One Thousand and One Nights

by Richard Burton

  When they came to the valley, they found it beautiful passing measure, full of trees growing singly and in clusters and birds warbling on the branches. There sang the mocking-bird, trilling out her melodious notes, and the cushat filling with her warble the mansions of God’s creation, and the nightingale, with her voice like that of a man, and the merle, that the tongue fails to describe, and the turtle, whose plaining maddens men for love, and the ringdove and the popinjay answering her with fluent tongue. There also were trees laden with all manner of fruits, of each two kinds, the pomegranate, sweet and sour, the almond-apricot, the camphor-apricot and the almond of Khorassan and the plum, with whose branches entwine the boughs of the myrobalan, and the orange, as it were a flaming cresset, and the shaddock, weighing down its branches, and the lemon, that cures lack of appetite, and the citron, sovereign against the jaundice, and the date, red and yellow, the [especial] handiwork of God the Most High. Of the like of this place saith the poet El Welhan:

  When its birds sing in the dawn o’er its limpid lake, El Welhan yearns for its sight ere morning break.

  For as it were Paradise ’tis with its fragrant gales And its fruits and its streams that run through its shady brake.

  Gherib marvelled at the beauty of the place and bade them set up there the pavilion of Fekhr Taj, daughter of the Chosroës; so they pitched it among the trees and spread it with rich carpets. Then he sat down and the slaves brought food and they ate till they were satisfied; after which quoth Gherib, ‘Harkye, Saadan!’ ‘At thy service, O my lord,’ answered the Ghoul. ‘Hast thou any wine?’ asked Gherib, and Saadan replied, ‘Yes, I have a cistern full of old wine.’ ‘Then,’ said Gherib, ‘bring us some of it.’ So Saadan sent ten slaves, who returned with great plenty of wine, and they ate and drank and made merry. And Gherib bethought him of Mehdiyeh and recited the following verses:

  I mind me of the happy days of union and delight, And all my heart’s on fire with love and longing for thy sight.

  By God, I did not leave thy side of my unfettered will, But by the strange and evil chance of Fate in my despite!

  Peace be upon thee, O my love, a thousand times be peace! Whilst I, afar from thee, remain a sad and weary wight.

  They abode there three days, eating and drinking and taking their pleasure in the valley, at the end of which time they returned to the castle. Then Gherib called Sehim and said to him, ‘Take a hundred horse and go to thy father and mother and thy people, the Benou Kehtan, and bring them all to this place, here to pass the rest of their days, whilst I carry the Princess of Persia back to her father. As for thee, O Saadan,’ continued Gherib, addressing the Ghoul, ‘abide thou here with thy sons, till I return to thee.’ ‘And why,’ asked Saadan, ‘wilt thou not carry me with thee to the land of the Persians?’ ‘Because,’ answered Gherib, ‘thou stolest away King Sabour’s daughter and if his eye fall on thee he will eat thy flesh and drink tny blood.’ When the Ghoul heard this, he laughed a great laugh, as it were the pealing thunder, and said, ‘O my lord, if the Persians and the Medes united against me, I would make them quaff the cup of death.’ ‘Doubtless it is as thou sayest,’ rejoined Gherib; ‘but abide thou here till I return to thee.’ And the Ghoul answered, ‘I hear and obey.’ Then Sehim departed with his comrades of the Benou Kehtan for the dwelling-pIaces of their tribe, and Gherib set out with Fekhr Taj and her company, intending for the cities of Sabour, King of the Persians.

  Meanwhile, King Sabour abode awaiting his daughter’s return from the Monastery of the Fire, and when the appointed time passed by and she came not, fires raged in his heart. Now he had forty viziers, whereof the wisest and chiefest was called Daidan: so he said to him, ‘O vizier, the day of my daughter’s return is past and I have no news of her; so do thou send a courier to the Monastery of the Fire to learn what is come of her.’ ‘I hear and obey,’ replied Daidan, and summoning the chief of the couriers, despatched him forthright to the Monastery. When he reached it, he asked the monks of the princess, and they said, ‘We have not seen her this year.’ So the Courier returned to the city of Ishanir and told the vizier, who went in to the king and told him. When Sabour heard this, he was sore concerned and casting his crown on the ground, tore his beard and tell down in a swoon. They sprinkled water upon him, and presently he came to himself, weeping-eyed and mournful-hearted and repeated the words of the poet:

  When in thine absence to mine aid patience and tears I call, Tears come obedient to my word, but patience not at all.

