One Thousand and One Nights

by Richard Burton

  I bought and sold a whole year, at the end of which time I took the amulet and said to myself, “This hath been with me a great while, and I know not what it is nor what is its use.” So I gave it to the broker, who went round with it and returned, saying, “None of the merchants will give more than ten dirhems for it.” Quoth I, “I will not sell it at that price.” And he threw it in my face and went away. Another day I again offered it for sale and its price reached fifteen dirhems; so I took it from the broker in a pet and threw it back into the tray. Presently, as I sat in my shop, there came up to me a man, who bore the traces of travel, and saluting me, said, “By thy leave, I will turn over thy wares.” “It is well,” answered I, and indeed I was still wroth by reason of the lack of demand for the amulet.

  So he fell to turning over my wares, but took nought thereof save the amulet, which when he saw, he said, “Praised be God!” and kissed his hand. Then said he to me, “O my lord, wilt thou sell this?” And I said, “Yes,” being still angry. Quoth he, “What is its price?” And I, “How much wilt thou give?” “Twenty dinars,” answered he. I thought he was making mock of me and said, “Go thy ways.” Quoth he, “I will give thee fifty dinars for it.” I made him no answer, and he said, “A thousand dinars.” But I was silent, whilst he laughed at my silence and said, “Why dost thou not return me an answer?” “Go thy ways,” repeated I and was like to quarrel with him. But he bid thousand after thousand, and I still made him no reply, till he said, “Wilt thou sell it for twenty thousand dinars?”

  I still thought he was making mock of me; but the people gathered about me and all of them said to me, “Sell to him, and if he buy not, we will all fall upon him and beat him and put him out of the city.” So I said to him, “Wilt thou buy or dost thou jest?” Quoth he, “Wilt thou sell or dost thou jest?” And I said, “I will sell if thou wilt buy.” Then said he, “I will buy it for thirty thousand dinars: take them and strike the bargain.” And I said to the bystanders, “Bear witness against him.” [Then to him, “I sell to thee,] but on condition that thou acquaint me with the use and virtues of the amulet, for which thou payest all this money.” “Close the bargain,” answered he, “and I will tell thee this.” Quoth I, “I sell to thee.” And he said, “God be witness of that which thou sayst!”

  Then he brought out the money and giving it to me put the amulet in his bosom; after which he said to me, “Art thou content?” “Yes,” answered I, and he said to the people, “Bear witness against him that he hath closed the bargain and touched the price, thirty thousand dinars.” Then he turned to me and said, “Harkye, good man, hadst thou held back from selling, by Allah, I would have bidden thee up to a hundred thousand dinars, nay even to a thousand thousand!” When I heard this, O Commander of the Faithful, the blood fled from my face, and from that day there overcame it this paleness that thou seest.

  Then said I to him, “Tell me the reason of this and what is the use of this amulet.” And he answered, saying, “Know that the King of Hind hath a daughter, never was seen a fairer than she, and she is possessed with a demon. So the king summoned the scribes and men of science and diviners, but none of them could ease her of this. Now I was present in the assembly; so I said to him, ‘O king, I know a man called Saadullah the Babylonian, than whom there is not on the face of the earth one more versed in these matters, and if thou see fit to send me to him, do so.’ Quoth he, ‘Go to him.’ And I said, ‘Bring me a piece of cornelian.’ So he gave me a great piece of cornelian and a hundred thousand dinars and a present, with which I betook myself to the land of Babel and seeking out Saadullah, delivered him the money and the present, which he accepted and sending for a lapidary, caused him fashion the cornelian into this amulet. Then he abode seven months in observation of the stars, till he chose out an auspicious time for engraving it, when he graved upon it these talismanic characters that thou seest, and I took it and returned with it to the king.

  Now the princess was bound with four chains, and every night a damsel lay with her and was found in the morning slain. The King took the amulet and laid it upon his daughter, whereupon she was straightway made whole. At this he rejoiced greatly and invested me with a dress of honour and gave alms of much money; and he caused set the amulet in the princess’s necklace. It chanced, one day, that she embarked with her damsels in a ship and went apleasuring on the sea. Presently, one of her maids put out her hand to her, to sport with her, and the necklace broke asunder and fell into the sea. From that hour the princess’s malady returned to her, wherefore great grief betided the king and he gave me much money, saying, ‘Go thou to Saadullah and let him make her another amulet, in the stead of that which is lost.’ So I journeyed to Babel, but found the Sheikh dead; whereupon I returned and told the king, who sent me and ten others to go round about in all countries, so haply we might find a remedy for her: and now God hath caused me happen on it with thee.” So saying, he took the amulet and departed.

