One Thousand and One Nights

by Richard Burton

  When the news reached Cairo, the merchant Tajeddin rejoiced in the return of his son and Noureddin’s mother likewise rejoiced therein with an exceeding joy. The amirs and notables of the city went forth to meet him, in obedience to the Khalif’s injunction, and indeed it was for them a notable day, wherein the lover and the beloved foregathered and the seeker attained the sought. Moreover, all the amirs made them bride-feasts, each on his own day, and rejoiced in them with an exceeding joy and vied with each other in doing them honour. When Noureddin foregathered with his father and mother, they rejoiced in each other with the utmost joy and care and affliction ceased from them, whilst his parents rejoiced no less in the Princess Meryem and entreated her with the utmost honour. Every day, there came to them presents from all the amirs and great merchants, and they were daily in new delight and gladness exceeding the gladness of festival. Then they abode in joy and pleasance and good cheer and abounding prosperity, eating and drinking and making merry, till there came to them the Destroyer of Delights and Sunderer of Companies, he who layeth waste houses and palaces and peopleth the bellies of the tombs. So they were removed from the world and became of the number of the dead; and glory be to the Living One, who dieth not and in whose hand are the keys of the Seen and the Unseen!

  John Payne’s translation: detailed table of contents

  THE MAN OF UPPER EGYPT AND HIS FRANK WIFE.

  (Quoth the Amir Shijaeddin, Prefect of New Cairo) We lay one night in the house of a man of Upper Egypt, and he entertained us and entreated us with the utmost hospitality. Now he was an old man, exceeding swarthy of favour, and he had little children, who were white, of a white mingled with red. So we said to him, ‘Harkye, such an one, how comes it that these thy children are white, whilst thou thyself art exceeding swarthy?’ Quoth he, ‘Their mother was a Frank woman, whom I took in the days of El Melik en Nasir Selaheddin, after the battle of Hittin, when I was a young man.’ ‘And how gottest thou her?’ asked we, and he said, ‘I had a rare adventure with her.’ Quoth we, ‘Favour us with it;’ and he answered, ‘With all my heart.

  Know that I once sowed a crop of flax in these parts and pulled it and scutched it and spent five hundred dinars on it; after which I would have sold it, but could get no more than this [that I had spent] for it, and the folk said to me, “Carry it to Acre: for there thou wilt assuredly make a good profit by it.” Now Acre was then in the hands of the Franks; so I carried my flax thither and sold part of it at six months’ credit. One day, as I was selling, there came up a Frankish woman, (now it is the custom of the women of the Franks to go about the market-place [and the streets] with unveiled faces,) to buy flax of me, and I saw of her beauty what dazzled my wit. So I sold her somewhat of flax and was easy with her concerning the price; and she took it and went away. Some days after, she returned and bought more flax of me and I was yet easier with her about the price; and she repeated her visits to me, seeing that I was in love with her.

  Now she was used to go in company of an old woman ; so I said to the latter, “I am sore enamoured of thy mistress. Canst thou contrive to bring me to enjoy her?” Quoth she, “I will contrive this for thee; but the secret must not go beyond us three, and needs must thou be lavish with money, to boot.” And I answered, “Though my life were the price of her favours, it were no great matter.” So it was agreed that I should pay her fifty dinars and that she should come to me; whereupon I procured the money and gave it to the old woman. She took it and said, “Make ready a place for her in thy house, and she will come to thee this night.” So I went home and made ready what I could of meat and drink and wax candles and sweet- meats. Now my house overlooked the sea and it was the season of summer; so I spread the bed on the roof of the house.

  Presently, the Frank woman came and we ate and drank and the night fell down. We lay down under the sky, with the moon shining on us, and fell to watching the reflection of the stars in the sea: and I said to myself, “Art thou not ashamed before God (to whom belong might and majesty!) and thou a stranger, under the heavens and in presence of the sea, to disobey Him with a Nazarene woman and merit the fiery torment?” Then said I, “O my God, I call thee to witness that I abstain from this Christian woman this night, of shamefastness before Thee and fear of Thy wrath!” So I slept till the morning, and she arose at peep of day and went away, full of anger. I went to my shop and sat there; and presently she passed, as she were the moon, followed by the old woman, who was angry; whereat my heart sank within me and I said to myself, “Who art thou that thou shouldst forbear yonder damsel? Art thou Seri es Seketi or Bishr Barefoot or Junaid of Baghdad or Fuzail ben Iyaz?”

