One Thousand and One Nights

by Richard Burton

  Consider but thy Lord His doings and how what Thou wouldst of quick relief He brings; nor at thy lot

  Fret, nor despair, if thou affliction must endure; For in affliction’s self what mercies are there not.

  They fared on till they came to the foot of the mountain, where they halted and Hassan saw thereon a palace and said to Behram, ‘What is yonder palace?’ And he answered, ‘It is the abode of Jinn and ghouls and devils.’ Then the Magian alighted and making Hassan dismount also, kissed his head and said to him, ‘Bear me not malice for that I did with thee, for I will keep guard over thee in thine ascent to the palace; and I conjure thee not to wrong me of aught thou shalt bring therefrom, and I and thou will share therein equally.’ And Hassan answered, ‘I hear and obey.’ Then Behram opened a bag and taking out a handmill and a quantity of wheat, ground the latter in the mill and kneaded three cakes of the flour; after which he lighted a fire and baked them.

  Then he took out the drum and beat it with the strap, whereupon up came the dromedaries. He chose out one of them and slew and skinned it; then turned to Hassan and said to him, ‘Give ear, O my son Hassan, to what I am about to enjoin on thee.’ And Hassan replied, ‘It is well.’ ‘Lie down on this skin,’ said Behram, ‘and I will sew thee up therein and lay thee on the ground; whereupon the rocs will come to thee and carry thee up to the mountain-top. Take this knife with thee, and when thou feelest that the birds have set thee down, slit open the skin with the knife and come forth. They will take fright at thee and fly away ; whereupon do thou look down and speak to me, and I will tell thee what to do.’ So saying, he sewed him up in the skin, with the three cakes and a leathern bottle full of water, and withdrew to a distance.

  Presently a roc pounced upon him and taking him up, flew away with him to the mountain-top and there set him down. As soon as Hassan felt himself on the ground, he slit the skin and coming forth, called out to the Magian, who rejoiced at hearing his speech and danced for excess of joy, saying to him, ‘Look behind thee and tell me what thou seest,’ Hassan looked and seeing great store of rotten bones and wood, told Behram, who said to him, ‘This is what we seek. Make six bundles of the wood and throw them down to me, for this is wherewithal we do alchemy.’ So he threw him the six bundles and when he had gotten them, he said to Hassan, ‘O good-for-nought, I have accomplished my need of thee; and now, if thou Wilt, thou mayst abide on this mountain, or cast thyself down to the earth and perish.’ So saying, he left him and went away, and Hassan exclaimed, ‘There is no power and no virtue save in God the Most High, the Supreme! This accursed dog hath played the traitor with me! And he sat bemoaning himself and reciting the following verses:

  When God upon a man possessed of reasoning, Hearing and sight His will in aught to pass would bring,

  He stops his ears and blinds his eyes and draws his wit From him, as one draws out the hairs to paste that cling;

  Till, His decrees fulfilled, He gives him back his wit, That therewithal he may receive admonishing.

  So say thou not of aught that haps, “How happened it?” For fate and fortune fixed do order everything.

  Then he rose to his feet and looked right and left, after which he walked on along the mountain-top, making sure of death. He fared on thus till he came to the other brow of the mountain, under which he saw a dark-blue foaming sea, swollen with clashing billows, each as it were a great mountain. So he sat down and repeated what he might of the Koran and besought God the Most High to ease him of his troubles, either by death or deliverance from that his strait. Then he recited for himself the funeral-prayer and cast himself down into the sea; but, by God’s grace, the winds bore him up, so that he reached the water unhurt, and the angel to whose charge the sea is committed watched over him, so that, by the decree of the Most High, the waves carried him safe to land. So he rejoiced and praised God the Most High and thanked Him; after which he walked on in quest of somewhat to eat, for stress of hunger, and came presently to the place where he had halted with the Magian.

  Then he fared on awhile, till he caught sight of a great palace, rising high into the air, and knew it for that of which he had questioned Behram and he had replied, ‘An enemy of mine dwelleth there.’ ‘By Allah,’ said Hassan in himself, ‘needs must I enter yonder palace; peradventure relief awaits me there.’ So he went up to it and finding the gate open, entered the vestibule, where he saw two girls, like moons, seated on a bench, with a table before them, playing at chess. One of them raised her eyes and seeing him, cried out for joy and said, ‘By Allah, here is a mortal, and methinks it is he whom Behram the Magian brought hither this year!’ Whereupon Hassan cast himself at their feet and wept sore, saying, ‘Yes, by Allah, O my ladies, I am indeed that unhappy wretch!’

