One Thousand and One Nights

by Richard Burton

  So he told them all that had befallen him, first and last, and how he had gotten the Magian into his power and slain him and delivered the youth from him and sent him back to his own country and how he had taken the king’s daughter of the Jinn and married her and she had borne him two children, yet had played him false and taken them and flown away, and related to them all the perils and hardships he had undergone; whereat they all marvelled and said to Abourruweish, ‘O elder of elders, by Allah, this youth is to be pitied! But belike thou wilt aid him to regain his wife and children.’ ‘O my brothers,’ answered he, ‘this is a grave and perilous matter; and never saw I any loathe life but this youth. You know that the Wac Islands are hard of access and that none may come to them but at the peril of his life; and ye know also the strength of their people and their guards. Moreover, I have sworn an oath not to tread their soil nor transgress against them in aught: so how shall this man win to the daughter of the Great King and who can avail to bring him to her or help him in this matter?’

  ‘O elder of elders,’ replied the others, ‘verily this man is consumed with desire and he hath adventured himself to bring thee thy brother Abdulcuddous’s letter; wherefore it behoves thee to help him.’ And Hassan arose and kissed Abourruweish’s feet and raising his skirt, laid it on his head, weeping and saying, ‘I beseech thee, by Allah, to reunite me with my wife and children, though it cost me my life and soul!’ The four elders all wept for his weeping and said to Abourruweish, ‘Deal kindly with this poor fellow for the sake of thy brother Abdulcuddous and profit by this occasion to earn the reward of [God for] him.’ Quoth he, ‘This unhappy youth knoweth not what he undertaketh; but we will help him after the measure of our power.’ When Hassan heard the sheikh’s words, he rejoiced and kissed the hands of the five elders, one after another, imploring their aid.

  Then Abourruweish took inkhorn and paper and wrote a letter, which he sealed and gave to Hassan, together with a leathern pouch, containing perfumes and flint and steel, and said to him, ‘Take care of this pouch, and when thou fallest into any strait, burn a little of the perfumes therein and name me, whereupon I will be with thee presently and deliver thee from thy stress.’ Moreover, he bade one of those present fetch him an Afrit of the Flying Jinn; and he did so forthright; whereupon quoth Abourruweish to the genie, ‘What is thy name?’ ‘Thy slave is [called] Dehnesh ben Fectesh,’ replied the Afrit. And the sheikh said, ‘Draw near to me.’ So Dehnesh drew near to him and he put his mouth to his ear and said somewhat to him, whereat the Afrit shook his head and answered, ‘I accept, O sheikh of sheikhs.’

  Then said Abourruweish to Hassan, ‘Arise, O my son, mount the shoulders of this Afrit, Dehnesh the Flyer; but, when he soareth with thee to heaven and thou hearest the angels glorifying God in the air, have a care lest thou do the like; else wilt thou perish and he also.’ ‘I will not say a word,’ replied he, and the old man continued: ‘O Hassan, to-morrow at peep of day he will set thee down in a land of pure white, like unto camphor, whereupon do thou fare on ten days by thyself, till thou come to the gate of a city. Enter and enquire for the king of the city; and when thou comest to his presence, salute him and kiss his hand: then give him this letter and heed well that which he shall counsel thee.’ ‘I hear and obey,’ replied Hassan and mounted the Afrit’s shoulders, whilst the elders rose and offered up prayers for him and commended him to Dehnesh’s care.

  Then the Afrit soared with him to the very confines of the sky, till he heard the angels glorifying God in heaven, and flew on with him a day and a night, till he set him down, at dawn of the next day, in a land, white as camphor, and went his way, leaving him there. When Hassan found himself alone in the land aforesaid, he fared on day and night for ten days, till he came to the gate of the city in question and entering, enquired for the king. They directed him to him and told him that his name was Hessoun, King of the Land of Camphor, and that he had troops and soldiers, enough to fill the earth, in its length and breadth. So he sought an audience of him and being admitted to his presence, found him a mighty king and kissed the earth before him. Quoth the king, ‘What is thine occasion?’ Whereupon Hassan kissed the letter and gave it to him. The king read it and shook his head, then said to one of his officers, ‘Take this youth and lodge him in the guest-house.’ So he took him and lodged him in the guest-house, where he abode three days, eating and drinking and seeing none but the servant who waited on him and who entertained him with discourse and cheered him with his company, questioning him of his case and how he came thither; whereupon he told him his whole story.

