One Thousand and One Nights

by Richard Burton

  ‘O my lady,’ answered Hassan, ‘I will never leave thee till I foregather with my wife or lose my life!’ ‘This is a light matter,’ rejoined she; ‘be of good heart, for thou shalt come to thy desire, God willing; and needs must I let the queen know of thee, that she may help thee to attain thine object.’ Hassan blessed her and kissed her head and hands, thanking her for her exceeding kindness. Then he set out with her, pondering the issue of his case and the horrors of his strangerhold; wherefore he fell a-weeping and groaning and recited the following verses:

  From out my loved one’s land a zephyr blows; for stress Of love thou seest me dazed and passion’s sheer excess.

  The night of love-delight is as a brilliant moon And separation’s day a sombre night no less.

  The parting from the loved a heavy sorrow is And eke the taking leave of friends a sore distress.

  There’s not a faithful friend ‘mongst men ; I’ll not complain To any but herself of her unrighteousness.

  I cannot be consoled for you; no censor base To solace can enforce my heart itself address.

  O thou unique in charms, my love’s unique: O thou That failst of match, my heart fails also for duress.

  Whoso pretends to love of thee and feareth blame, Blameworthy sure is he and merits not success.

  Then the old woman bade beat the drums for departure and the army set out. Hassan accompanied her, drowned in the sea of solicitude and reciting verses, whilst she strove to comfort him and exhorted him to patience; but he awoke not [from his melancholy] and paid no heed to her exhortations. They fared on thus till they came to the Land of Birds, and when they entered it, it seemed to Hassan as if the world were overturned, for the exceeding clamor. His head ached and his mind was dazed, his eyes were blinded and his ears deaved, and he feared with an exceeding fear and looked for nothing but death, saying in himself, ‘If this be the Land of Birds, how will the Land of Beasts be?’ But, when Shewahi saw him in this plight, she laughed at him, saying, ‘O my son, if this be thy case in the first island, how will it fare with thee, when thou comest to the others?’

  So he humbled himself in prayer to God, beseeching Him to succour him against that wherewithal He had afflicted him and bring him to his wishes; and they ceased not going till they passed out of the Land of Birds and traversing the Land of Beasts, came to the Land of Jinn, which when Hassan saw, he was sore affrighted and repented him of having entered it with them. But he sought aid of God the Most High and fared on with them, till they were quit of the Land of Jinn and came to the river, on whose banks they halted and pitched their tents at the foot of a vast and lofty mountain. Then they rested and ate and drank and slept in security, for they were come to their own country.

  On the morrow the old woman set Hassan a settle of alabaster, inlaid with pearls and jewels and nuggets of red gold, by the river-side, and he sat down thereon, having first bound his face with a chinband, that discovered nought of him but his eyes. Then she let proclaim among the troops that they should all assemble before her tent and put off their clothes and go down into the stream and wash; and this she did to the intent that she might show him all the girls, so haply his wife should be amongst them and he know her. So the whole army assembled before her and putting off their clothes, went down into the stream, [company after company;] and Hassan watched them washing and frolicking and making merry, whilst they took no heed of him, deeming him to be of the daughters of the kings. When he beheld them stripped of their clothes, his yard rose on end, for that he saw what was between their thighs, and that of all kinds, soft and domed, plump and cushioned, large-lipped, perfect, redundant and ample and their faces were as moons and their hair as night upon day, for that they were of the daughters of the kings.

