One Thousand and One Nights

by Richard Burton

  I walked on along the mountain-top, leaning on the staff and pondering the case of the two youths, till I saw a serpent come forth from under the mountain, with a man in her jaws, whom she had swallowed even to the navel, and he was crying out and saying, “Whoso delivereth me from this serpent, God will deliver him from every strait!” So I went up to the serpent and smote her on the head with the staff, whereupon she cast the man forth of her mouth. Then I smote her a second time, and she turned and fled; whereupon he came up to me and said, “Since my deliverance from yonder serpent hath been at thy hands, I will never leave thee, and thou shalt be my comrade on this mountain.” “With all my heart,” answered I, and we fared on along the mountain, till we fell in with a company of folk, and I looked and saw amongst them the very man who had cast me down there. So I went up to him and spoke him fair, excusing myself to him and saying, “O my friend, it is not thus that brethren should deal with brethren.” Quoth he, “It was thou who [well-nigh] destroyed us by glorifying God on my hack.” “Excuse me,” answered I; “for I had no knowledge of this; but if thou wilt take me with thee, I swear not to say a word.” So he relented and consented to carry me with him, on condition that, so long I abode on his back, I should abstain from pronouncing the name of God or glorifying Him. Then I gave the wand of gold to him whom I had delivered from the serpent and bade him farewell, and my friend took me on his back and flew with me as before, till he brought me to the city and set me down in my own house.

  My wife came to meet me and gave me joy of my safety, saying, “Henceforth beware of going forth with yonder folk, neither consort with them, for they are brethren of the devils, and know not the name of God the Most High, neither worship Him.” “ And how did thy father with them?” asked I. “My father,” answered she, “was not of them, neither did he as they; and now he is dead, methinks thou wouldst do well to sell all we have and with the price buy merchandise and return to thine own country and people, and I with thee; for I care not to tarry here, since my father and mother are dead.” So I sold all my late father-in-law’s property, piecemeal, and looked for one who should be journeying thence [to Bassora,] that I might join myself to him.

  Presently, I heard of a company of the townsfolk who had a mind to make the voyage, but could not find a ship; so they bought wood and built them a great ship, in which I took passage with them and paid them the hire. Then we embarked, my wife and I, with all our moveables, leaving our lands and houses and so forth, and set sail, with a favouring wind, for Bassora, where we arrived in due course, after a prosperous voyage. I made no stay there, but freighted another vessel and set out forthright for Baghdad, where I arrived in safety and repairing to my house, foregathered with my kinsfolk and household and laid up my goods in my storehouses. When my friends and family heard of my return, they came to welcome me and give me joy of my safety; and I related to them all that had befallen me, whereat they marvelled exceedingly, having given up hope of me, for that I had been absent from them seven-and-twenty years in this my seventh voyage.

  Then I foreswore travel and vowed to God the Most High to venture no more by land or sea, for that this last voyage had surfeited me of travel and adventure; and I thanked God and praised and glorified Him for having restored me to my country and home and friends. Consider, therefore, O Sindbad, O landsman,’ continued the host, addressing himself to the porter, ‘what sufferings I have undergone and what perils and hardships I have endured [before coming to my present state of prosperity].’ ‘For God’s sake, O my lord,’ answered the porter, ‘pardon me the wrong I did thee.’ And they ceased not from friendship and loving fellowship, [abiding] in all cheer and delight and solace of life, till there came to them that which destroyeth delights and sundereth companies, that which layeth waste the palaces and peopleth the tombs, to wit, the Cup of Death, and glory be to the Living One who dieth not!

  John Payne’s translation: detailed table of contents

  THE CITY OF BRASS

  It is related that the Commander of the Faithful Abdulmelik ben Merwan was seated one day in his palace at Damascus, conversing with his grandees and officers of state of the histories of people of old time, when the talk turned upon the traditions of our lord Solomon, son of David, (on whom be peace,) and of that which God the Most High had bestowed on him of lordship and dominion over men and Jinn and birds and beasts and reptiles and other created things, and quoth one of those who were present, ‘Of a truth we hear from those who forewent us that God (blessed and exalted be He!) vouchsafed unto none the like of that which He vouchsafed unto our lord Solomon and that he attained unto that whereto never attained other than he, in that he was wont to imprison Jinn and Marids and Satans in vessels of copper and stop them with molten lead and seal them with his signet.’

