One Thousand and One Nights

by Richard Burton

  When Beloukiya heard them make mention of Mohammed, he wondered and said to King Sekher, “I have a mind to ask thee some questions.” “Ask what thou wilt,” rejoined the King, and Beloukiya said, “O King, what are ye and what is your origin and how come ye to know and love Mohammed, whom God bless and preserve?” “Know,” answered the King, “that God created the fire in seven stages, one above the other, at a distance of a thousand years’ journey between each two stages. The first stage he named Jehennem and appointed for the punishment of the transgressors of the true-believers, who die unrepentant, and the second he named Lezza and appointed for unbelievers. The name of the third is Jehim and is appointed for Gog and Magog. The fourth is called Saair and is appointed for the host of Iblis. The fifth is called Seker and is prepared for those who neglect prayer. The sixth is called Hutemeh and is appointed for Jews and Christians. The seventh is named Hawiyeh and is prepared for hypocrites. The most endurable of them all is Jehennem, being the topmost; yet in it are a thousand mountains of fire, in each mountain seventy thousand valleys of fire, in each valley seventy thousand cities of fire, in each city seventy thousand citadels of fire, in each citadel seventy thousand houses of fire, in each house seventy thousand couches of fire and in each couch seventy thousand kinds of torment. As for the other hells, none knoweth the number of kinds of torment that be therein save God the Most High.”

  When Beloukiya heard this, he fell down in a swoon and when he came to himself, he wept and said, “O King, what will our case be?” “Fear not,” answered Sekher; “whoso loveth Mohammed and believeth in his religion, the fire shall not burn him, for he is made free therefrom for his sake, whom God bless and preserve! As for us, God created us of the fire; for the first that he made in Jehennem were two creatures, whom He called Melit and Khelit. Now Melit was made in the likeness of a pied wolf, with a tail after the likeness of a woman, and Khelit in that of a lion, with a tail like a tortoise, twenty years’ journey in length. God commanded their tails to couple and do the deed of kind, and of them were born serpents and scorpions, whose dwelling is in the fire, that therewith God may torment those whom He casteth therein; and these increased and multiplied. Then God commanded the tails of Khelit and Melit to couple a second time, and Melit’s tail conceived by that of Khelit and bore fourteen children, seven male and seven female, who grew up and intermarried, one with the other. They all were obedient to their father, except one of then, Iblis to wit, who disobeyed him and was changed into a worm. Now Iblis was one of the Cherubim, for he had served God till he was raised to the heavens and taken into the especial favour of the Merciful One, who made, him chief of the Cherubim. When God created Adam, He commanded Iblis to prostrate himself to him, but he refused; so God expelled him [from heaven] and cursed him. Of his lineage are the devils; and as for the other six males, they are the ancestors of the true-believing Jinn, and we are their descendants.”

  Beloukiya marvelled at the King’s words and besought him to bid one of his officers carry him back to his native land. “That may we not do,” answered Sekher, “save by commandment of God the Most High; but, an thou desire to return to thine own country, I will set thee on one of my mares and bid her carry thee to the farthest limit of my dominions, where thou wilt meet with the troops of another king, Berakhiya by name, who will recognize the mare and take thee off her back and send her back to me; and this is all we can do for thee.” When Beloukiya heard this, he wept and said, “Do what thou wilt, O King.” So Sekher caused bring the mare and setting Beloukiya on her back, said to him, “Beware lest thou alight or strike the mare or cry out in her face; else she will kill thee; but abide quiet on her back till she stop with thee; then dismount and go thy way.” Then Beloukiya took leave of the King and setting out, rode on a long while between the rows of tents, till he came to the royal kitchens, where he stopped and gazed in wonderment or the great cauldrons, each holding fifty camels, hung up over the fire that blazed fiercely under them. King Sekher saw him from afar gazing on the cauldrons, and thinking him to be anhungred, commanded some of his officers to bear him two roasted camels. So they carried them to him and bound them behind him on the mare’s back.