  What if the days have parted us? Indeed, ’tis of their wont; For unto Fortune perfidy, alas! is natural.

  Then he called ten of his captains and bade them take each a thousand horse and ride in different directions, in quest of his daughter. So they mounted forthright and departed; whilst the princess’s mother clad herself and her women in black and strewed ashes and sat weeping and lamenting.

  Meanwhile Gherib and the princess journeyed on ten days, and on the eleventh day, a cloud of dust appeared in the distance and rose to the confines of the sky; whereupon Gherib called the Amir of the Persians and bade him go and learn the cause thereof. ‘I hear and obey,’ replied he and pricked his charger, till he came within the cloud of dust, where he saw folk and enquired of them. Quoth they, ‘We are of the Benou Hettal and are questing for plunder; our Amir is Semsam ben Jirah and we are five thousand horse.’ The Persian returned in haste and told Gherib, who cried out to his men and to the Persians, saying, ‘Don your arms!’ They did as he bade them and presently up came the Arabs, shouting, ‘Booty! Booty!’ Quoth Gherib, ‘God confound you, O dogs of Arabs!’ Then he set spurs to his horse and drove at them in valiant wise, shouting, ‘God is most great! Ho for the faith of Abraham the Friend, on whom be peace!’ And there befell between them a sore battle and great was the clash of arms and the din of the mellay; nor did they leave fighting, till the day fled and the darkness came, when they drew off from one another.

  Then Gherib numbered his men and found that five of the Benou Kehtan had fallen and three-and-seventy of the Persians; but of the Benou Hettal they had slain more than five hundred horse. As for Semsam, he alighted and sought neither food nor sleep, but said, ‘In all my life I never met such a fighter as this youth! Anon he fights with the sword and anon with the mace: but to-morrow I will go forth and defy him to single combat and cut off these Arabs.’ Now, when Gherib returned to his camp, the princess met him, weeping and affrighted for the terror of that which had befallen, and kissed his foot in the stirrup, saying, ‘May thy hands never wither nor thine enemies rejoice, O champion of the age! Praised be God Who hath saved thee alive this day! Verily, I am in fear for thee from yonder Arabs.’ When Gherib heard this, he smiled in her face and comforted her, saying, ‘Fear not, O princess! Were this desert full of the enemy, yet would I scatter them, by the might of God the Most High.’ She thanked him and prayed that he might be given the victory over his enemies; after which she returned to her women and Gherib went to his tent, where he cleansed himself of the blood of the infidels, and they lay on their arms that night.

  Next morning, the two hosts mounted and sought the field. The first to prick into the plain was Gherib, who spurred his charger till he was near the infidels and cried out, ‘Who is for jousting? Let no sluggard or weakling come out to me!’ Whereupon there came out a buirdly giant of the lineage of the tribe of Aad, armed with an iron mace, twenty pounds in weight, and drove at Gherib, saying, ‘O scum of the Arabs, take what cometh to thee and know that thy last hour is at hand!’ So saying, he aimed a blow at Gherib, but he avoided it and the mace sank a cubit into the ground. Now the Bedouin was bent in twain with the blow; so Gherib smote him with his mace and clove his forehead in sunder; and he fell down dead and God hurried his soul to the fire. Then Gherib made his horse wheel and curvet before the foe and offered battle. So there came out to him a second and a third and a fourth and so on, till ten had come forth to him and he slew them all.

  When the infidels saw his swashing blows and the sl
aughter he made, they hung back and forbore to go forth to him, whereupon Semsam looked at them and said, ‘May God not bless you! I will go forth to him.’ So he donned his battle-harness and spurring his charger into the midst of the field, cried out to Gherib, saying, ‘Out on thee, O dog of the Arabs! what art thou that thou shouldst defy me in the open field and slay my men?’ And Ghetib answered, ‘Up and take thy wreak for the slaughter of thy braves!’ So Semsam ran at Gherib, who awaited him with a dilated breast and a heart well pleased, and they hewed at one another with maces, till the two hosts marvelled and every eye was fixed on them. Then they wheeled about [and fetching a compass] in the field, [met] and struck at each other; but Gherib avoided Semsam’s stroke and dealt him a buffet that beat in his breast and cast him to the ground, dead; whereupon all his host set upon Gherib as one man, and he ran at them, crying out, ‘God is most Great! He giveth help and victory [to His servants] and forsaketh those who reject the faith of Abraham the Friend, on whom be peace!’