  Then said the younger to the elder damsel, ‘Bear witness against me, O my sister, that this is my brother before God and that I will die for his death and live for his life and rejoice for his joy and mourn for his mourning.’ So saying, she embraced him and kissed him and taking him by the hand, led him, and her sister with her, into the palace, where she did off his ragged clothes and brought him a suit of kings’ raiment, in which she clothed him. Moreover, she made ready all manner viands and set them before him, and sat and ate with him, she and her sister. Then said they to him, ‘Tell us thine adventure with yonder wicked dog of a sorcerer, from the time of thy falling into his hands to that of thine escape from him; and after we will tell thee all that has passed between us and him, so thou mayst be on thy guard against him, if thou see him again.’

  Hassan, finding himself thus kindly received, took heart of grace and his reason returned to him and he related to them all that had befallen him with the Magian from first to last. ‘Didst thou ask him of this palace?’ asked they. ‘Yes,’ answered Hassan. ‘But he said, “Name it not to me; for it belongs to devils and demons.”’ At this, the two damsels were mightily enraged and said, ‘Did the infidel style us devils and demons?’ And Hassan answered, ‘Yes.’ ‘By Allah,’ cried the younger sister, ‘I will assuredly put him to death after the foulest fashion and make him to lack the wind of the world!’ ‘And how,’ asked Hassan, ‘wilt thou get at him, to kill him, for he is a crafty magician?’ Quoth she, ‘He is in a garden by name El Meshid, and needs must I slay him before long.’

  Then said her sister, ‘ All that Hassan hath told us of this dog is true; but now tell him our history, that it may abide in his memory.’ So the younger said to him, ‘Know, O my brother, that we are the daughters of a king of the mightiest kings of the Jinn, having Marids to troops and guards and servants, and God the Most High blessed him with seven daughters by one wife; but such stiffneckedness got hold upon him and such jealousy and pride beyond compare that he would not give us in marriage to any one and summoning his viziers and officers, said to them, “Can ye tell me of any place inaccessible to men and Jinn and abounding in trees and fruits and streams?” And they said, “What wilt thou therewith, O king of the age?” Quoth he, “I desire to lodge my seven daughters there.” “O king,” answered they, “the place for them is the Castle of the Mountain of Clouds, built by one of the rebellious Jinn, who revolted from the covenant of cur lord Solomon, on whom be peace. Since his destruction, none hath dwelt there, man nor genie, for it is cut off [from the rest of the world] and none may win to it. It is compassed about with trees and fruits and streams, and around it is running water, sweeter than honey and colder than snow, whereof none trinkets, who is afflicted with leprosy or elephantiasis or what not else, but he is healed forthright.”

  So our father sent us hither, with an escort of his troops, and provided us with all that we need here. When he is minded to ride [to us], he beats a drum, whereupon all his guards present themselves before him and he chooses whom he shall ride and dismisses the rest; but, when he desireth that we shall visit him, he commandeth the enchanters, his followers, to fetch us, whereupon they come to us and carry us to him, so he may solace himself with our company and we accomplish our desire of him; after w
hich they carry us back again. Our five sisters are gone a-hunting in the desert, wherein are wild beasts past count or reckoning, and we two abode at home, to make them ready food, it being our turn to do this. Indeed, we had besought God (blessed and glorified be He!) to vouchsafe us a man to cheer us with his company and praised be He who hath brought thee to us! So take heart and be of good cheer, for no harm shall befall thee.’