  Then said Talib ben Sehl, (who was a seeker after treasures and had books that discovered to him hoards and treasures hidden under the earth,) ‘O Commander of the Faithful, (God make thy dominion to endure and exalt thy dignity in the lands!) my father told me of my grandfather, that the latter once took ship with a company, intending for the island of Sicily, and sailed till there arose against them a contrary wind, which drove them from their course and brought them to a great mountain in one of the lands of God the Most High. Quoth my grandfather, “This was in the darkness of the night and as soon as it was day, there came forth to us, from the caves of the mountain, folk black of colour and naked of body, as they were wild beasts, understanding not what was said to them; nor was there any one of them who knew Arabic, except their King, who was of their own kind. When the latter saw the ship, he came down to it with a company of his followers and saluting us, bade us welcome and questioned us of our case. So we told him how we had been driven from our course by a contrary wind, and he said, ‘No son of Adam hath ever come to our land before you: but fear not, no harm shall befall you, and rejoice in the assurance of safety and return to your own country.’ Then he entertained us three days, feeding on the flesh of birds and wild beasts and fish, than which they had no other meat, and on the fourth day he carried us down to the beach, that we might divert ourselves by looking upon the fishermen. There we saw a fisherman, casting his nets to catch fish, and presently he pulled them up, and behold, in them was a casting-bottle of copper, stopped with lead and sealed with the signet of Solomon, son of David, on whom be peace. He brought the vessel to land and broke it open, when there came forth a blue smoke, which rose to the zenith, and we heard a terrible voice, saying, ‘I repent! I repent! Pardon, O prophet of God! I will never return to that which I did aforetime.’ Then the smoke became a terrible great giant, frightful to look upon, whose head was level with the mountain tops, and he vanished from our sights, whilst our hearts were like to burst for terror; but the blacks thought nothing of it. Then we returned to the King and questioned him of the matter; whereupon quoth he, ‘Know that this was one of the Jinn whom Solomon, son of David, being wroth with them, shut up in these vessels and cast into the sea, after stopping the mouths with melted lead. Our fishermen ofttimes, in casting their nets, bring up the vessels, which being broken open, there come forth of them genies, who, deeming that Solomon is still alive and pardoneth them, make their submission to him and say, “I repent, O prophet of God!”’

  The Khalif marvelled at Talib’s story and said, ‘Glory be to God! Verily, Solomon was given a mighty dominion.’ Now En Nabigheh edh Dhubyani was present, and he said, ‘Talib hath spoken sooth, as is proven by the saying of the All-wise, the Primæval One:

  And Solomon, when God the Lord of old to him did say, “Take thou the Khalifate and rule with firm and strenuous sway.

  Whoso obeyeth thee reward for his obedience, And who gainsayeth thy command, imprison him for aye.”

  Wherefore he used to put them in vessels of copper and cast them into the sea.’

  The poet’s words seemed good to the Khalif, and he said, ‘By Allah, I long to look upon some of these vessels.’ ‘O Commander of the Faithful,’ replied Talib, �
��it is in thy power to do so, without stirring abroad. Send to thy brother Abdulaziz ben Merwan, so he may write to Mousa ben Nuseir, governor of Morocco, bidding him take horse thence to the mountains whereof I spoke and which adjoin the confines of his government, and fetch thee therefrom as many of the vessels in question as thou hast a mind to.’ The Khalif approved his counsel and said, ‘Thou hast spoken truly, O Talib, and I desire that thou be my messenger to Mousa ben Nuseir, touching this matter; wherefore thou shalt have the white ensign and all thou hast a mind to of wealth and honour and so forth, and I will care for thy family during thine absence.’ ‘With all my heart, O Commander of the Faithful,’ answered Talib. ‘Go, with the aid and blessing of God,’ said the Khalif and bade write a letter to his brother Abdulaziz, his viceroy in Egypt, and another to Mousa ben Nuseir, his viceroy in Northern Africa, bidding him, ceasing all excuse, take guides and go himself in quest of the vessels of Solomon, leaving his son to govern in his room. Moreover, he charged him to be not remiss in the matter and to spare neither men nor money. Then he sealed the letters and committed them to Talib, bidding him advance the [royal] ensigns before him and make his utmost speed; and he gave him treasure and horsemen and footmen, to further him on his way, and made provision for the wants of his household during his absence.

