One Thousand and One Nights

by Richard Burton

  Thou madest fair thy thought of Fate, whenas the days were fair, And fearedst not the unknown ills that they to thee might bring.

  The nights were fair and calm to thee; thou wast deceived by them, For in the peace of night is born full many a troublous thing.

  Then he wept and she wept for his weeping and for the abasement she had suffered and the cruelties of fortune: and he turned to her and recited the following verses:

  Fortune is vehement on me, as if I were its foe; Yea, day by day, she meeteth me with this or the other woe.

  If aught of good I wish, Fate brings the contrary thereof, And if ’tis bright for me one day, the next it foul doth show.

  And also these:

  My fate doth irk and baffle me, unknowing that I am Most worthy and that Fortune’s shifts are little worth, ywis.

  It spends the night in showing me th’ injustice of events And I in showing forth to it what very patience is.

  Then she said to him, ‘By Allah, thee is no relief for us but to kill ourselves and be at rest from this great weariness; else we shall suffer grievous torment on the morrow.’ At this moment, they heard a voice from without the door say, ‘By Allah, O my lady Menar es Sena, I will not open to thee and thy husband Hassan, except ye obey me in what I shall say to you!’ When they heard this, they were silent for excess of fear and would have returned whence they came; when behold, the voice spoke again, saying, ‘What ails you to be silent and answer me not?’ Therewith they knew the speaker for the old woman Shewahi and said to her, ‘Whatsoever thou biddest us, that will we do; but first open the door to us, for this is no time for talk.’ ‘By Allah,’ replied she, ‘I will not open to you, except ye swear to me that you will take me with you and not leave me with yonder harlot: so, whatever befalls you shall befall me and if ye escape, I shall escape, and if ye perish, I shall perish: for yonder lewd minion entreats me with indignity and still torments me on your account; and thou, O my daughter, knowest my worth.’

  So they trusted in her and swore to her such an oath as contented her, whereupon she opened the door to them and they came out and found her riding on a Greek jar of red earthenware with a rope of palm fibres about its neck [by way of halter], which turned under her and ran faster than a Nejd colt, and she said to them, ‘Follow me and fear nothing, for I know forty magical formulas, by the least of which I could make this city a surging sea, swollen with clashing billows, and turn each damsel therein into a fish, and all before dawn. But I was not able to work aught of magic, for fear of the king her father and of regard for her sisters, for that they are redoubtable, by reason of their many guards and servants and tribesmen. However, I will yet show you wonders of my skill and magic; and now let us on, with God’s help and blessing.’

  Hassan and his wife rejoiced in this, making sure of escape, and they left the palace and went forth, till they came without the city, when he fortified his heart and smiting the earth with the wand, said, ‘Ho, servants of these names, appear to me and discover to me your estates!’ Thereupon the earth clove in sunder and out came seven Afrits, with their feet in the bowels of the earth and their heads in the clouds. They kissed the earth three times before Hassan and said with one voice, ‘Here are we at thy service, O our lord and ruler over us! What dost thou bid us do? For we hear and obey thy commandment. An thou wilt we will dry thee up seas and remove mountains from their places.’ Hassan rejoiced in their words and at their speedy answer [to his summons], so he took courage and bracing up his resolution, said to them, ‘Who are ye and what are your names and races? And to what tribes and companies do ye belong?’ They kissed the earth once more and answered with one voice, saying, ‘We are seven kings, each ruling over seven tribes of the Jinn of all conditions, Marids and devils, flyers and divers, dwellers in mountains and wastes and deserts and haunters of the seas: so command us what thou wilt; for we are thy servants and slaves, and whoso possesseth this wand hath dominion over all our necks and we owe him obedience.’

  When Hassan heard this, he rejoiced with an exceeding joy, he and his wife and the old woman, and he said to the Kings of the Jinn, ‘I desire of you that ye show me your tribes and hosts and armies.’ ‘O our lord,’ answered they, ‘if we show thee our hosts, we fear for thee and these who are with thee, for they are many in number and various in form and fashion and favour. Some of us are heads without bodies and others bodies without heads, and others again are in the likeness of wild animals and beasts of prey. However, if this be thy will, needs must we first show thee those of us who are like unto wild beasts. But, O our lord, what wouldst thou of us at this present?’ Quoth Hassan, ‘I would have you carry me forthwith to the city of Baghdad, me and my wife and this old woman.’