  As for me, I repaired to Baghdad, carrying all my wealth with me, and took up my abode in the house which I had occupied aforetime. On the morrow, as soon as it was light, I donned my clothes and betook myself to the house of Tahir ibn el Alaa, so haply I might see her whom I loved, for the love of her had never ceased to increase upon my heart. When I came to the house, I saw the balcony broken down and the lattice stopped up; so I stood awhile, pondering my case and the shifts of time, till there came up a serving-man and I questioned him, saying, “What hath God done with Tahir ibn el Alaa?” He answered, “O my brother, he hath repented to God the Most High [and renounced his unlawful trade].” Quoth I, “What was the cause of his repentance?” And he said, “O my brother, in such a year there came to him a merchant, by name Aboulhusn the Omani, who abode with his daughter awhile, till his money was all spent, when the old man turned him out broken-hearted. Now the girl loved him with an exceeding love, and when she was parted from him, she sickened of a sore sickness and came nigh upon death. When her father knew how it was with her, he sought for Aboulhusn high and low, promising whoso should bring him to him a hundred thousand dinars; but none could find him nor come on any trace of him; and she is now at death’s door.” “And how is it with her father?” asked I. Quoth the servant, “He hath sold all his girls, for stress of that which hath befallen him, and repented to God the Most High.”

  Then said I, “What wouldst thou say to him who should direct thee to Aboulhusn the Omani?” And he answered, saying, “I conjure thee by Allah, O my brother, that thou do this and quicken my poverty!” “Go to her father,” rejoined I, “and say to him, ‘Thou owest me the reward for good news, for that Aboulhusn the Omani standeth at the door.’” With this he set off running, as he were a mule loosed from the mill, and presently came back, accompanied by Tahir himself, who no sooner saw me than he returned to his house and gave the man a hundred thousand dinars, with which he went away, calling down blessings on me. Then the old man came up to me and embraced me and wept, saying, “O my lord, where hast thou been absent all this while? Indeed, my daughter is perished by reason of her separation from thee; but come with me into the house.” So we entered and he prostrated himself in gratitude to God the Most High, saying, “Praised be God who hath reunited us with thee!”

  Then he went in to his daughter and said to her, “God healeth thee of this sickness.” “O my father,” answered she, “I shall never be whole of my sickness, except I look upon the face of Aboulhusn.” Quoth he, “If thou wilt eat a morsel and go to the bath, I will bring thee in company with him.” “Is it true that thou sayest?” asked she; and he replied, “By the Great God, it is true!” “By Allah,” rejoined she, “if I look upon his face, I shall have no need of eating!” Then said he to his servant, “Bring in thy lord.” So I entered, and when she saw me, she fell down in a swoon, and presently coming to herself, recited the following verse:

  Lo, God hath deigned to reunite the separated twain, For all in very sooth they deemed they ne’er should meet again.

  Then she sat up
and said, “By Allah, O my lord, I had not thought to see thy face again, but if it were in sleep!” And she embraced me and wept. Then said she, “O father mine, now will I eat and drink.” The old man rejoiced in this and brought her meat and drink and we ate and drank. After this, I abode with them awhile, till she was restored to her former beauty, when her father sent for the Cadi and the witnesses and let draw up the contract of marriage between her and me and made a great bride-feast; and she is my wife to this day and this is my son by her.” So saying, he went away and returned with a boy of marvellous beauty and symmetry, to whom said he, ‘Kiss the earth before the Commander of the Faithful.’ So he kissed the earth before the Khalif, who marvelled at his beauty and glorified his Creator; after which he departed with his company, saying to the vizier, ‘O Jaafer, verily this is none other than a marvellous thing, never heard I of aught more extraordinary.’