  Then I ran after the old woman and said to her, “Bring her to me again.” “By the virtue of the Messiah,” answered she, “she will not return to thee but for a hundred dinars!” Quoth I, “I will give thee a hundred dinars.” So I paid her the money and the damsel came to me a second time; but no sooner was she with me than I returned to my former way of thinking and abstained from her and forbore her for the sake of God the Most High. So she went away and I betook me to my shop, and presently the old woman came up, in a rage. Quoth I to her, “Bring her to me again.” And she answered, “By the virtue of the Messiah, thou shalt never again rejoice in her presence with thee, except for five hundred dinars, and thou shalt perish miserably!” At this I trembled and resolved to sacrifice the whole price of my flax and ransom myself therewith. But, before I could think, I heard the crier proclaiming and saying, “Ho, all ye Muslims, the truce that was between us and you is expired, and we give all of you who are here a week from this time to make an end of your business and depart to your own country.”

  So her visits were cut off from me and I betook myself to getting in the price of my flax, that I had sold upon credit, and bartering what remained in my hands for other commodities. Then I took with me goodly mer- chandise and departing Acre, full of love and longing for the Frankish woman, for that she had taken my heart and my money, repaired to Damascus, where I sold my merchandise, that I had brought from Acre, at a great price, because of the cutting off of communication by reason of the expiry of the truce; and God (blessed and exalted be He!) vouchsafed me a good profit. Then I fell to trafficking in captive slave-girls, thinking thus to ease my heart of its longing for the Frankish woman, and on this wise I abode three years, till there befell between El Melik en Nasir and the Franks what befell of the battle of Hittin and other encounters and God gave him the victory over them, so that he took all their kings prisoners and opened the cities of the coast by His leave.

  One day, after this, there came a man to me and sought of me a slave-girl for El Melik en Nasir. Now I had a handsome girl; so I showed her to him and he bought her of me for a hundred dinars and gave me ninety thereof, leaving ten still due to me, for that there was no more found with the king that day, because he had expended all his treasures in waging war against the Franks. So they took counsel with him and he said, “Carry him to the tent where are the captives and give him his choice among the damsels of the Franks, so he may take one of them for the ten dinars that are due to him.” So they brought me to the prisoners’ lodging and showed me all who were therein, and I saw amongst them the Frank damsel with whom I had fallen in love at Acre and knew her right well.

  Now she was the wife of one of the cavaliers of the Franks. So I said, “Give me this one,” and carrying her to my tent, said to her, “Dost thou know me?” She answered “No;” and I said, “I am the flax- merchant with whom thou hadst to do at Acre. Thou tookst money of me and saidst, ‘Thou shalt never again see me but for five hundred dinars.’ And now thou art become my property for ten dinars.” Quoth she, “This is a mystery. Thy faith is the true one, and I testify that there is no god but God and that Mohammed is the Apostle of God!” And she made hearty profession of Islam. Then said I to myself, “By Allah, I will not go in to her till I have set her free and acquainted the Cadi, [so he may marry us!]” So I betook myself to Ibn Sheddad and told him what had passed an
d he married me to her. Then I lay with her that night and she conceived; after which the troops departed and we returned to Damascus.

  Presently there came an ambassador from the king of the Franks, to seek the prisoners, according to the treaty between the kings. So El Melik en Nasir restored all the men and women he held in captivity, till there remained but the woman who was with me and the Franks said, “The wife of such an one the knight is not here.” So they enquired after her and making instant search for her, found that she was with me; whereupon they demanded her of me and I went in to her, pale and sore concerned; and she said to me, “What ails thee and what hath befallen thee?” Quoth I, “A messenger is come from the king to take all the captives, and they demand thee of me.” “Have no fear,” answered she; “bring me to the king and I know what to say to him.” So I carried her before the Sultan El Melik en Nasir, who was seated, with the ambassador of the king of the Franks on his right hand, and said to him, “This is the woman that is with me.”

  Then said the king and the ambassador to her, “Wilt thou go to thy country or to thy husband? For God hath loosed thy bonds and those of thy fellows in cap- tivity.” Quoth she, “I am become a Muslim and am great with child, as ye may see, and the Franks shall have no more profit of me.” “Whether is dearer to thee,” asked the ambassador, “this Muslim or thy husband the knight such an one?” And she answered him even as she had answered the Sultan. Then said he to the Franks with him, “Heard ye her words? “ They answered, “Yes.” And he said to me, “Take thy wife and depart with her.” So I took her and went away; but the ambassador sent after me in haste and said, “Her mother sent her a charge by me, saying, ‘My daughter is a captive and naked: and I would have thee carry her this chest.’ So take it thou and deliver it to her.”