  So Talib set out and arrived in due course at Cairo, where the governor came out to meet him and entertained him and his company whilst they tarried with him. Then he gave them a guide, to bring them to Upper Egypt, where the Amir Mousa had his abiding-place; and when the latter heard of Talib’s coming, he went forth to meet him and rejoiced in him. Talib gave him the Khalif’s letter, and he read it and laying it on his head, said, ‘I hear and obey the Commander of the Faithful.’ Then he assembled his chief officers and acquainting them with the Khalif’s commandment, sought counsel of them how he should accomplish it. ‘O Amir,’ answered they, ‘if thou seek one who shall guide thee to the place in question, send for the Sheikh Abdussemed son of Abdulcuddous es Semoudi, for he is a man of experience, who has travelled much and knoweth all the seas and wastes and deserts and countries of the world and the inhabitants and wonders thereof; wherefore send thou for him and he will surely guide thee to thy desire.’

  So Mousa sent for him, and behold, he was a very old man, broken down with lapse of years and days. The Amir saluted him and said, ‘O Sheikh Abdussemed, our lord the Commander of the Faithful, Abdulmelik ben Merwan, hath commanded me thus and thus. Now I have small knowledge of the land wherein is that which the Khalif desires; but it is told me that thou knowest it well and the way thither. Wilt thou, therefore, go thither with me and help me to accomplish the Khalif’s need? So it please God the Most High, thy pains and travail shall not be wasted.’ ‘I hear and obey the bidding of the Commander of the Faithful,’ replied the Sheikh; ‘but know, O our lord, that the road thither is long and difficult and the ways few.’ ‘How far is it?’ asked Mousa, and the Sheikh answered, ‘It is a journey of two years and some months thither and the like back, and the way is full of perils and terrors and toils and wonders. Now thou art a champion of the Faith and our country is hard by that of the enemy, and peradventure the Nazarenes may come out upon us in thine absence; wherefore it behoves thee to leave one to rule thy government in thy stead.’ ‘It is well,’ answered the Amir and appointed his son Haroun governor during his absence, requiring the troops to take the oath of fealty to him and bidding them obey him in all he should command, which they promised to do.

  Now this Haroun was a man of great prowess and a renowned warrior, and the Sheikh Abdussemed feigned to him that the place they sought was distant [but] four months’ journey along the shore of the sea, with camping- places all the way, adjoining one another, and grass and springs, adding, ‘God will assuredly make the matter easy to us for thy sake, O lieutenant of the Commander of the Faithful.’ Quoth the Amir Mousa, ‘Knowest thou if any of the kings have trodden this land before us?’ ‘Yes,’ answered the Sheikh; ‘it belonged aforetime to Darius the Greek, King of Alexandria.’ But he said to Mousa [privily], ‘O Amir, take with thee a thousand camels laden with victual and store of gugglets.’ ‘And what shall we do with these [latter]?’ asked the Amir. Quoth the Sheikh, ‘In our way is the desert of Cyrene, the which is a vast desert, four days’ journey long, and lacketh water, nor therein is voice to be heard or soul to be seen. Moreover there bloweth the Simoum and [other hot] winds called El Jewajib, that dry up the waterskins; but, if the water be in gugglets, no harm can come to it.’ ‘True,’ answered Mousa and sending to Alexandria, let bring thence great plenty of gugglets. Then he took with him his Vizier and two thousand horse, clad in complete steel, and set out, whilst Abdussemed forewent them, riding on his hackney, to guide them.