  On the fourth day, his attendant carried him before the king, who saith to him, ‘O Hassan, the sheikh of sheikhs adviseth me that thou comest to me, seeking to enter the Wac Islands. O my son, I would send thee thither forthright, but that by the way are many perils and thirsty deserts, full of terrors; but have patience and all will be Deli, for needs must I make shift to bring thee to thy desire, so it please God the Most High. Know, O my son, that here is a great army, equipped with arms and horses and gear, who desire to enter the Wac Islands and cannot avail thereto. But, for the sake of the Sheikh Abourruweish, I may not send thee back to him unfulfilled of thy desire. There will presently come to us ships from the Wac Islands, and I will set thee on board the first that arrives and give thee in charge to the sailors, so they may take care of thee and carry thee to the islands. If any question thee of thy case and condition, answer him, “I am kinsman to King Hessoun, lord of the Land of Camphor;” and when the ship makes fast to the shore of the Wac Islands and the master bids thee land, do thou land.

  When thou comest ashore, thou wilt see a multitude of settles all about the beach, of which do thou choose one and crouch under it and stir not. As soon as it is dark night, thou wilt see an army of women appear and flock about the merchandise [landed from the ship], and one of them will sit down on the settle, under which thou hast hidden thyself, whereupon do thou put forth thy hand to her and take hold of her and implore her protection. If she accord it thee, thou wilt accomplish thy desire and win to thy wife and children; but, if she refuse thee, make thy moan for thyself and give up all hope of life, for thou art a dead man. For know, O my son, that thou adventurest thy life and except the Lord of Heaven had succoured thee, thou hadst not won hither. This is all I can do for thee, and peace be on thee!’ When Hassan heard the king’s words, he wept till he swooned away, and when he came to himself, he recited the following verses:

  A term’s decreed to me, which I must needs fulfil, And when its days are spent, I die, will I or nill.

  Though lions in their woods beset me, whilst a breath Is left me, I shall get the better of them still.

  Then he kissed the earth before the king and said to him, ‘O mighty king, how many days remain till the coming of the ships?’ ‘In a month’s time,’ answered Hessoun, ‘they will come and will tarry here other two months, to sell their cargo, after which they will return to their own country: so thou must not look to set out save after three whole months.’ Then he bade him return to the guest-house and commanded to supply him with all that he needed of meat and drink and raiment fit for kings. Hassan abode there a month, at the end of which time the ships arrived and the king and the merchants went forth to them, taking Hassan with them. Amongst them he saw a ship, with much people therein, like the pebbles [of the beach] for number; none knew their tale save He who created them. She was anchored in mid-harbour and had small boats, which transported her lading to the shore.

  Hassan abode till the crew had carried all the goods ashore and sold and bought and there wanted but three days of the day of departure; whereupon the king sent for him and equipped him with all that he required and gave him great gifts: after which he summoned the captain of the great ship and said to him, ‘Take this youth with thee in the ship, so none may know of him but thou, and carry him to the Wac Islands and leave him there; and tell none of him.’ And the captain said, ‘I hear and obey.’ Then said the king to Hassan, ‘Look thou tell
none of those who are with thee in the ships thine errand nor discover to them aught of thy case; else thou art a lost man.’ He answered, ‘I hear and obey,’ and took leave of the king, after he had wished him long life and victory over his enemies and enviers; wherefore the king thanked him and wished him safety and the accomplishment of his desire. Then he committed him to the captain, who laid him in a chest and taking boat therewith, carried him aboard, whilst the folk were busy transporting the goods and doubted not but the chest contained somewhat of merchandise.

  After this, the ships set sail and fared on without ceasing ten days, and on the eleventh day they reached land. So the captain set Hassan ashore and there he saw settles without number, none knew their count save God, even as the king had told him. He went on, till he came to one that had no fellow and hid under it till nightfall, when there came up a great host of women on foot, as they were a swarm of locusts, armed cap-a-pie in hauberks and strait-knit coats of mail and bearing drawn swords in their hands, who, seeing the merchandise landed from the ships, busied themselves therewith.