  But they hung down their heads and were silent, whereupon quoth Hassan, ‘Why do ye not reply?’ And they said with one voice, ‘O our lord and ruler over us, we are of the covenant of Solomon son of David (on whom be peace!) and he made us swear that we would carry none of the sons of Adam on our backs; since which time we have carried no moral on our backs or shoulders: but we will straightway harness the horses of the Jinn, that shall carry thee and thy company to thy country.’ ‘And how far are we from Baghdad?’ asked Hassan. Quoth they, ‘Seven years’ journey for a diligent horseman.’ Hassan marvelled at this and said to them, ‘Then how came I hither in less than a year?’ They answered, ‘God inclined the hearts of His pious servants to thee, else hadst thou never won hither nor set eyes on these regions. For the Sheikh Abdulcuddous, who mounted thee on the elephant and the enchanted horse, traversed with thee, in ten days, three years’ journey for a diligent horseman, and the Afrit Dehnesh, to whom the Sheikh Abourruweish committed thee, carried thee a like distance in a day and a night; all which was of the blessing of God the Most High, for that the Sheikh Abourruweish is of the lineage of Asef ben Berkhiya and knoweth the Most Great name of God. Moreover, from Baghdad to the Palace of the Mountain of Clouds is a year’s journey, and this makes the seven years.’

  When Hassan heard this, he marvelled exceedingly and said, ‘Glory be to God, who maketh the difficult easy and leadeth the broken, who bringeth near the distant and humblest every froward tyrant who hath eased us of every stress and brought me hither and subjected these creatures to me and reunited me with my wife and children! I know not whether I sleep or wake or if I be sober or drunken!’ Then he turned to the Jinn and said, ‘In how many days will your horses bring us to Baghdad?’ ‘They will carry you thither in less than a year,’ answered they, ‘but not till after ye have endured terrible perils and hardships and traversed thirsty valleys and frightful wastes and terrors without number; and we cannot warrant thee, O our lord, from the people of these islands nor from the mischief of the Supreme King and his enchanters and warlocks. It may be they will force us and take you from us and we fall into affliction with them, and all to whom the news shall come after this will say to us, “Ye are evil-doers. How could ye affront tile Supreme King and carry a mortal out of his dominions, and the king’s daughter with him?” Wert thou alone with us,’ continued they, ‘the thing were easy; but He who brought thee hither is able to cary thee back to thy country and reunite thee presently with thy people. So take heart and put thy trust in God and fear not; for we are at thy service, to convey thee to thy country.’

  Hassan thanked them and said, ‘God requite you with good. But now make haste with the horses.’ ‘We hear and obey,’ answered they and struck the ground with their feet, whereupon it opened and they disappeared within it and were absent awhile, after which they reappeared with three horses, saddled and bridled, and on each saddle-bow a pair of saddle-bags, with a leathern bottle of water in one pocket and the other full of victual. Hassan mounted one horse and took a child before him, whilst his wife mounted a second and took the other child before her. Then the old woman alighted from the jar and mounted the third horse and they rode on, without ceasing, all night. At break of day, they turned aside from the road and made for the mountain, whilst their t
ongues ceased not to name God.

  They fared on under the mountain all that day, till Hassan caught sight of a black object in the distance, as it were a tall column of smoke ascending to the sky; so he recited somewhat of the Koran and sought refuge with God from Satan the Stoned. The black thing grew plainer, as they approached, and when they drew near to it, they saw that it was an Afrit, with a head like a huge dome and tusks like grapnels and jaws like a street and nostrils like ewers and ears like leathern bucklers and mouth like a cavern and teeth like pillars of stone and hands like winnowing forks and legs like masts: his head was in the clouds and his feet in the bowels of the earth. When he saw Hassan, he bowed himself and kissed the earth before him, saying, ‘O Hassan, have no fear of me; for I am the chief of the dwellers in this land, which is the first of the Wac Islands, and I am a Muslim and a believer in the unity of God. I have heard of you and your coming and when I knew of your case, I desired to depart from the land of the magicians to another land, void of inhabitants, and far from men and Jinn, that I might dwell there alone and serve God till my end came upon me. Wherefore I wish to company with you and be your guide, till ye win forth of the Wac Islands. I will appear only at night: so comfort your hearts on my account; for I am a Muslim, even as ye are Muslims.’