  When he was seated in the palace of the Khalifate, he said to Mesrour, ‘Bring the year’s tribute of Bassora and Baghdad and Khorassan and lay it in this recess.’ So he laid the three tributes together and they were a vast sum of money, whose tale none might tell save God. Then the Khalif bade draw a curtain before the recess and said to Jaafer, ‘Fetch me Aboulhusn.’ ‘I hear and obey,’ replied Jaafer and going forth, returned presently with the Omani, who kissed the ground before the Khalif fearing lest he had sent for him, because of some fault that he had committed, whenas he was with him in his house. Then said Er Reshid, ‘Harkye, O Omani!’ and he replied, ‘At thy service, O Commander of the Faithful! May God still bestow his favours upon thee!’ Quoth the Khalif, ‘Draw back yonder curtain.’ So Aboulhusn drew back the curtain from the recess and was confounded at the mass of money he saw there. ‘O Aboulhusn,’ said Er Reshid, ‘whether is the more, this money or that thou didst lose by the amulet ?’ And he answered, ‘This is many times the greater, O Commander of the Faithful!’ Quoth the Khalif, ‘Bear witness, all ye who are present, that I give this money to this young man.’ Aboulhusn kissed the earth and was abashed and wept before the Khalif for excess of joy.

  Now, when he wept, the tears ran down upon his cheeks and the blood returned to its place and his face became as it were the moon on the night of its full. Whereupon quoth the Khalif, ‘There is no god but God! Glory be to Him who decreeth change upon change and is Himself the Everlasting One, that changeth not!’ So saying, he fetched a mirror and showed Aboulhusn his face therein, which when he saw, he prostrated himself in gratitude to God the Most High. Then the Khalif bade transport the money to Aboulbusn’s house and charged the latter absent not himself from him, so he might enjoy his company. Accordingly he paid him frequent visits, till Er Reshid was admitted to the mercy of God the Most High; and glory be to Him who dieth not and in whose hand is the dominion of the Seen and the Unseen!

  John Payne’s translation: detailed table of contents

  IBRAHIM AND JEMILEH.

  El Khesib, lord of Egypt, had a son named Ibrahim, there was none goodlier than he, and of his fear for him, he suffered him not to go forth, save to the Friday prayers. One day, as he was returning from the mosque, he happened upon an old man, with whom were many books; so he lighted down from his horse and seating himself beside him, fell to turning over the books and examining them. In [one of] them he saw the portrait of a woman, that all but spoke, never was seen on the earth’s face a fairer than she; and this captivated his reason and confounded his wit. So he said to the old man, ‘O elder, sell me this picture.’ And the bookseller kissed the earth before him and said, ‘O my lord, [it is thine,] without price.’ Ibrahim gave him a hundred dinars and taking the book in which was the picture, fell to gazing upon it and weeping night and day, abstaining from meat and drink and sleep.

  Then said he in himself, ‘If I ask the bookseller of the painter of the picture, belike he will tell me; and if the original be on life, I will cast about to win to her; but, if it be an imaginary portrait, I will leave doting upon it and torment myself no more for a thing that hath no reality.’ So, on the following Friday, he betook himself to the bookseller, who rose to receive him, and said to him, ‘O uncle, tell me who painted this picture.’ And he answered, saying, ‘O my lord, a man of the people of Baghdad painted it, by name Aboulcasim es Sendelani; [he dwells] in a quarter called El Kerkh; but I know not of whom it is the portrait.’ So Ibrahim left him and return to the palace, after praying the Friday prayers, without acquainting any of his household with his case.

  Then he took a bag and filling it with gold and jewels, to the value of thirty thousand dinars, waited till the morning, when he went out, without telling any, and presently overtook a caravan. Here he saw a Bedouin and said to him, ‘O uncle, how far am I from Baghdad?’ ‘O my son,’ replied the other, ‘what hast thou to do with Baghdad? Verily, between thee and it is two months’ journey.’ Quoth Ibrahim, ‘O uncle, an thou wilt bring me to Baghdad, I will give thee a hundred dinars and this mare under me, that is worth other thousand.’ [‘Agreed!’] answered the Bedouin. ‘And God be witness of what we say! Thou shalt not lodge this night but with me.’