  Accordingly I carried the chest home and gave it to her. She opened it and found in it all her clothes, and therein I saw the two purses of fifty and a hundred dinars, that I had given her, untouched and tied up with my own tying, wherefore I praised God the Most High. These are my children by her and she is yet alive and it was she dressed you this food.’ And we marvelled at his story and at that which had befallen him of good fortune, and God [alone] is [All-]knowing.

  John Payne’s translation: detailed table of contents

  THE RUINED MAN OF BAGHDAD AND HIS SLAVE-GIRL.

  There was once at Baghdad, of old time, a man of condition, who had inherited wealth galore from his father. He fell in love with a slave-girl; so he bought her and she loved him as he loved her; and he ceased not to spend upon her, till all his wealth was gone and naught remained thereof; wherefore he sought a means of getting his livelihood, but availed not thereunto. Now he had been used, in the days of his wealth, to frequent the assemblies of those who were versed in the art of singing and had thus attained to the utmost skill therein.

  So he took counsel with one of his friends, who said to him, ‘Meseems thou canst not do better than sing, thou and thy slave-girl, [for your living] ; for on this wise thou wilt get money in plenty and wilt eat and drink.’ But he misliked this, he and the damsel, and she said to him, ‘I have bethought me of a means of relief for thee.’ ‘What is it?’ asked he and she said, ‘Do thou sell me; so shall we win quit of this strait, thou and I, and I shall be in affluence; for none will buy the like of me save a man of fortune, and with this I will contrive for my return to thee.’

  So he carried her to the market and the first who saw her was a Hashimi of Bassora, a man of taste and breeding and generosity, who bought her for fifteen hundred dinars. (Quoth the young man, the girl’s owner). When I had received the price, I repented me and wept, I and the damsel; and I sought to cancel the sale; but the purchaser would not consent. So I took the money in a bag, knowing not whither I should go, now my house was desolate of her, and buffeted my face and wept and wailed as I had never done. Then I entered a mosque and sat weeping, till I was stupefied and losing my senses, fell asleep, with the bag of money under my head for a pillow. Presently, before I could be ware, a man pulled the bag from under my head and ran off with it: whereupon I started up in affright and would have run after him; but lo, my feet were bound with a rope and I fell on my face. So I fell a-weeping and buffeting myself, saying, ‘Thy soul hath left thee and thy wealth is lost!’ Then, of the excess of my chagrin, I betook myself to the Tigris and wrapping my face in my gown, cast myself into the river.

  The bystanders saw me and said, ‘Sure, [he hath done] this because of some great trouble that hath betided him.’ So they cast themselves in after me and bringing me ashore, questioned me of my case. I told them what had befallen me and they condoled with me. Then an old man of them came to me and said, ‘Thou hast lost thy money, but why goest thou about to do away thy life and become of the people of the fire? Arise, come with me, that I may see thine abode.’ So I went with him to my house and he sat with me awhile, till I became calmer, when I thanked him and he went away. When he was gone, I was like to kill myself, but bethought me of the life to come and the fire; so I fled forth my house to one of my friends and told him what had befallen me. He wept for pity of me and gave me fifty dinars, saying, ‘Take my advice and go out forthright from Baghdad and let this provide thee till thy heart be diverted from the love of her and thou forget her. Thou art a man of letters and clerkship and thy handwriting is good and thy breeding excellent: seek out, then, whom thou wilt of the viceroys and throw thyself on his bounty. It may be God will reunite thee with thy slave-girl.’

  I hearkened to his words (and indeed my mind was fortified and I was somewhat comforted) and resolved to betake myself to Wasit, where I had kinsfolk. So I went down to the riverside, where I saw a ship moored and the sailors carrying goods and rich stuffs on board. I asked them to take me with them and carry me to Wasit; but they replied, ‘We cannot do that, for the ship belongs to a Hashimi.’ However, I tempted them with [promise of] reward, and they said, ‘We cannot take thee on this fashion; if it must be, put off those fine clothes of thine and don sailors’ clothes and sit with us, as thou wert one of us.’ So I went away and buying sailors’ clothes, put them on; after which I bought me somewhat of victual [for the voyage] and returning to the vessel, which was bound for Bassora, embarked with the crew.