  When Hassan heard the Afrit’s words, he was mightily rejoiced and made sure of deliverance; and he said to him, ‘God amply requite thee! Go with us, with the blessing of Allah!’ So the Afrit went before them and they followed, talking and making merry, for their hearts were at ease and their breasts relieved, and Hassan fell to telling his wife all that had befallen him and all the stresses he had undergone, whilst she excused herself to him and told him, in turn, all she had seen and suffered. The horses bore them on all night, like the blinding lightning, and when the day rose, they put their hands to the saddle-bags and took forth victual and water and ate and drank.

  Then they sped on their way, preceded by the Afrit, who turned aside with them from the beaten track into another road, till then untrodden, along the sea-shore, and they fared on, without stopping, across valleys and deserts, a whole month, till on the one-and-thirtieth day there arose before them a cloud of dust, that walled the world and darkened the day, and they heard a frightful noise of crying and clamour. When Hassan saw and heard this, he was confused and turned pale; and the old woman said to him, ‘O my son, this is the army of the Wac Islands, that hath overtaken us; and presently they will lay hands on us.’ ‘What shall I do, O my mother?’ asked he. And she answered, ‘Strike the earth with the wand.’ He did so and immediately the seven kings presented themselves and saluted him, kissing the ground before him and saying, ‘Fear not neither grieve.’ Hassan rejoiced at their words and answered them, saying, ‘Well said, O princes of the Jinn and the Afrits! This is your time.’ Quoth they, ‘Get ye up to the mountain-top, thou and thy company, and leave us to deal with them, for we know that you are in the right and they in the wrong and God will aid us against them.’ So Hassan and his wife and children and the old woman dismounted and dismissing the horses, ascended the flank of the mountain.

  Presently up came Queen Nour el Huda, with troops right and left, and the captains went round about among the troops and ranged them in battle array. Then the two hosts charged down upon one another and clashed together with a mighty shock, the brave pressed forward and the coward fled and the Jinn cast flames of fire from their mouths, whilst the smoke of them rose up to the confines of the sky and the two armies appeared and disappeared. The champions fought and heads flew from bodies and the blood ran in streams, nor did the sword leave to play and the blood to bow and the fire of the battle to rage, till the dark night came, when the two armies drew apart and alighting, kindled fires and rested upon the field.

  Therewith the seven kings went up to Hassan and kissed the ground before him. He thanked them and prayed God to give them the victory and asked them how they had fared with the queen’s troops. Quoth they, ‘They will withstand us but three days, for we had the better of them to-day, taking two thousand of them prisoners and slaying of them much people, whose number may not be told. So take comfort and be of good cheer.’ Then they took leave of him and went down to their troops, to hearten them. They kept up the fires till the day rose with its light and shone, when the fighting-men mounted their stout horses and smote each other with the edge of the sword and thrust with the brown of the lance; nor did they cease from the battle that day. Moreover, they passed the night on horseback, clashing together like seas; the fires of war raged among them and they stinted not from battle and strife, till the army of Wac was defeated and their power broken and their courage quelled; their feet slipped and whithersoever they fled, defeat was before them; wherefore they turned their backs and betook themselves to flight: but the most part of them were slain and their queen and her chief officers and the grandees of her realm taken prisoners.

  On the morrow, the seven kings set Hassan a throne of alabaster inlaid with pearls and jewels, and he sat down thereon. Moreover, they set thereby a throne of ivory, plated with glittering gold, for the princess Menar es Sena and another for the old woman Shewahi. Then they brought before them the captives and among the rest, Queen Nour el Huda bound and shackled, whom when Shewahi saw, she said to her, ‘O harlot, O wicked wretch, thy recompense shall be that two bitches be starved and two horses stinted of water, till they be athirst: then shalt thou be bound, with the bitches after thee, to the horses’ tails and the latter driven to the river, that the bitches may rend thy skin; and after, thy flesh shall be cut of and given them to eat. How couldst thou deal thus with thy sister, O vile woman, seeing that she was lawfully married, after the law of God and of His Apostle? For there is no monkery in Islam and marriage is of the ordinances of the Apostles (on whom be peace!) nor were women created but for men.’