  When the infidels heard the name of the All-powerful King, the One, the Victorious, whom the sights comprehend not, but He comprehendeth all sights, they looked at one another and said, ‘What is this saying that makes us tremble in every nerve and weakens our resolution and causes the life to fail in us? Never in our lives heard we aught goodlier than this saying! Let us leave fighting, that we may ask its meaning.’ So they held their hands from the battle and dismounted; and their chiefs assembled and held counsel together, seeking to go to Gherib and saying, ‘Let ten of us go to him!’ So they chose out ten of their best, who set out for Gherib’s camp. Now he and his people had alighted and returned to their tents, marvelling at the withdrawal of the infidels from the fight. Presently, the ten elders came up and seeking speech of Gherib, kissed the earth before him and wished him glory and long life. Quoth he to them, ‘What made you leave fighting?’ ‘O my lord,’ answered they, ‘thou didst affright us with the words thou shoutedst out at us.’ Then said Gherib, ‘What calamity do ye worship?’ ‘We worship Wedd and Souwaa and Yeghouth,’ answered they, ‘lords of the tribe of Noah;’ and Gherib, ‘We serve none but God the Most High, Maker of all things and Provider of every living creature. He it is who created the heavens and the earth and stablished the mountains, who maketh water to well from the rocks and the trees to grow and feedeth the wild beasts in the deserts; for He is God, the One, the All-powerful.’

  When they heard this, their bosoms expanded to the words of the faith of Unity and they said, ‘ Verily, this God is a great lord, compassionate and merciful. What shall we say, to become of those that submit themselves to Him ?’ Quoth Gherib, ‘Say,” There is no god but God and Abraham is the Friend of God.”’ So the ten made sincere profession of the true faith and Gherib said to them, ‘ If the sweetness of Islam be indeed stablished in your hearts, go to your people and expound the faith to them; and if they profess, they shall be saved, but if they refuse, we will burn them with fire.’ So they returned and expounded Islam to their people and set forth to them the way of truth and righteousness, and they embraced the faith of submission with heart and tongue.

  Then they repaired on foot to Gherib’s tent and kissing the earth before him, wished him power and advancement, saying, ‘O our lord, we are become thy slaves; command us what thou wilt, for we hearken to thee and obey thee and will never leave thee, for God hath guided us into the right way at thy hands.’ ‘May God abundantly requite you!’ answered he. ‘Return to your dwellings and take your goods and your children and forego me to the Valley of Flowers and the castle of Sasa ben Shith, whilst I carry the princess Fekhr Taj, daughter of Sabour, King of the Persians, back to her father and return to you.’ ‘We hear and obey,’ said they and straightway returned to their encampment, rejoicing in Islam, and expounding the faith to their wives and children, who became true believers. Then they dismantled their dwellings and set forth, with their goods and cattle, for the Valley of Flowers. Now Gherib had charged them, saying, ‘If the Ghoul of the Mountain come out to you and offer to attack you, do ye call upon the name of God, the Creator of all things, and he will leave his hostile intent and receive you hospitably.’ So, when they came in sight of the castle of Shith, Saadan and his Sons sallied forth to them and would have fallen upon them; but they called aloud upon the name of God the Most High, and straightway he received them kindly and asked them of their case. They told him all that had passed between Gherib and themselves, whereupon he rejoiced in them and lodged them with him and loaded them with kindnesses.

  Meanwhile, Gherib and his company fared on five days’ journey towards the city of Isbanir, and on the sixth day, they saw in the distance a cloud of dust. So Gherib sent one of the Persians to learn the meaning of this and he went and returned, swiftlier than a bird in its flight, saying, ‘O my lord, these be a thousand horse of our comrades, whom the King hath sent in quest of his daughter.’ When Gherib heard this, he commanded his men to halt and pitch the tents. So they halted and waited till the new comers reached them, when they went to meet them and told Touman, their captain, that the princess was with them; whereupon he went in to Gherib and kissing the earth before him, enquired for her. Gherib sent him to her tent, and he entered and kissed her hands and feet and acquainted her with what had befallen her father and mother. She told him in return all that had befallen her and how Gherib had delivered her from the Ghoul of the Mountain, who would else have eaten her, adding, ‘And indeed, it behoves my father to give him the half of his kingdom.’ Then Touman returned to Gherib and kissed his hands and feet and thanked him for his good dealing, saying, ‘With thy leave, O my lord, I will return to Isbanir and acquaint the King with the good news of his daughter’s approach.’ ‘Go,’ answered Gherib, ‘and take of him the gift for glad tidings.’