  Before long I saw my slave-girl herself [come on board] , attended by two waiting-women; whereupon my chagrin subsided and I said in myself ‘Now shall I see her and hear her singing, till we come to Bassora.’ Soon after, up rode the Hashimi, with a party of folk, and they embarked in the ship, which dropped down the river with them. Presently the Hashimi brought out food and ate with the damsel, whilst the rest ate amidships. Then said he to her, ‘How long wilt thou abstain from singing and persist in this mourning and weeping? Thou art not the first that hath been parted from a beloved one.’ Wherefore I knew what she suffered for love of me. Then he hung a curtain before her in the side of the ship and calling those who ate apart, sat down with them without the curtain; and I enquired concerning them and behold, they were his brethren. Then he set before them what they needed of wine and dessert, and they ceased not to press the damsel to sing, till she called for the lute and tuning it, sang the following verses:

  The company have passed away with those whom I adore; By night they went nor to depart with my desire forbore.

  And since their caravan fared hence, live coals of tamarisk-wood Within the lover’s heart rage high and higher evermore.

  Then weeping overpowered her and she threw down the lute and left singing; whereat the folk were troubled and I fell down in a swoon. They thought I was possessed and one of them fell to reciting exorcisms in my ear; nor did they cease to comfort her and beseech her to sing, till she tuned the lute again and sang these verses:

  I stand lamenting travelers who bound their burdens on; Within my heart their dwelling is, though far away they’re gone

  Hard by the ruined camp I stand and question it of them: Waste is the camping-place and void the dwellings thereupon.

 
; Then she fell down in a swoon and weeping arose amongst the folk; and I also cried out and fainted away. The sailors were vexed with me and one of the Hashimi’s servants said to them, ‘How came ye to take this madman on board?’ So they said to each other, ‘When we come to the next village, we will put him ashore and rid us of him.’ When I heard this, I was sore troubled and summoned up all my courage, saying to myself, ‘Nothing will serve me to deliver myself from their hands, except I make shift to acquaint her with my presence in the ship, so she may prevent my putting out.’

  Then we sailed on till eventide, when we came to a hamlet and the captain said, ‘Come, let us go ashore.’ So they all landed, [leaving me in the ship] : whereupon I rose and going behind the curtain took the lute and changed its accord, course by course, and tuning it after a fashion of my own, that she had learnt of me, returned to my place in the ship. Presently, they came on board again and the moon shone out upon the river and bank. Then said the Hashimi to the damsel, ‘God upon thee, trouble not our lives!’ So she took the lute, and touching it with her hand, gave a sob, that they thought her soul had departed [her body] , and said, ‘By Allah, my master is with us in the ship!’ ‘By Allah,’ answered the Hashimi, ‘were this so, I would not forbid him our company! Haply he would lighten thy chagrin, so we might enjoy thy singing: but it cannot be that he is on board.’ But she said, ‘I cannot sing nor play whilst my lord is with us.’ Quoth the Hashimi, ‘Let us ask the sailors.’ And she said, ‘Do so.’ So he questioned them, saying, ‘Have ye carried any one with you?’ And they said, ‘No.’

  Then I feared lest the enquiry should end there; so I laughed and said, ‘Yes; I am her master and taught her, when I was her lord.’ ‘By Allah,’ said she, ‘that is my lord’s voice!’ So the servants carried me to the Hashimi, who knew me at once and said to me, ‘Out on thee! What plight is this in which I see thee and what has brought thee to this pass?’ So I told him all that had befallen of my affair, weeping the while, and the damsel wailed aloud from behind the curtain. The Hashimi wept sore, he and his brethren, for pity of me, and he said, ‘By Allah, I have not drawn near the damsel nor lain with her, nor have I even heard her sing till this day! I am a man to whom God hath been bountiful and I came to Baghdad but to hear singing and seek my allowances of the Commander of the Faithful. I accomplished both my occasions and being about to return home, said to myself, “Let us hear somewhat of the singing of Baghdad.” Wherefore I bought this damsel, knowing not how it was with you both; and I take God to witness that, when I reach Bassora, I will free her and marry her to thee and assign you what shall suffice you, and more: but on condition that, whenever I have a mind to hear music, a curtain shall be hung for her and she shall sing to me from behind it, and thou shalt be of the number of my brethren and boon-companions.’