One Thousand and One Nights

by Richard Burton

  One day, he went out to hunt, with a hundred horse, and fared on till he came to a valley, abounding in trees and fruits and streams and birds. It was a pasturing-place for antelopes and gazelles, delightsome to the spirit, and the fragrance of its flowers brought repose from the languor of strife. It was a brilliant day; so they encamped in the valley and passed the night there. On the morrow, Gherib made the ablution and prayed the morning prayers, offering up praise and thanks to God the Most High; when, behold, there arose a great clamour and tumult in the meadows, and he bade Sehim go and see what was the matter. So Sehim mounted and rode till he saw horsemen carrying off women and children, captive and crying out, and plundered goods and haltered horses; whereupon he questioned the shepherds and they said, ‘This is the harem of Merdas, Chief of the Benou Kehtan, and his goods and those of his tribe; for yesterday Jemrcan slew Merdas and made prize of his women and children and household stuff and those of his tribe. It is his wont to go a-raiding and waylay travellers, and he is a mighty man of war; neither Arabs nor kings can avail against him and he is the scourge of the land.’

  When Sehim heard this, he returned to Gherib and told him the case, wherefore fire was added to his fire and his blood boiled to avenge himself and wipe Out his reproach. So he rode after the robbers, till he overtook them and fell upon them, crying out and saying, ‘God is Most Great! Down with the covetous oppressors, who deny Him!’ And he slew in one onset one-and-twenty fighting men. Then he halted in mid-field, with no coward’s heart, and cried out, saying, ‘Where is Jemrcan? Let him come out to me, that I may make him quaff the cup of humiliation and rid the earth of him!’ Hardly had he made an end of speaking, when out came Jemrcan, - a huge tall Amalekite, as he were a calamity of calamities or a piece of a mountain, cased in steel, and bearing a passing heavy club of China steel, wherewith if he smote a mountain, he crashed it, - and drove at Gherib like a fierce tyrant, without speech or salutation. Gherib met him like a hungry lion, and the brigand aimed a blow at his head with his club; but he evaded it and the club smote the earth and sank therein half a cubit deep. Then Gherib took his mace and smiting Jemrcan on the wrist, crushed his fingers and the club dropped from his grasp; whereupon Gherib bent down from his saddle and snatching it up, swiftlier than the blinding lightning, smote him therewith full on the ribs, and he fell to the earth like a huge palm tree. So Sehim took him and binding him, haled him off with a rope, and Gherib’s men fell on those of Jemrcan and slew fifty of them and put the rest to flight; nor did they draw bridle till they reached their camp and raised their voices in clamour; whereupon all who were in the stronghold came out to meet them and they told them what had passed, and when they heard that their chief was a prisoner, they set out for the valley, vying with each other in their haste to deliver him.

  Meanwhile King Gherib dismounted and called for Jemrcan, who humbled himself before him, saying, ‘I throw myself on thy mercy, O champion of the age!’ ‘O dog of the Arabs,’ replied Gherib, ‘dost thou waylay the servants of God the Most High and fearest not the Lord of the Worlds?’ ‘O my lord,’ said Jemrcan, ‘and who is the Lord of the Worlds?’ ‘O dog,’ rejoined Gherib, ‘and what calamity dost thou worship?’ ‘O my lord,’ answered the brigand, ‘I worship a god made of dates kneaded with butter and honey, and whiles I eat him and make me another.’ When Gherib heard this, he laughed, till he fell backward, and said, ‘O unhappy wretch, there is none worship-worth save God the Most High, who created thee and all things and provideth all creatures, from whom nothing is hidden and who hath power over all.’ Quoth Jemrcan, ‘And where is this mighty god, that I may worship him?’ ‘O fellow,’ answered Gherib, ‘know that this god’s name is Allah, and it is He who created the heavens and the earth and maketh the trees to grow and the waters to run. He created beasts and birds and Paradise and Hell-fire and secludeth Himself from all eyes, seeing and being seen of none. Extolled be His perfection! There is no god but He!’ When Jemrcan heard these words, the ears of his heart were opened and his skin shuddered and he said, ‘O my lord, what shall I say that I may become one of you and that this mighty Lord may accept of me?’ ‘Say,’ replied Gherib, “‘There is no god but God and Abraham the Friend is the Apostle of God!”’ So he repeated the profession of the faith and was written of the people of felicity. Then said Gherib, ‘Hast thou tasted the sweetness of Islam?’’Yes, answered the other; and Gherib said, ‘Loose his bonds.’ So they unbound him and he kissed the earth before Gherib and his feet.