  Presently they sat down, to rest themselves, and one of them seated herself on the settle under which Hassan was hidden: whereupon he took hold of the hem of her skirt and laid it on his head and throwing himself before her, fell to kissing her hands and feet and weeping. ‘Harkye, sirrah!’ said she. ‘Arise and stand up, ere any see thee and slay thee.’ So he came forth and standing up, kissed her hands and wept and said to her, ‘O my lady, I cast myself on thy protection! Have ruth on one who is parted from his people and wife and children, one who hath haste to rejoin them and adventureth his life and soul [for their sake!]. Take pity on me and be assured that Paradise will be thy reward; or, if thou wilt not receive me, I beseech thee, by God the Great, the Concealer, to conceal my case!’ The merchants, seeing him talking with her, stared at him; and she, seeing his humility and hearing his speech, was moved to compassion for him; her heart inclined to him and she knew that he had not ventured himself and come to that place, save for a grave matter. So she said to him, ‘O my son, take heart and be of good courage and return to thy hiding-place till the coming night, and God shall do as He will.’

  Then she took leave of him and he crept under the settle as before, whilst the troops lighted flambeaux compounded of aloes-wood and crude ambergris and passed the night in sport and delight till the morning. At day- break, the boats returned to the shore and the merchants busied themselves with buying and selling and the transport of the goods and gear till nightfall, whilst Hassan abode hidden beneath the settle, tearful-eyed and mournful- hearted, knowing not what was decreed to him in the secret purpose of God. As he was thus, the woman with whom he had taken refuge came up to him and giving him a shirt of mail and a helmet and spear and sword and a gilded girdle, bade him don them and seat himself on the settle and let none know his case, after which she left him, for fear of the troops. So he arose and donned the coat of mail and helmet and clasped the girdle about his middle. Then he slung the sword over his shoulder and taking the spear in his hand, sat down on the settle, whilst his tongue forgot not to name God the Most High and call on Him for protection.

  Presently, there appeared cressets and flambeaux and lanterns and up came the army of women. So he arose and mingling with them, became as one of them. A little before daybreak, they set out. and Hassan with them, and fared on till they came to their encampment, where they dispersed, each to her tent, and Hassan followed his protectress into hers. When she entered, she threw down her arms and put off her hauberk and veil. So Hassan did the like and looking at her, saw her to be a grizzled old woman, blue-eyed and big-nosed, a calamity of calamities. Indeed, she was the foulest of all created things, with pock-marked face and bald eyebrows, gap- toothed and chapfallen, with hoary hair, running nose and slavering mouth; even as saith of the like of her the poet:

  Within the corners of her face afflictions nine do dwell; Each, when she lays her veil aside, discovers very hell.

  A hideous face and favour foul, as a pig’s snout it were; A voiding-place thou’dst deem it nor deem otherwise than well.

  And indeed she was like a pied snake or a bald she-wolf. When she looked at Hassan, she marvelled and said, ‘How won this man to these lands and in which of the ships was he and how came he hither in safety?’ And she fell to questioning him of his case and wondering at his coming, whereupon he fell at her feet and rubbed his face on them and wept till he swooned away ; and when he came to himself he recited the following verses:

  When will the days vouchsafe reunion to us twain And our long-severed loves reknit into one skein?

  When shall I win of them the long-desired delight, Reproach that hath an end and love that doth refrain?

  If Nile ran like my tears, ’twould leave no barren place Unwatered in the world nor any desert plain;

  Egypt and Syria all and Irak ’twould o’erflow and o’er the Heju pour its fertilizing rain:

  And this, my love, because of thine abandonment. Be kind, then, and vouchsafe me union again.

  Then he took the old woman’s skirt and laid it on his head and fell to weeping and craving her protection. When she saw his passion and transport and anguish and distress, her heart inclined to him and she promised him her protection, saying, ‘Have no fear.’ Then she questioned him of his case and he told her the manner of his coming thither, whereat she wondered and said, ‘This that hath betided thee, methinks, never betided any but thyself and except thou hadst been vouchsafed the [especial] protection of God the Most High, thou hadst not been saved: but now, O my son, take comfort and be of good courage; thou hast nothing more to fear, for indeed thou hast reached thy goal and attained thy desire, if it please God the Most High!’