  When they were clean, they came up out of the water, naked, as the moon on the night of her full, and the old woman questioned Hassan of them, company by company, if his wife were among them; but, as often as she asked him, he made answer, ‘She is not among these, O my lady.’ Last of all, there came up a damsel, attended by half a score slave-girls and thirty waiting-women, all high-bosomed maids. They all put of their clothes and went down into the river, where the damsel fell to carrying it with a high hand over her women, throwing them down and ducking them. Presently, she came up out of the water and sat down and they brought her napkins of silk, embroidered with gold, with which she dried herself Then they brought her clothes and jewels and ornaments of the handiwork of the Jinn, and she donned them and rose and walked among the troops, she and her maids. When Hassan saw her, his heart fluttered and he said, ‘Verily this girl is the likest of all folk to the bird I saw in the lake atop of the palace of my sisters the princesses, and she lorded it over her attendants even as doth this one.’ ‘O Hassan,’ said the old woman, ‘is this thy wife?’ ‘No, by thy life, O my lady,’ replied he, ‘this is not my wife, nor ever in my life have I set eyes on her; neither among all the girls I have seen in these islands is there the like of my wife nor her match for beauty and grace and symmetry!’

  Then said Shewahi, ‘Describe her to me and acquaint me with all her attributes, that I may have her in my mind; for I know every girl in the islands, being commander of the army of maids and governor over them; wherefore, if thou describe her to me, I shall know her and will contrive for thee to take her.’ Quoth he, ‘My wife is of surpassing beauty, dulcet of speech and sweet of fashion, as she were a bending branch. She hath a fair face, a slender shape, smooth cheeks, high breasts, great liquid black eyes, white teeth and soft red lips like coral. On her right cheek is a mole and on her belly, under her navel, is a sign; her face shines as the round of the moon, her waist is slight, her buttocks heavy, and the water of her mouth healeth the sick, as it were Kauther or Selsebil.’ ‘Give me some plainer account of her,’ said the old woman, ‘may God increase thee of passion for her!’ Quoth he, ‘My wife hath a lovely face, oval cheeks like twin roses, long neck and melting black eyes, mouth like a seal of carnelian and flashing teeth, that stand one in stead of cup and ewer. She is cast in the mould of pleasantness and between her thighs is the throne of the Khalifate, there is no such sanctuary among the holy places; as saith in its praise the poet:

  The letters of that which hath made Me distraught are renowned among men: They are four, multiplied into five, Thereafter and six into ten.’

  Then wept Hassan and chanted the following couplet:

  O heart, if the beloved should play thee false in aught, Renounce her not, I rede thee, nor be thy love forgot.

  Be patient; thou shalt bury thine enemies; God wot, He who makes use of patience, it disappoint him not.

  And this also:

  If all thy days thou wouldst be safe from trouble and dismay, Despair thou never neither be discouraged nor [too] gay.

  Be patient and rejoice thou not nor mourn; but, if by day Thou art afflicted, “Have we not expanded......?” look thou say.

  Thereupon the old woman bowed her head awhile, then, rising it, said, ‘Glory be to God, the Mighty of Estate! Indeed I am afflicted with thee, O Hassan! Would I had never known thee! This woman, whom thou describers to me as thy very wife, I know by thy description to be none other than the eldest daughter of the Supreme King, she who ruleth over all the Wac Islands. So open thine eyes and consider thine affair; and if thou be asleep, awake; for, if this woman be indeed thy wife, it is impossible for thee ever to win to her, and though thou wonnest to her, yet couldst thou not avail to her possession, since the distance between thee and her is as that between earth and heaven. Wherefore, O my son, return presently and cast not thyself into destruction and me with thee; for meseemeth thou hast no lot in her; so return whence thou camest, lest our lives be lost.’ And she feared for herself and for him.

  When he heard her words, he wept till he swooned away and she sprinkled water on his face, till he came to himself when he continued to weep, so that he wet his clothes with his tears, for the much trouble and chagrin that betided him by reason of her words. And indeed he despa
ired of life and said to the old woman, ‘O my lady, and how shall I turn back, after having won hither? Verily, I thought not thou wouldst forsake me nor fail of the accomplishment of my desire, especially as thou art the chief of the army of girls.’ ‘O my son,’ answered Shewahi, ‘I doubted not but thy wife was a maid of the maids, and had I known that she was the king’s daughter, I had not suffered thee to come hither nor had I shown thee [the girls], for all the love I bear thee. But now, O my son, thou hast seen all the girls naked; so tell me which of them pleaseth thee and I will give her to thee, in lieu of thy wife, and do thou put it that thy wife and children are dead and take her and return to thine own country in safety, ere thou fall into the king’s hand and I have no means of delivering thee. I conjure thee, by Allah, hearken to me. Choose thyself one of these damsels, in the stead of yonder woman and return presently to thy country in safety and cause me not quaff the cup of thine anguish. For, by Allah, thou hast cast thyself into sore affliction and grievous peril, wherefrom none may avail to deliver thee!’ But Hassan bowed him head and wept sore and recited these verses:

  ‘Reproach me not,’ to those who censured me I said; ‘For sure my lids for tears and nought but tears were made.”

  They fill my eyes and thence o’erflow my cheeks for those I cherish have my love with cruelty repaid.

  My body’s wasted sore, yet I my madness love: Leave me to love and cease my passion to upbraid.

  Beloved mine, desire is sore on me for you Will ye not pity one for love of you decayed?

  Ye swore me constancy and truth, yet cruelly Forsook me and our love and friendship thus betrayed.

  When on the parting day ye went, abjection’s cup, For rigour and despite, unto my lips was laid.

  Wherefore my heart, dissolve with longing for their sight And, O mine eyes, rain tears, unsparing and unstayed!

  Then he wept till he swooned away and the old woman sprinkled water on him till he revived, when she said to him, ‘O my son, I have no shift left; for, if I carry thee to the city, thy life is lost and mine also; for, when the queen cometh to know of this, she will blame me for admitting thee into her islands, to which none of the sons of Adam hath access, and will slay me for bringing thee with me and for suffering thee to look upon these virgins, whom no male hath touched, neither hath husband come near them.’ And Hassan swore that he had never looked on them with an evil eye. ‘O my son,’ continued she, ‘hearken to me and return to thy country and I will give thee a girl of the best of them, beside wealth and measures and things of price, such as shall suffice thee for all the women in the world. Give ear, then, to my words and return presently and imperil not thyself; indeed, I give thee good counsel.’ But he wept and rubbed his cheeks against her feet, saying, ‘O my lady and mistress and solace of mine eyes, how can I turn back without the sight of those I desire, now that I have made my way hither and come near to the abode of the beloved, hoping presently for meetings so haply there may be for me a portion in reunion?’ And he recited the following verses:

  Be kind, O kings of graces to one who’s thrall to eyes And eyelids that have ta’en Chosroës’ realm to prize.

  Ye overpass the scent of musk in fragrancy And eke your beauty bright the full-blown rose outvies.

  A zephyr of delight breathes round your camping-place And scattering perfume thence, abroad the East wind hies.

  O censor, cease to blame and counsel me; indeed, Thou profferest advice on right unwelcome wise.

  What ails thee to upbraid my passion, seeing thou No knowledge hast thereof nor whence it doth arise?

  Eyes languorous and soft have captivated me And cast me into love, perforce and by surprise.

  I pour forth tears galore what while I string my rhymes; Ye are the theme whereon I prose and poetise.

  Red cheeks have all consumed my entrails, and my heart Burns, as on blazing coals, with fire that never dies.

  If this my speech I leave, tell me, with what discourse Shall I my breast dilate and stay my tears and sighs?

  I’m weak of my life for passion for the fair; But God belike shall bring relief, with Whom it lies.

  Then the old woman was moved to pity for him and coming up to him, comforted him, saying, ‘Be of good heart and cheerful eye and put away trouble from thy thought, for, by Allah, I will venture myself with thee, till thou attain thy desire or death overtake me!’ With this, Hassan’s heart was comforted and his bosom dilated and he sat talking with the old woman till the end of the day, when the girls dispersed, some entering their mansions in the city and others passing the night in the tents.