  So Touman returned with all diligence to Isbanir and entering the palace, kissed the earth before the King, who said to him, ‘What is the news, O bringer of glad tidings?’ Quoth Touman, ‘I will not speak, till thou give me the reward for good news.’ ‘Tell me thy good news,’ answered the King, ‘and I will content thee.’ So Touman said, ‘O King, I bring thee the glad tidings of the return of the princess Fekhr Taj.’ When Sabour heard his daughter’s name, he fell down in a swoon and they sprinkled rose-water on him, till he recovered and said to Touman, ‘Draw near to me and tell me all.’ So he came forward and acquainted him with all that had befallen the princess; and Sabour beat hand upon hand, saying, ‘Alas, unhappy Fekhr Taj!’ And he bade give Touman ten thousand dinars and conferred on him the government of the city of Ispahan. Then he cried out to his Amirs, saying, ‘Mount, all of you, and go forth to meet the princess Fekhr Taj!’ Whilst the chief eunuch went in to the queen-mother and told her and all the harem the good news, whereat she rejoiced and gave him a dress of honour and a thousand dinars. Moreover, the people of the city heard of this and decorated the streets and houses.

  Then the King and Touman took horse and rode till they fell in with Gherib, when Sabour dismounted and made some steps towards Gherib, who also dismounted and advanced to meet him; and they embraced and saluted each other, and Sabour bent over Gherib’s hand and kissed it and thanked him for his favours. They pitched their tents in face of one another and Sabour went in to his daughter, who rose and embracing him, told him all that had befallen her and how Gherib had rescued her from the clutches of the Ghoul of the Mountain. ‘By thy life, O princess of fair ones,’ said the King, ‘I will overwhelm him with gifts!’ ‘O my father,’ rejoined she, ‘make him thy son-in-law, that he may be to thee a help against thine enemies, for he is passing valiant.’ This she said because her heart was enamoured of Gherib. ‘O my daughter,’ answered her father, ‘knowst thou not that King Khired Shah seeks thee in marriage and that he hath cast the brocade and given a hundred thousand dinars [to dowry], and he is King of Shiraz and its dependencies and is lord of empire and horsemen and footmen?’ ‘O my father,’ said the princess, ‘I desire not that whereof thou speakest, and if thou constrain me to
that I have no mind to, I will kill myself.’ So Sabour left her and went in to Gherib, with whom he sat awhile and could not take his fill of looking upon him; and he said in himself, ‘By Allah, my daughter is excusable if she love this Bedouin!’ Then he called for food and they ate and passed the night together.

  On the morrow, they took horse and rode till they arrived at the city of Isbanir and entered, stirrup to stirrup, and it was a great day for them. Fekhr Taj repaired to her palace and the abiding-place of her rank, where her mother and her women received her with cries of joy. As for King Sabour, he sat down on his throne and seated Gherib on his right hand, whilst the princes and viceroys and chamberlains and viziers and officers stood on either hand and gave him joy of the recovery of his daughter. Quoth Sabour, ‘Whoso loveth me let him bestow a robe of honour on Gherib,’ and there fell dresses of honour on him like rain. Then Gherib abode the King’s guest ten days, at the end of which time he would have departed, but Sabour clad him in a dress of honour and swore by his faith that he should not depart for a month. Quoth Gherib, ‘O King, I am plighted to one of the girls of the Arabs and I desire to go in to her.’ ‘Whether is the fairer,’ asked the King, ‘thy betrothed or Fekhr Taj?’ ‘O King of the age,’ replied Gherib, ‘what is the slave beside the lord?’ And Sabour said, ‘Fekhr Taj is become thy handmaid, for that thou didst rescue her from the clutches of the Ghoul, and she shall have none other husband than thee.’