  Hassan rejoiced and said, ‘Praised be God who guideth us into the way of deliverance and inclineth hearts to us!’ Then his [adopted] sister rose and taking him by the hand, led him into a private chamber, where she brought out to him linen and furniture such as no mortal can avail unto. Presently, the other damsels returned from the chase and their sisters acquainted them with Hassan’s case; whereupon they rejoiced in him and going in to him in his chamber, saluted him and gave him joy of his deliverance. Then he abode in familiar intercourse with them, riding out with them to the chase and taking his pleasure with them in that fair palace with its gardens and flowers, whilst they entreated him courteously and cheered him with discourse, till his sadness ceased from him and he recovered health and strength and waxed stout and fat, by dint of fair treatment and pleasant life; for indeed he led the goodliest of lives with the damsels, who delighted in him and he yet more in them. Moreover, the youngest princess told her sisters how the Magian had styled them ghouls and demons, and they swore that they would surely slay him.

  Next year, the accursed Magian again made his appearance, having with him a handsome young Muslim, as he were the moon, bound hand and foot and suffering grievous tortures, and alighted with him in view of the palace. Now Hassan was sitting under the trees by the side of the stream; and when he espied Behram, his heart fluttered and he changed colour and smote hand upon hand. Then he said to the princesses, ‘O my sisters, help me to slay yonder accursed wretch, for he is come back and in your grasp, and he hath with him, captive, a young Muslim of the sons of the notables, whom he is torturing with all manner of grievous torment. Fain would I slay him and solace my heart of him and earn God’s favour by delivering the young Muslim from his mischief and restoring him to his country and friends. This will be an almsdeed from you and ye will reap the reward thereof from God the Most High!’

  ‘We hear and obey God and thee, O Hassan,’ replied they and binding chinbands about their faces, armed themselves and girt on their swords: after which they brought Hassan a charger of the best and equipped him in complete armour and armed him with goodly weapons. Then they all sallied out and found the Magian ill-using the young Muslim, to make him enter the hide of a camel that he had killed and skinned. Hassan came behind him, without his knowledge, and cried out at him, saying, ‘Hold thy hand, O accursed! O enemy of God and of the Muslims! O dog! O traitor! O thou that servest the fire and walkest in the way of the wicked, worshipping the fire and the light and swearing by the shade and the heat!’

  When the Magian heard this, he was startled and disconcerted; so he turned and seeing Hassan, thought to wheedle him and said to him, ‘O my son, how madest thou thine escape and who brought thee down to earth?’ ‘God the Most High delivered me,’ answered Hassan, ‘He who hath appointed the taking of thy life to be at my hand, and I will torture thee even as thou torturedst me the whole way long. O misbeliever, O heretic, thou hast fallen into perdition and hast wandered from the way; and neither mother nor brother shall avail thee, nor friend nor solemn covenant; for thou saidst, “Whoso is faithless to bread and salt, may God do vengeance upon him!” And thou hast broken the bond of bread and salt; wherefore God hath delivered thee into my hands, and small chance hast thou of escape from me.’ ‘By Allah, O my son,’ rejoined Behram, ‘thou art dearer to me than my soul and the light of mine eyes!’ But Hassan stepped up to him and smote him hastily between the shoulders, that the sword issued gleaming from the tendons of his throat and God hurried his soul to the fire, and evil is the abiding- place [to which he went].

  Then Hassan took the Magian’s bag and opening it, took out the drum and beat it with the strap, whereupon up came the dromedaries like lightning. So he loosed the young man from his bonds and setting him on one of the camels, loaded him another with victual and water. Then he bade him go whither he would and he departed, after God the Most High had thus delivered him from his strait at the hands of Hassan. When the princesses saw Hassan slay the Magian, they rejoiced in him with an exceeding joy and encompassed him, marvelling at his valour and prowess. Moreover, they thanked him for his deed and gave him joy of his safety, saying, ‘O Hassan, thou hast done a deed, whereby thou hast healed the burning of him that thirsted [for vengeance] and pleased the Glorious King.’

  Then they returned to the palace, and he abode with them, eating and drinking and laughing and making merry; and indeed his sojourn with them was pleasant to him and he forgot his mother; nor did he cease to lead this goodly life with them, till, one day, there arose a great cloud of dust, that darkened the sky, and made towards them from the further side of the desert. When the princesses saw this, they said to him, ‘Rise, O Hassan, and hide thyself in thy chamber; or, if thou wilt, enter the garden and conceal thyself among the trees and vines; [but fear not,] for no harm shall befall thee.’ So he arose and entering his chamber, locked the door upon himself. Presently the dust lifted and discovered a great host, as it were the swollen sea, coming from the king, the father of the damsels.