  Then he took leave of them and fared on, till he came to the limit of King Sekher’s dominions, where the mare stood still and Beloukiya dismounted and began to shake the dust of the journey from his clothes. As he was thus engaged, there accosted him a party of men, who recognizing the mare, carried her and Beloukiya before their King, whom he found seated in a splendid pavilion, in the midst of his troops and champions and vassal princes, in like state to that of King Sekher. So he saluted him, and the King returned his greeting and seated him beside himself; after which he called for food and they ate their fill and returned thanks to God. Then they set on fruits, and when they had eaten thereof, King Berakhiya said to his guest, “When didst thou leave King Sekher?” “Two days ago,” replied Beloukiya. “Dost thou know,” asked Berakhiya, “how many days’ journey thou hast come in these two days?” “No,” answered he, and the King rejoined, “Thou hast come threescore and ten months’ journey; and when thou mountedst the mare, she was affrighted at thee, knowing thee for a son of Adam, and would have cast thee off; so they bound on her back these two camels, to steady her.” When Beloukiya heard this, he marvelled and thanked God for safety. Then said the King, “Tell me thy story and what brought thee hither.” So he told him his story from first to last, and the King marvelled at his words.’

  Here the Queen of the Serpents broke off, and Hasib, after he had marvelled at her story, again besought her to let one of her subjects conduct him to the surface of the earth, that he might go to his family; but she answered, ‘O Hasib, I know that the first thing thou wilt do, after greeting thy family, will be to go to the bath and wash thyself; and as surely as thou dost this, it will be the cause of my death.’ Quoth Hasib, ‘I swear that I will never again enter the bath, so long as I live, but will wash at home, when washing is incumbent on me.’ ‘I would not trust thee,’ rejoined the Queen, ‘though thou shouldst swear to me a hundred oaths; for I know thou art a son of Adam and that to thee no oath is sacred. Thy father Adam made a covenant with God the Most High, who kneaded the clay whereof He fashioned him forty days and made His angels prostrate themselves to him; yet did he perjure himself and forgot his promise and disobeyed the commandment of his Lord.’ When Hasib heard this, he held his peace and burst into tears nor did he leave weeping for the space of ten days, at the end of which time he begged the Queen to acquaint him with the rest of Beloukiya’s adventures. Accordingly, she began again as follows:

  “Beloukiya tarried two months with King Berakhiya, then took leave of him and fared on over wastes and deserts nights and days, till he came to a high mountain, on whose summit he beheld a great angel seated, celebrating the praises of God and invoking blessings on Mohammed. Before him lay a tablet covered with black characters and white, on which his eyes were fixed, and his wings were outspread, one to the western and the other to the eastern horizon. Beloukiya ascended the hill and saluted the angel, who returned his salute and enquired who he was and what brought him thither. Accordingly, he repeated to him his history, from beginning to end, and besought him, in turn, to acquaint him with his own name and occupation and the meaning of the tablet that lay before him. “My name is Michael,” replied the angel, “and I am charged with the alternation of night and day; and this is my occupation till the Day of Judgment.”

  The prince wondered at his words and at his aspect and the greatness of his size and taking leave of him, fared onward till he came to a vast meadow, full of trees, through which ran seven rivers. In one part of the meadow, he saw a great tree and under it four angels, the first in the likeness of a man, the second in the likeness of a wild beast, the third in the likeness of a bull and the fourth in the likeness of a bird, engaged in magnifying God the Most High and saying, “O my God and my Master and my Lord, I conjure Thee, by Thy splendour and by the glory of Thy prophet Moham
med (on whom be blessing and peace) to vouchsafe Thy mercy and forgiveness to all things created in my likeness; for Thou canst do all things!”