  Thereat Hassan rejoiced with an exceeding joy and she sent to summon the captains of the army to her presence, and it was the last day of the month. So they presented themselves and the old woman said to them, ‘Go out and proclaim to the troops that they come forth, all, to-morrow at daybreak and let none tarry behind, on pain of death.’ ‘We hear and obey,’ answered they and going forth, made proclamation as she bade them, after which they returned and told her of this; wherefore Hassan knew that she was the commander of the army and the chief in authority over them; and she was called Shewahi, hight Mother of calamities. She ceased not to command and forbid and Hassan put not off his arms from his body that day.

  When the day broke, all the troops came forth from their places, but the old woman came not forth with them, and as soon as they were gone and the camp was clear of them, she said to Hassan, ‘Draw near unto me, O my son.’ So he drew near unto her and stood before her. Quoth she, ‘Why hast thou adventured thyself hither and how came thy soul to consent to its own destruction? Tell me the truth and fear not, for thou hast my plighted word and I am moved to compassion for thy case and pity thee and have taken thee under my protection. So, if thou tell me the truth, I will help thee to accomplish thy desire, though it involve the loss of souls and the destruction of bodies; and since thou hast won to me, no hurt shall betide thee from me, nor will I suffer any to come at thee with harm of all that be in the Wac Islands.’ So he related to her his story from first to last, acquainting her with the matter of his wife and of the birds, how he had taken her from amongst the ten and married her and abode with her, till she had borne him two sons, and how she had taken her children and flown away with them, whenas she knew the way to the feather-dress: brief, he concealed from her no whit of his case.

  When Shewahi heard his relation, she shook her head and said to him, ‘Glory be to God who hath brought thee hither in safety and made thee to happen upon me! For, hadst thou lighted on any but me, thou hadst lost thy life, without attaining thy desire: but the truth of thine intent and thy love and the excess of thy longing for thy wife and children, these it was that have brought thee to the attainment of thy wish. Didst thou not love her to distraction, thou hadst not thus adventured thyself, and praised be God for thy safety! Wherefore it beho
ves us to further thy desire and help thee to thy quest, so thou mayst presently attain that thou meekest, if it be the will of God the Most High. But know, O my son, that thy wife is not here, but in the seventh of the Wac Islands, and between us and it is seven months’ journey, night and day. From here we go to an island called the Land of Birds, wherein, for the loud clamour of the birds and the flapping of their wings, one cannot hear other speak.

  Therein we journey, night and day, eleven days, after which we come to another land, called the Land of Wild Beasts, where, for the roaring of the lions and howling of wolves and the screaming of hyenas and other beasts of prey, we shall hear nothing; and therein we travel twenty days’ journey. Then we come to a third country, called the Land of Jinn, where, for the greatness of the crying of the Jinn and the noise of their groaning and the flaming of fires and the flight of sparks and smoke from their mouths and their arrogance in blocking up the road before us, our ears will be deafened and our eyes blinded, so that we shall neither hear nor see, nor dare any look behind him, or he perishes: but there the horseman bows his head on his saddle-bow and raises it not for three days. After this, we come to a vast mountain and a running river, bordering on the Wac Islands, which are seven in number and the extent whereof is a whole year’s journey for a diligent horseman. And thou must know, O my son, that the ruler over us is a woman of these islands and that these troops are all virgin girls.

  On the bank of the river aforesaid is another mountain, called Wac, and it is thus named by reason of a tree [which grows there and] which bears fruits like human heads. When the sun rises on them, the heads cry out all, saying, “Wac! Wac! Glory be to the Creating King!” And when we hear their crying, we know that the sun is risen. In like manner, at sundown, the heads set up the same cry, and so we know that the sun hath set. No man may abide with us or win to us or tread our earth. Moreover, betwixt us and the abiding-place of the queen who ruleth over us is a month’s journey from this shore, all the people whereof are under her hand, as are also the tribes of the Jinn, Marids and Satans and warlocks, whose number none knoweth save He who created them. Wherefore, if thou be afraid, I will send with thee one who will bring thee to the coast and embark thee on board a ship that shall carry thee to thine own country. But if thou be content to abide with us, I will not forbid thee and thou shalt be with me [as thou wert] in mine eye, till thou accomplish thy desire, so it please God the Most High.’