  Then Hassan commanded to put all the captives to death and the old woman cried out, saying, ‘Slay them all and spare none!’ But, when Menar es Sena saw her sister in this plight, a prisoner and in fetters, she wept over her and said, ‘O my sister, who is this hath conquered us and made us captives in our own land?’ Quoth Nour el Huda, ‘Verily, this is a grave matter. Indeed this man Hassan hath gotten the mastery over us and God hath given him dominion over us and over all our realm and he hath overcome us, us and the Kings of the Jinn.’ And her sister answered her, saying, ‘Indeed, God aided him not against you nor did he overcome you nor make you prisoners, save by means of this cap and wand.’ So Nour el Huda was assured that he had conquered her by means thereof and humbled herself to her sister, till she was moved to pity for her and said to Hassan, ‘What wilt thou do with my sister? Behold, she is in thy hands and she hath done thee no offence that thou shouldst punish her.’ Quoth Hassan, ‘Her torturing of thee was offence enough.’ But she answered, saying, ‘She hath excuse for all she did with me. As for thee, thou hast set my fathers heart on fire for the loss of me, and how will it be with him, if he lose my sister also?’ And he said to her, ‘It is thine to decide; do what thou wilt.’

  So she commanded to loose her sister and the rest of the captives, and they did her bidding. Then she went up to Queen Nour el Huda and embraced her, and they wept together awhile; after which quoth the queen, ‘O my sister, bear me not malice for that I did with thee.’ ‘O my sister,’ replied Menar es Sena, ‘this was decreed to me.’ Then they sat on the couch talking and Menar es Sena made peace between the old woman and her sister, after the goodliest fashion, and their hearts were set at ease. After this Hassan dismissed the servants of the wand, thanking them for the succour which they had afforded him against his enemies, and Menar es Sena related to her sister all that had befallen her with Hassan and all he bad suffered for her sake, saying, ‘O my sister, it behoves us to fail not of what is due to him who hath done these deeds and is possessed of this might and whom God the Most High hath gifted with such exceeding prowess, that he hath won to our country and beaten thine army and taken thee prisoner and defied our
father, the Supreme King, who hath dominion over all the princes of the Jinn.’ ‘By Allah, O my sister,’ replied Nour el Huda, ‘thou sayst sooth! What this man hath undergone is something marvellous and none may fail of respect to him, more by token of his generosity. But was all this on thine account?’ ‘Yes,’ answered Menar es Sena, and they passed the night in converse till the morning.

  When the sun rose, they were minded to depart; so Hassan smote the earth with the wand and the Jinn appeared and saluted him, saying, ‘Praised be God who hath set thy heart at ease! Command us what thou wilt, and we will do it for thee in less than the twinkling of an eye.’ He thanked them and said to them, ‘God requite you with good! Saddle me two horses of the best.’ So they brought him forthwith two saddled horses, one of which he mounted, taking his elder son before him, and his wife mounted the other, taking the younger son before her. Then the queen and the old woman also took horse and they bade each other farewell and departed, Hassan and his wife taking the right and the queen and Shewahi the left-hand road. The former fared on with their children, without stopping, for a whole month, till they came in sight of a city, compassed about with trees and streams, and alighted among the trees, thinking to rest there. As they sat talking, they saw many horsemen coming towards them, whereupon Hassan rose and going to meet them, found that it was King Hessoun, lord of the Land of Camphor and Castle of Crystal, with his attendants.

  So he went up to the king and kissed his hands and saluted him; and when the latter saw him, he returned his salute and gave him joy of his safety and rejoiced in him with an exceeding joy. Then he dismounted and seating himself with Hassan upon carpets under the trees, said to him, ‘O Hassan, tell me all that hath befallen thee, first and last.’ So he told him all that had passed and the king marvelled thereat and said to him, ‘O my son, none ever won to the Wac Islands and returned thence but thou, and indeed thy case is wonderful; but praised be God for safety!’ Then he mounted and carried Hassan and his wife and children into the city, where he lodged them in the guest-house of his palace; and they abode with him three days, feasting and making merry, after which Hassan sought his leave to depart to his own country and he granted it. So they took horse and the king rode with them ten days, after which he took leave of them and turned back, whilst Hassan and his wife and children fared on a whole month, till they came to a great cavern, whose floor was of brass. Quoth Hassan to his wife, ‘Knowest thou yonder cavern?’ And she answered, ‘No.’ Said he, ‘Therein dwells a Sheikh named Abourruweish, to whom I am greatly beholden, for that he was the means of my knowing King Hessoum.’