  At this moment they espied a great cloud of dust, that spread tilled it walled the world, and Gherib bade Sehim go and see what it was. So he went off, like a bird in full flight, and presently returning, said, ‘O King of the age, it is the Benou Aamir, the comrades of Jemrcan.’ Whereupon quoth Gherib to the latter, ‘Ride out to thy people and expound to them Islam, and if they profess, they shall be saved; but, if they refuse, we will put them to the sword.’ So Jemrcan mounted and Spurring towards his tribesmen, cried out to them; and they knew him and dismounting, came up to him on foot and said, ‘We rejoice in thy safety, O our lord!’ ‘O folk,’ said he, ‘whoso obeyeth me shall be saved; but whoso gainsayeth me, I will cut him in twain with this sabre.’ And they made answer, saying,’ Command us what thou wilt, for we will not gainsay thy commandment’ Quoth he, ‘Then say with me, “There is no god but God and Abraham is the Friend of God!”’ ‘O our lord,’ asked they, ‘whence hast thou these words?’ And he told them what had befallen him, adding, ‘O folk, know ye not that I am your chief and foremost among you in the field and stead of war, and yet a single man took me prisoner and made me quaff the cup of humiliation?’

  When they heard his speech, they spoke the word of Unity, and Jemrcan led them to Gherib, at whose hands they affirmed their profession and wished him glory and victory, after they had kissed the earth before him. Gherib rejoiced in them and bade them return to their people and expound Islam to them; but they said, ‘O our lord, we will never leave thee, whilst we live; but we will go and fetch our families and return to thee.’ And Gherib said, ‘Go, and join me at the city of Cufa.’ So Jemrcan and his comrades returned to their camp and expounded Islam to their women and children, who all to a soul embraced the true faith, after which they dismantled their houses and struck their tents and set out for Cufa, driving before them their horses and sheep and camels.

  Meanwhile Gherib returned to Cufa, where the horsemen met him and carried him into the city in state. He entered his palace and sat down on his throne, with his officers standing on either hand. Then the spies entered and informed him that his brother Agib had made his escape and taken refuge with Julned ben Kerker, the lord of the city of Oman and land of Yemen; whereupon Gherib bade his troops make ready to set out in three days’ time. Then he expounded Islam to the thirty thousand men he had taken in the first battle and exhorted them to profess and take service with him. Twenty thousand embraced the faith, but the rest refused and he slew them. Then came Jemrcan and his tribe and kissed the earth before Gherib, who bestowed on him a splendid dress of honour and made him captain of his vanguard, saying, ‘O Jemrcan, mount with the chiefs of thy kinsmen and twenty thousand horse and fare on before us to the land of Julned ben Kerker.’ ‘I hear and obey,’ answered Jemrcan and set forward with his men, leaving the women and children of the tribe in Cufa.

  Then Gherib passed in review the harem of Merdas and his eye lit upon Mehdiyeh, who was among the women, whereupon he fell down in a swoon. They sprinkled rose-water on his face, till he came to himself, when he embraced Mehdiyeh and carried her into a privy chamber, where he sat with her; and they lay together that night without lewdness. Next morning, he went out and sitting down on the throne of his kingship, invested his uncle Damigh with a dress of honour and appointed him his viceroy over all Irak, commending Mehdiyeh to his care, till he should return from his expedition against Agib; after which he set out for the land of Yemen with twenty thousand horse and ten thousand foot.