  When they reached the castle, the princesses received them with all honour and entertained them three days; after which they questioned them of their case and errand, and they answered, saying, ‘We come in quest of you from the king.’ ‘And what would the king with us?’ asked the princesses. ‘One of the kings celebrateth a marriage festival,’ answered the envoys, ‘and your father would have you be present thereat and divert yourselves therewith.’ ‘And how long shall we be absent from our place?’ asked the damsels. ‘The time to come and go,’ answered they, ‘and to sojourn two months.’ So the princesses arose and going in to Hassan, acquainted him with the case and said to him, ‘Verily this place is thy place and our house is thy house; so be of good cheer and fear not nor grieve, for none can come at thee here; but keep a good heart and a cheerful mind, till we return to thee. The keys of our chambers we leave with thee; but, O our brother, we beseech thee, by the due of brotherhood, not to open such a door, for thou hast no call thereto.’ Then they took leave of him and went away with the troops, leaving him alone in the palace.

  It was not long before his breast grew straitened and his patience came to an end: solitude and sadness were heavy on him and he grieved for his separation from them with an exceeding grief. The palace, for all its vastness, was straitened upon him and finding himself sad and solitary, he bethought him of the damsels and recited the following verses:

  The spreading plain all straitened is, for longing, on my sight And all my thoughts are troubled grown, that erst were calm and bright.

  Since those I love have fared away, my joy is turned to grief And eke mine eyes with bitter tears brim over day and night.

  Sleep hath departed from my lids, for severance from them; Yea, parting- saddened, eke, is grown my heart and all my spright.

  I wonder will Fate e’er reknit our loves and Time restore To me, with their companionship, my solace and delight!

  He used to go a-hunting by himself in the desert and bring back the game and eat thereof alone: but melancholy and unease redoubled on him, by reason of his loneliness. So he arose and went round about the palace and explored its every part. Morever, he opened the princesses’ apartments and found therein riches and treasures, fit to do away the beholder’s wits; but he delighted not in aught thereof, by reason of their absence. His heart was on fire with solicitude respecting the door they had charged him not to approach or open, and he said in himself, ‘My sister had not forbidden me to open this door, except there were behind it somewhat, whereof she would have none to know; but, by Allah, I will arise and open it and see what is within, were death b
ehind it!’

  Then he took the key and opening the door, saw nothing therein but a winding stair of Yemen onyx at the upper end of the chamber. So he mounted the stair, which brought him out upon the terraced roof of the palace, whence he looked down upon gardens and orchards, full of trees and fruits and beasts and birds warbling the praises of God the One, the All-powerful, and said in himself, ‘This is that wherefrom they forbade me.’ Beyond these pleasaunces he saw a surging sea, swollen with clashing billows, and he ceased not to explore the [terraces of the] palace right and left, till he came to a pavilion such as neither Caesar nor Chosroes ever possessed, builded with alternate courses of gold and silver and jacinth and emerald and supported by four columns.

  The interior was paved and lined with a mosaic of jacinths and emeralds and balass-rubies and all manner other jewels, and in its midst was a basin of water, over which was a trellis of sandal and aloes-wood, netted with red gold and wands of emerald and set with various kinds of jewels and fine pearls, each the bigness of a pigeon’s egg. The trellis was covered with a climbing vine, bearing grapes like rubies, and beside the pool stood a couch of aloes-wood, trellised with red gold and inlaid with great pearls and all manner vari-coloured gems and precious stones, symmetrically disposed. About it the birds warbled, celebrating the praises of God the Most High with sweet and various voices; but, save them, Hassan saw therein none of the creatures of God, whereat he marvelled and said in himself, ‘I wonder to which of the kings this place pertaineth, or is it Many-Columned Irem whereof they tell, for who [among mortals] can avail to the like of this?’ And indeed he was amazed and sat down in the pavilion, marvelling at the beauty of its ordinance and at the lustre of the pearls and jewels and the curious works that were therein, no less than at the gardens and orchards aforesaid and at the birds that sang the praises of God the One, the Almighty, and pondering the traces of him whom God the Most High had enabled to rear that structure, for indeed He is mickle of might.