  Beloukiya continued his journey, till he came to another mountain and ascending it, found a great angel seated on the summit, glorifying God and hallowing Him and invoking blessings on Mohammed; and he was continually opening and shutting his hands and closing and extending his fingers. The prince accosted him and saluted him; whereupon the angel returned his greeting and enquired who he was and how he came thither. So Beloukiya acquainted him with his adventures and besought him to tell him, in turn, who he was and what was his function and what mountain was that. Quoth the angel, “This is the mountain Caf, that encompasseth the world, and in my grasp are all countries that God hath made. When He is minded to afflict any country with earthquake or famine or slaughter or to bless it with plenty and prosperity, He bids me execute His commandment, and this I do without stirring from my place; for my hands lay hold upon the roots of the earth.” “Hath God created other worlds than this within the mountain Caf?” asked Beloukiya. “Yes,” answered the angel; “He hath made a world white as silver, whose vastness none knoweth but Himself, and hath peopled it with angels, whose meat and drink are the praise and magnification of God and the continual invocation of blessings upon His prophet Mohammed. Every Friday night they assemble on this mountain and worship God until the morning, and the recompense of their devotions they give to the sinners of the faith of Mohammed (whom God bless and keep) and to all who make the [complete] ablution of Friday; and this is their function until the Day of Resurrection.” “And hath God created other mountains behind the mountain Caf?” asked Beloukiya. “Yes,” replied the angel. “Behind this mountain is a range of mountains of snow and ice, five hundred years’ journey in extent, and this it is that wards off the heat of Jehennem from the world, which would else be consumed thereby. Moreover, behind the mountain Caf are forty worlds, each the bigness of this world forty times told, some of gold, some of silver and other some of cornelian. Each of these worlds hath its own colour, and God hath peopled them with angels, that know not Adam nor Eve nor night nor day and have no other business than to celebrate His praises and hallow and magnify Him and make proclamation of His unity and supplicate Him on behalf of the followers of Mohammed (whom God bless and keep).

  Thou must know also,” continued the angel, “ that God hath made the worlds in seven stages, one upon another, and hath created one of His angels, whose size and attributes none knoweth but Himself and who beareth the seven stages upon his shoulders. Under this angel God the Most High hath created a rock and under the rock, a bull, and under the bull, a great fish, and under the fish, a mighty ocean. God once told Jesus (on whom be peace) of this fish, and he said, ‘O Lord, show me the fish, that I may look upon it.’ So God commanded an angel to take Jesus and show him the fish. Accordingly, he carried the prophet to the sea, wherein the fish dwelt, and bade him look upon it. He looked, but [at first] saw nothing, when, suddenly, the monster darted past like lightning. At this sight, Jesus swooned away, and when he came to himself, God spoke to him, saying, ‘O Jesus, hast thou seen the fish and noted its length and breadth?” ‘By Thy splendour and majesty, O Lord,’ replied Jesus, ‘I saw no fish; but there passed me by a great bull, whose length was three days’ journey, and I know not what manner of thing this is.’ ‘O Jesus,’ rejoined the Almighty, ‘this that thou sawest and which was three days in passing by thee, was [but] the head of the fish; and know that every day I create forty fish like unto this.’ And Jesus marvelled at the power of God the Most High.”

  Quoth Beloukiya, “What hath God made beneath this nether sea?” “Under the sea,” replied the angel, “God created a vast [abyss of] air, under the air the fire and under the fire a mighty serpent, by name Felec; and were it not for the fear of God the Most High, this serpent would swallow up all that is above it, without feeling it. When God created this serpent, He said to it, ‘Open thy mouth and I will give thee somewhat to keep for me.’ So it opened its mouth and God put Hell into its maw, saying, ‘Keep it until the Day of Resurrection.’ When that day comes, God will send His angels to bring Hell and chain it up until the Day of Judgment, when, at His commandment, it will open its gates and there will issue therefrom sparks bigger than mountains.”