  Now, when Agib and his d
efeated army came in sight of Oman, King Julned saw the dust of their approach and sent scouts to find out its meaning, who returned and told him that this was the dust of Agib, lord of Irak. And Julned wondered at his coming and said to his officers, ‘Go forth and meet him.’ So they went forth and met him and pitched tents for him at the gate of the city; and Agib sent in to Julned, weeping and mournful-hearted. Now Julned’s wife was the daughter of Agib’s father’s brother, and he had children by her. So, when he saw his kinsman in this plight, he asked what ailed him and Agib told him all that had befallen him, saying, ‘O King, Gherib commandeth the folk to worship the Lord of the Heavens and forbiddeth them from the service of idols and other gods.’ When Julned heard this, he was mightily enraged and said, ‘By the virtue of the light-giving sun, I will not leave one of thy brother’s folk on life! But where didst thou leave them and how many men are they?’ ‘I left them in Cufa,’ answered Agib; ‘and they are fifty thousand horse.’ Whereupon Julned called his Vizier Jawamerd, saying, ‘Take seventy thousand horse and go to Cufa and bring me the Muslims alive, that I may torture them with all manner of tortures.’

  So Jawamerd departed with his host and fared on seven days’ journey towards Cufa, till he came to a valley abounding in trees and streams and fruits, where he called a halt and they rested till the middle of the night, when the Vizier gave the signal for departure and mounting, rode on before them till hard upon daybreak. A little before the dawn, he descended into a well-wooded valley, whose flowers were fragrant and whose birds warbled on the branches, as they swayed gracefully to and fro, and Satan blew into his sides [and puffed him up with pride] and he recited the following verses:

  I put my battle-harness on and don my dreadful arms, And here and there on every side I drive through the mellay;

  I and my troops, we plunge into the seething sea of war And of my prowess and my might the captives lead away.

  The doughtiest horsemen of the world do know me for a fear, A scourge and terror to my foes, my kinsmen’s help and stay.

  Lo, upon Gherib will I seize and drag him forth in chains! Then, with a joyful heart and proud, I’ll homeward wend my way.

  Hardly had he made an end of his verses when there came out upon him from among the trees a horseman of noble presence, clad in complete steel, who cried out to him, saying, ‘Stand, O brigand of the Arabs! Put off thy clothes and lay down thine arms and dismount and begone!’ When Jawamerd heard this, the light in his eyes became darkness and he drew his sabre and drove at Jemrcan, [for he it was,] saying, ‘O thief of the Arabs, wilt thou play the highwayman with me, who am captain of the host of Julned ben Kerker and am come to bring Gherib and his men bound?’ When Jemrcan heard these words, he said, ‘How grateful is this to my heart!’ And made at Jawamerd, reciting the following verses:

  I am the cavalier renowned for valour in the field: The foemen everywhere do dread my sabre and my spear.

  I’m Jemrcan, whose whole delight is in the press of war, And all the champions of the world my lance-thrust know and fear.

  Gherib my lord and sultan is, the high-priest of my faith, That is the lion of the fight, when hosts to strife draw near!

  Devout and full of pious dread, a doughty chief is he; Midmost the tented field he slays his enemies like deer.

  Despite the gods of unbelief, verses he chants and bids The folk to Abraham his faith, with clarion voice and clear.

  Now Jemrcan had fared on with his men ten days’ journey from Cufa and called a halt on the eleventh day till midnight, when he bade depart and rode on in advance, till he came to the valley aforesaid and heard Jawamerd reciting his braggart verses. So he drove at him, as he were a ravening lion, and smiting him with his sword, clove him in twain and waited till his captains came up, when he told them what had passed and said to them, ‘Let each of you take five thousand men and disperse round about the valley, whilst I and the Benou Aamir fall upon the enemy’s van, crying out and saying, “God is Most Great!” When ye hear our shouts, do ye charge them with the same cry and smite them with the sword.’ ‘We hear and obey,’ answered they and turning back to their men, spread themselves about the sides of the valley in the fore-dawn twilight.