  Ibrahim agreed to this and passed the night with him. At break of day, the Bedouin took him and fared on with him in haste by a near road, in his eagerness for the promised reward; nor did they leave journeying till they came to the walls of Baghdad, when he said, ‘Praised be God for safety! O my lord, this is Baghdad.’ Whereat Ibrahim rejoiced with an exceeding joy and alighting from the mare, gave her to the Bedouin, together with the hundred dinars. Then he took the bag and [entering the city], walked on, enquiring for the Kerkh quarter and the abiding-place of the merchants, till destiny led him to a by-street, wherein were ten houses, five facing five, and at the farther end was a [gateway with a] two-leaved door and a ring of silver. In the porch stood two benches of marble, spread with the finest carpets, and on one of them sat a, man of comely and reverend aspect, clad in sumptuous apparel and attended by eve white slaves, like moons.

  When Ibrahim saw the street, he knew it by the description the bookseller had given him; so he saluted the man, who returned his greeting and bidding him welcome, made him sit down and asked him of his case. Quoth Ibrahim, ‘I am a stranger and desire of thy favour that thou look me out a house in this street where I may take up my abode.’ With this the other cried out, saying, ‘Ho, Ghezaleh!’ And there came forth to him a slave-girl, who said, ‘At thy service, O my lord!’ ‘Take some servants,’ said her master, ‘and go to such a house and clean it and furnish it with all that is needful for this well-favoured youth.’

  So she went forth and did as he bade her; whilst the old man took the youth and showed him the house; and he said, ‘O my lord, what is the rent of this house?’ ‘O bright of face,’ answered the other, ‘I will take no rent of thee, what while thou abidest there.’ Ibrahim thanked him for this and the old man called another slave-girl, whereupon there came forth to him a damsel like the sun, to whom said he, ‘Bring chess.’ So she brought it and one of the servants set the board; whereupon said his host to Ibrahim, ‘Wilt thou play with me?’ And he answered, ‘Yes.’ So they played several games and Ibrahim beat him. ‘Well done, O youth!’ exclaimed the other. ‘Thou art indeed perfect in qualities. By Allah, there is not one in Baghdad can beat me, and yet thou hast beaten me!’

  When they had made ready the house and furnished it with all that was needful, the old man delivered the keys to Ibrahim and said to him, ‘O my lord, wilt thou not enter my house and honour me by eating of my bread?’ He assented and entering with him, found it a handsome and godly house, decorated with gold and full of all manner pictures and furniture and other things, such as the tongue availeth not to set out. The old man welcomed him and called for food, whereupon they brought a table of the make of Senaa of Yemen and spread it with all manner rare meats, than which there was nought costlier nor more delicious. So Ibrahim ate till he was satisfied, after which be washed his hands and proceeded to look at the house and furniture. Presently, he turned to look for th
e leather bag, but found it not and said, [in himself,] ‘There is no power and no virtue save in God the Most High, the Supreme! I have eaten a morsel worth a dirhem or two and have lost a bag wherein is thirty thousand dinars’ worth: but I seek aid of God.’ And he was silent and could not speak for the greatness of his trouble.

  Presently his host brought the chess and said to him, ‘Wilt thou play with me?’ And he said, ‘Yes.’ So they played and the old man beat him. ‘Well done!’ said Ibrahim and left playing and rose; whereupon said his host, ‘What ails thee, O youth?’ And he answered, ‘I want the bag.’ So the old man rose and brought it out to him, saying, ‘Here it is, O my lord. Wilt thou now return to playing with me?’ ‘Yes,’ replied Ibrahim. So they played and the young man beat him. Quoth the other, ‘When thy thought was occupied with the bag, I beat thee: but, now I have brought it back to thee, thou beatest me. But, tell me, O my son, what countryman art thou.’ ‘I am from Egypt,’ answered Ibrahim. ‘And what is the cause of thy coming to Baghdad?’ asked the other; whereupon Ibrahim brought out the portrait and said to him, ‘Know, O uncle, that I am the son of El Khesib, lord of Egypt, and I saw with a bookseller this picture, which ravished my wit. I asked him who painted it and he said, “He who wrought it is a man, Aboulcasim es Sendelani by name, who dwells in a street called the Street of Saffron in the Kerkh quarter of Baghdad.” So I took with me somewhat of money and came hither alone, none knowing of my case; and I desire of the fulness of thy bounty that thou direct me to Aboulcasim, so I may ask him of the manner of his painting this picture and whose portrait it is. And whatsoever he desireth of me, that will I give him.’