  They fared on diligently, now passing through inhabited countries and now ruins and anon traversing frightful deserts and thirsty wastes and anon mountains that rose high into the air; nor did they leave journeying a whole year’s space, till, one morning, when the day broke, after they had travelled all night, the Sheikh found himself in a land he knew not and said, ‘There is no power and no virtue save in God the Most High, the Supreme!’ Quoth the Amir, ‘What is to do, O Sheikh?’ And he answered, saying, ‘By the Lord of the Kaabeh, we have wandered from our road!’ ‘How cometh that?’ asked Mousa, and Abdussemed replied, ‘The stars were obscured and I could not guide myself by them.’ ‘Where are we now?’ said the Amir, and the Sheikh, ‘I know not; for I never set eyes on this land till now.’ Quoth Mousa, ‘Guide us back to the place where we went astray;’ but the other said, ‘I know it no more.’ Then said Mousa, ‘Let us push on; it may be God will guide us to it or direct us aright of His power.’ So they fared on till the hour of noonday prayer when they came to a fair and wide champaign, level as it were the sea in a calm, and anon there appeared to them in the distance, some great thing, high and black, in whose midst was as it were smoke rising to the confines of the sky. They made for this and stayed not in their course, till they drew near thereto, when, behold, it was a high castle, firm of fashion and great and gruesome as it were a lofty mountain, builded all of black stone, with frowning battlements and a door of gleaming China steel, that dazzled the eyes and dazed the wit. Round about it were a thousand steps and in its midst was a dome of lead, a thousand cubits high, which appeared afar off as it were smoke.

  When the Amir saw this, he marvelled thereat exceedingly and how this place was void of inhabitants; and the Sheikh, after he had certified himself thereof said, ‘There is no god but God and Mohammed is the Apostle of God!’ Quoth Mousa, ‘I hear thee praise God and hallow him and [meseems] thou rejoicest.’ ‘O Amir,’ answered Abdussemed, ‘rejoice, for God (blessed and exalted be He!) hath delivered us from the frightful deserts and thirsty wastes.’ ‘How knowest thou that?’ asked Mousa, and the other, ‘I know it for that my father told me of my grandfather that he said, ‘We were once journeying in this land and straying from the road, came to this palace and thence to the City of Brass;” between which and the place thou seekest is two months’ travel; but thou must take to the sea-shore and leave it not, for there be wells and watering and camping places, established by King Iskender Dhoulkernein; for, when he went in quest of Morocco, he found by the way thirsty deserts and wastes and wilds and dug therein wells and built cisterns.’ Quoth Mousa, ‘May God rejoice thee with good news!’ and Abdussemed said, ‘Come, let us go look upon yonder palace and its marvels, for it is an admonition to whoso will be admonished.’

  So the Amir went up to the palace, with the Sheikh and his chief officers, and coming to the gate, found it open. Now this gate was builded with lofty columns and porticoes whose walls were inlaid with gold and silver and precious stones, and there led up to it flights of steps, among which were two wide stairs of coloured marble, never was seen their like; and over the doorway was a tablet, whereon were graven letters of gold in the ancient Greek character. ‘O Amir,’ said the Sheikh, ‘shall I read?’ ‘Read and may God ble
ss thee!’ replied Mousa. ‘For all that betideth us in this journey dependeth upon thy blessing.’ So the Sheikh, who was a very learned man and versed in all tongues and characters, went up to the tablet and read the following verses:

  Their vestiges, after that they once did do, Forewarn us that we in their footsteps must ensue.

  O thou who haltst by the dwellings for news of folk Who have doffed their state and bidden their power adieu,

  Enter this palace, for there is the last-left news Of lords in the dust who gathered, a puissant crew.

  Death smote them and rent them asunder, and in the dust They lost what they erst did gather with such ado.

  ’Tis as they had set their burdens down to rest In haste, then mounted and fared on their way anew.

  When the Amir heard this, he wept till he lost his senses and said, ‘There is no god but God, the Living, the Eternal, who ceaseth not!’ Then he entered the palace and was confounded at its beauty and the goodliness of its ordinance. He diverted himself awhile by viewing the figures and images therein, till he came to another door, over which also were written verses, and said to the Sheikh, ‘Come, read me these.’ So he came forward and read as follows:

  How many in their halls have halted for a day Of old, then taken leave and fared upon their way!

  They saw what from the shifts of fortune did befall Others than they, therein who lighted down to stay.

  That which they stored they shared among themselves and left To others to enjoy its sweets and passed away.