  Presently up came the army of Yemen, like a flock of sheep, filling mountain and plain, and Jemrcan and the Benou Aamir fell upon them, shouting, ‘God is Most Great!’ Whereupon the Muslims in ambush in the valley cried out in answer and the hills and mountains echoed the cry and all things, green and dry, answered, saying, ‘God is Most Great! He giveth aid and victory and forsaketh those who deny Him!’ And the infidels were confounded and smote one another with the keen sabre, whilst the true believers fell upon them like flames of fire and nothing was seen but heads flying and blood spouting and faint-hearts giving back in dismay. By the time they could see each other’s faces, two-thirds of the infidels had perished and God hastened their souls to the fire and ill was the abiding-place [to which they went]. The rest took to flight and dispersed about the deserts, whilst the Muslims pursued them, slaying and taking captive till midday, when they returned in triumph with seven thousand prisoners; and but six-and-twenty thousand of the infidels escaped and the most of them wounded.

  Then the Muslims collected the arms and horses and tents and baggage of the enemy and despatched them to Cufa with an escort of a thousand horse; whilst Jemrcan and the rest of his force dismounted and expounded Islam to the prisoners, who made profession of the faith with heart and tongue; whereupon they released them and embraced them and rejoiced in them. Then Jemrcan made his troops rest a day and a night and set out with the dawn, intending for the city of Oman; whilst the thousand horse fared back to Cufa with the booty. When they reached the city, they went in to Gherib and told him what had passed, whereat he rejoiced and said to the Ghoul of the Mountain, ‘Take horse and follow Jemrcan with twenty thousand men.’ So Saadan and his sons mounted and set out for Oman with twenty thousand horse.

  Meanwhile, the remains of the defeated army reached Oman and went in to Julned, weeping and crying, ‘Woe!’ and ‘Ruin!’ whereat he was amazed and said to them, ‘What hath befallen you?’ So they told him what had happened and he said, ‘Out on you! How many men were they?’ ‘O King,’ answered they, ‘there were twenty standards, under each a thousand men.’ When Julned heard this, he said, ‘May the sun pour no blessing on you! Out on you! Shall twenty thousand overcome you, and you seventy thousand horse and Jawamerd equal to three thousand in the open field!’ Then, in the excess of his rage and mortification, he drew his sword and cried out to those who were present, saying, ‘Fall on them!’ So the courtiers drew their swords upon the fugitives and slew them to the last man and cast them to the dogs. Then Julned cried out to his son (whose name was Courejan and than whom there was no doughtier cavalier in the army of his father, for he was wont to undertake three thousand horse, single-handed), saying, ‘Take a hundred thousand horse and go to Irak and lay it waste altogether.’ So Courejan and his host made haste to equip themselves and set out in battle array, with the prince at their head, glorying in himself and reciting the following verses:

  I’m El Courejan, the first-born of renown! I vanquish the dwellers in desert and town.

  How many a champion I’ve slain with my sword! Like an ox, to the earth I have stricken him down.

  How many a host have I scattered abroad And their heads made like balls roll o’er desert and down!

  Now for Irak I’m bound, for the enemies’ land, Where my foes in the sea of their blood I will drown.

  I will lead away Gherib in chains with his chiefs, So their fate to the wise for a warning be known!

  They fared on twelve days’ journey, till a great cloud of dust arose before them and covered the horizon and the country, and Courejan sent out scouts to reconnoitre, who returned and said to him, ‘O King, this is the dust of the Muslims.’ Whereat he was glad and said, ‘Did ye count them?’ And they answered, saying, ‘We counted the standards, and they were twenty in number.’ ‘By my
faith,’ quoth the prince, ‘I will not send one man-at-arms against them, but will go forth to them alone and strew their heads under the hoofs of the horses!’

  Now this was the army of Jemrcan, who, espying the host of the infidels and seeing them as the swollen sea, called a halt; so his troops pitched the tents and set up the standards, calling upon the name of the All-wise Creator of light and darkness, Lord of all creatures, who seeth and is not seen, blessed and exalted be He! There is no god but He! The infidels also halted and pitched their tents, and Courejan said to them, ‘Sleep upon your arms, for in the last watch of the night we will mount and trample yonder handful under our feet!’ Now one of Jemrcan’s spies was standing by and heard what Courejan purposed; so he returned and told his chief who said to his men, ‘Arm yourselves and as soon it is dark, bring me all the camels and mules and hang all the bells and bangles and rattles ye have about their necks.’ And they had with them more than twenty thousand camels and mules.