  Then the old woman carried him into the city and lodged him in a place apart, lest any should come to know of him and tell the queen of him and she should kill him and her who had brought him thither. Moreover, she served him herself and strove to put him in fear of the mischief of the Supreme King, his wife’s father; whilst he wept before her and said, ‘O my lady, I choose death for myself and loathe the world, if I foregather not with my wife and children: I have set my life on the venture and will either attain my wish or die.’ So the old woman fell to pondering the means of bringing him and his wife together and casting about how to do in this poor wretch’s case, who had cast himself into destruction and would not be diverted from his purpose by fear or aught else; for, indeed, he recked not of his life and the byword saith, ‘A man in love hearkeneth not to the speech of him who is heart-free.’

  Now the name of the queen of the island in which they were was Nour el Huda, eldest daughter of the Supreme King, ruler over the islands and all the lands of Wac, and she had six virgin sisters, abiding with their father, whose court was in the chief city of the land of Wac. The old woman had a claim on her for favour, for that she had reared all the king’s daughters and had authority over them all and was high in honour and consideration with them and with the king. So, when she saw Hassan on fire with yearning after his wife and children, she betook herself to the palace and going in to the queen, kissed the earth before her; whereupon Nour el Huda rose to her and embracing her, seated her by her side and asked her of her journey. ‘By Allah, O my lady,’ answered she, ‘it was a blessed journey and I have brought thee a present, which I will lay before thee. Moreover, O my daughter, O queen of the age and the time, I have an occasion to thee and I would fain discover it to thee, that thou mayst help me to accomplish it, and but for my confidence that thou wilt not gainsay me therein, I would not expose it to thee.’ ‘And what is thine occasion?’ asked the queen. ‘Expound it to me, and I will accomplish it to thee, for I and my kingdom and troops are all at thy commandment and disposition.’

  Therewithal the old woman shook, as the reed shakes on a day of stormy wind, and saying in herself, ‘O Protector, protect me from the queen’s mischief!’ fell down before her and acquainted her with Hassan’s case, saying, ‘O my lady, a man who had hidden himself under my settle on the sea-shore, besought me of protection; so I took him under my safeguard and carried him with me among the army of women, armed and accoutred so that none might know him, and brought him into the city; and indeed I have striven to fear him with thy mischief, giving him to know of thy prowess and power; but, as often as I threaten him, he weeps and recites verses and says, “Needs must I regain my wife and children or die, and I will not return to my country without them.” And indeed he hath adventured himself and won to the Islands of Wac, and never in my life saw I mortal stouter of heart than he or doughtier of courage, save that passion hath gotten the mastery of him to the utmost.’

  When Nour el Huda heard this, she was exceeding wroth with her and bowed her head awhile. Then, raising it, she looked at Shewahi and said to her, ‘O ill-omened old woman, art thou come to such a pass of lewdness that thou carriest males with thee into the Wac Islands and bringest them in to me, unfearing of my danger? Who hath foregone thee with this fashion, that thou shouldst do thus? By the head of the king, but for thy claim on me for fosterage and service, I would forthwith put both him and thee to the foulest of
deaths, that travellers might take warning by thee, O accursed woman, lest any other do the like of this outrageous deed of thine, whereunto none hath dared hitherto! But go and bring him hither forthright, that I may see him; or I will strike off thy head, O accursed one.’

  So the old woman went out from her, confounded, knowing not whither she went and saying, ‘All this calamity hath God caused betide me from this queen because of Hassan!’ and going in to the latter, said to him, ‘Come speak with the queen, O thou whose last hour is at hand!’ So he rose and went with her, whilst his tongue ceased not to call upon God the Most High and say, ‘O my God, be gracious to me in Thy judgments and deliver me from [this] Thine affliction!’ And Shewahi charged him by the way how he should speak with the queen. When he stood before Nour el Huda, he found her veiled with the chinband; so he kissed the earth before her and saluted her, reciting the following verses:

  May God thy glory cause in gladness to endure And that which unto thee He gives to thee secure!

  In glory and in power th’ Almighty thee increase And with His aid against thine enemies ensure!