher and two sacks and two saddles and a gown and two fur pelisses and a cow and two calves and a she-goat and two sheep and an ewe and two lambs and two green pavilions and a camel and two she-camels and a she-buffalo and two bulls and a lioness and two lions and a she-bear and two foxes and a mattress and two couches and an upper chamber and two saloons and a portico and two ante-rooms and a kitchen with two doors and a company of Kurds who will testify that the bag is mine.” Then said the Cadi to me, “And thou, what sayst thou?” So I came forward, O Commander of the Faithful (and indeed the Kurd’s speech had bewildered me) and said, “God advance our lord the Cadi! There was nothing in this my wallet, save a little ruined house and another without a door and a dog-kennel and a boys’ school and youths playing dice and tents and tent-poles and the cities of Bassora and Baghdad and the palace of Sheddad ben Aad and a smith’s forge and a fishing net and cudgels and pickets and girls and boys and a thousand pimps, who will testify that the bag is my bag.” When the Kurd heard my words, he wept and wailed and said, “O my lord the Cadi, my bag is known and what is in it is renowned; therein are castles and citadels and cranes and beasts of prey and men playing chess and draughts. Moreover, in this my bag is a brood-mare and two colts and a stallion and two blood-horses and two long lances and a lion and two hares and a city and two villages and a courtezan and two sharking pimps and a catamite and two gallows-birds and a blind man and two dogs and a cripple and two lameters and a priest and two deacons and a patriarch and two monks and a Cadi and two assessors, who will testify that the bag is my bag.” Quoth the Cadi to me, “And what sayst thou, O Ali?” So, O Commander of the Faithful, being filled with rage, I came forward and said, “God keep our lord the Cadi! I had in this my wallet a coat of mail
and a broadsword and armouries and a thousand fighting rams and a sheep-fold and a thousand barking dogs and gardens and vines and flowers and sweet herbs and figs and apples and pictures and statues and flagons and goblets and fair-faced slave-girls and singing-women and marriage-feasts and tumult and clamour and great tracts of land and brothers of success and a company of daybreak-riders, with swords and spears and bows and arrows, and true friends and dear ones and intimates and comrades and men imprisoned for punishment and cup-companions and a drum and flutes and flags and banners and boys and girls and brides, in all their wedding bravery, and singing-girls and five Abyssinian women and three Hindi and four women of Medina and a score of Greek girls and half a hundred Turkish and threescore and ten Persian girls and fourscore Kurd and fourscore and ten Georgian women and Tigris and Euphrates and a fowling net and a flint and steel and Many- Columned Irem and a thousand rogues and pimps and horse- courses and stables and mosques and baths and a builder and a carpenter and a plank and a nail and a black slave, with a pair of recorders, and a captain and a caravan-leader and towns and cities and a hundred thousand dinars and Cufa and Ambar and twenty chests full of stuffs and twenty store-houses for victual and Gaza and Askalon and from Damietta to Essouan and the palace of Kisra Anoushirwan and the kingdom of Solomon and from Wadi Numan to the land of Khorassan and Balkh and Ispahan and from India to the Soudan. Therein also (may God prolong the life of our lord the Cadi!) are doublets and cloths and a thousand sharp razors to shave the Cadi’s chin, except he fear my resentment and adjudge the bag to be mine.”