  When Beloukiya heard these things, he wept sore and taking leave of the angel, fared on westward, till he came In sight of a great shut gate, before which sat two creatures. When he drew near, he saw that one of the gate-keepers had a lion’s favour and the other that of a bull; So he saluted them and they returned his greeting and enquired who and whence he was and whither he was bound. Quoth he, “I am of the sons of Adam, a wanderer for the love of Mohammed, whom God bless and preserve; and I have strayed from my road.” Then he asked them what they were and what was the gate before which they sat. “We are the guardians of this gate,” answered they, “and we have no other business than the praise and glorification of God and the invocation of blessings on Mohammed (whom may He bless and keep).” “What is within the gate?” asked Beloukiya; and they answered, “We know not.” Then said he, “I conjure you, by the virtue of your glorious Lord, open to me the gate, that I may see that which is therein.” “None may open this gate, of all created beings,” replied they, “save Gabriel, the Faithful One, on whom be peace.” Then Beloukiya lifted up his voice in supplication to God and besought Him to send down His messenger Gabriel, to open for him the gate; and God gave ear unto his prayer and commanded the angel to descend and open to him the gate of the confluence of the Two Seas. So Gabriel descended and saluting the prince, opened the gate to him, saying, “Enter, for God commandeth me to open to thee.” So he entered and Gabriel locked the gate behind him and flew back to heaven.

  When Beloukiya found himself within the gate, he looked and beheld a vast ocean, whose water was half salt and half fresh, bounded on either side by ranges of mountains of red cornelian, whereon he saw angels singing the praises of God and hallowing Him. So he went up to these latter and exchanging salutations with them, questioned them of the sea and the mountains. “This place is situate under the empyreal heaven,” replied they, “and all the waters of the world fall into this ocean, whence we are appointed to distribute them to the various parts of the earth, the salt to the seas and the fresh to the lakes and rivers; and this is our employ until the Day of Ressurrection. But thou, whence comest thou and whiter art thou bound?” So he told them his story and asked them of the road. They bade him traverse the ocean, that lay before him; so he anointed his feet with the juice of the magical herb and taking leave of the angels, set out upon the surface of the sea and sped on over the water nights and days, till he met a handsome youth journeying along like himself, whereupon he saluted him and he returned his greeting. After this, he espied four great angels faring over the surface of the sea, and their going was like the blinding lightning; so he stationed himself in their road, and when they came up to him, he saluted them and conjured them by the Almighty, the Glorious One, to tell him their names and whither they were bound. “My name is Gabriel,” replied the first angel, “and these my companions are called Israfil and Michael and Azrael. Know that there has appeared in the East a mighty dragon, which has laid waste a thousand cities and devoured their inhabitants; wherefore God the Most High hath commanded us to go to him and seize him and cast him into Jehennem.”

  Beloukiya marvelled at the vastness of their stature and fared on, as before, days and nights, till he came to an island, where he landed and walked about, till he saw a comely young man of shining visage, sitting weeping and lamenting between two stately tombs. So he saluted him, and he returned his salutation, and Beloukiya said to him, “Who art thou and what are these two tombs, and why sittest thou here between them, weeping?” The stranger looked at him and wept sore, till he wet his clothes with his tears; them said, “O my brother, mine is a strange and wonderful story; but thou first tell me who thou art and what brought thee hit
her, and after I will, in turn, relate to thee my history.” So Beloukiya sat down by him and related to him all that had befallen him from his father’s death, adding, “This is my whole history, and God [alone] knoweth what will betide me after this.” When the other heard his story, he sighed and said, “Alas, unhappy one! What things thou hast seen in thy life! [But my experiences are yet more surprising,] for know that I have looked upon lord Solomon, in his life, and have seen what is past count or reckoning. Indeed, may story is marvellous and my cas extraordinary, and I would have thee tarry with me, till I tell thee my history and how I come to be sitting here.”’

  Here Hasib interrupted the Queen of Serpents and said to her, ‘I conjure thee by God, O Queen, release me and bid one of thy servants carry me forth to the surface of the earth, and I will swear an oath to thee that I will never enter the bath as long as I live.’ But she said, ‘This is a thing that may not be, nor will I credit thee upon thine oath.’ When he heard this, he wept and all the serpents wept on his account and fell to interceding for him with their Queen and saying, ‘We beseech thee, bid one of us carry him forth to the surface of the earth, and he will swear an oath to thee never to enter the bath his life long.’ Thereupon the Queen (whose name was Yumeleika) turned to Hasib and made him swear to her, ‘I would fain have thee tell me the history of the young man, whom Baloukiya found sitting between the two tombs.’ So she said, ‘Know, O Hasib, that the young man said to Beloukiya, “Know, O my brother, that