One Thousand and One Nights

by Richard Burton

  ‘By Allah, O my son,’ said his host, ‘I am Aboulcasim es Sendelani, and this is an extraordinary thing how fate hath thus led thee to me!’ When Ibrahim heard this, he rose to him, and embraced him and kissed his head and hands, saying, ‘God on thee, tell me whose portrait it is.’ ‘I hear and obey,’ answered the other and rising, opened a closet and brought out a number of books, in which he had painted the same picture. Then said he, ‘Know, O my son, that the original of this portrait is the daughter of my father’s brother, whose name is Aboulleith. She dwells in Bassora, of which city her father is governor, and her name is Jemileh. There is not a fairer than she on the face of the earth; but she is averse from men and cannot hear speak of them in her company. Now I once repaired to my uncle, to the intent that he should marry her to me, and was lavish of wealth to him; but he would not consent; and when his daughter knew of my offer, she was enraged and sent to me to say, amongst other things, “If thou have wit, tarry not in this city; else wilt thou perish and thy blood will be on thine own head.” For she is a virago of viragoes. So I left Bassora, broken-hearted, and limned this portrait of her in books and scattered them abroad in various countries, so haply they might fall into the hands of a comely youth like thyself and he contrive to win to her and peradventure she might fall in love with him, purposing to take a promise of him that, when he should have gotten possession of her, he would show her to me, though but for a moment from afar off.’

  When Ibrahim heard this, he bowed his head awhile in thought and Es Sendelani said to him, ‘O my son, I have not seen in Baghdad a comelier than thou, and meseems tent, when she sees thee, she will love thee. Art thou willing, therefore, in case thou foregather with her and get possession of her, to show her to me, if but for a moment from afar?’ ‘Yes,’ answered Ibrahim, and the painter rejoined, ‘This being so, abide with me till thou set out.’ ‘I cannot tarry longer,’ replied the youth; ‘for my heart is all afire with love of her.’ ‘Have patience three days,’ said Es Sendelani, ‘till I fit thee out a ship, wherein thou mayst go to Bassora.’ So he waited whilst the painter equipped him a ship and stored it with all that he needed of meat and drink and so forth.

  When the three days were past, he said to Ibrahim, ‘Make ready for the voyage; for I have equipped thee a ship and furnished it with all thou requireth. The ship is my property and the sailors are of my servants. In the vessel is what will suffice thee till thy return, and I have charged the crew to serve thee till thou come back in safety.’ So Ibrahim took leave of his host and embarking, sailed down the river till he came to Bassora, where he took out a hundred dinars and offered them to the sailors; but they said, ‘We have gotten our hire of our master.’ ‘Take this by way of largesse,’ answered he; ‘and I will not acquaint him therewith.’ So they took it and blessed him.

  Then he landed and entering the town, enquired for the merchants’ lodging and was directed to a khan called the Khan of Hemdan. So he betook himself to the market where stood the khan in question, and all eyes were attracted to him by reason of his exceeding beauty and grace. He entered the khan, with one of the sailors in his company, and enquiring for the porter, was directed to an old man of reverend aspect. He saluted him and the porter returned his greeting; after which Ibrahim said to him, ‘O uncle, hast thou a decent chamber?’ ‘Yes,’ answered he and taking him and the sailor, opened to them an elegant chamber, decorated with gold, and said, ‘O youth, this chamber befitteth thee.’ Ibrahim pulled out two dinars and gave them to him, saying, ‘Take these as key-money.’ And the porter took them and blessed him.

  Then Ibrahim sent the sailor back to the ship and entered the chamber, where the porter abode with him and served him, saying, ‘O my lord, thy coming hath brought us joy.’ Ibrahim gave him a, dinar, saying, ‘Buy us bread and meat and wine and sweetmeats with this.’ So the porter went to the market and buying ten dirhems’ worth of victual, brought it back to Ibrahim and gave him the other ten dirhems. But he said to him, ‘Spend them on thyself;’ whereat the porter rejoiced mightily. Then he ate a cake of bread, with a little seasoning, and gave the rest to the porter, saying, ‘Carry this to the people of thy household.’ So the porter carried it to his family and said to them, ‘Methinketh there is not on the face of the earth a more generous than the young man who is come to lodge with us this day, nor yet a pleasanter than he. If he abide with us, we shall grow rich.’

  Then he returned to Ibrahim and found him weeping; so he sat down and began to rub his feet and kiss them, saying, ‘O my lord, why weepest thou? May God not make thee weep!’ ‘O uncle,’ said Ibrahim, ‘I have a mind to drink with thee this night.’ And the porter answered, ‘I hear and obey.’ So he gave him ten dinars, saying, ‘Buy up fruit and wine and dessert, and flowers and five fat fowls and bring me a lute.’ The porter went out and buying what he had ordered, said to his wife, ‘Strain this wine and cook us this food and look thou dress it daintily, for this young man overwhelms us with his bounties.’ So she did as he bade her, to the utmost of desire; and he took the victuals and carried them to Ibrahim. Then they ate and drank and made merry; and Ibrahim wept and repeated the following verses:

  O friend, though I should barter life for travail all in vain, And all my wealth and all the world and that it doth contain

  And all the meads of Paradise, to boot, against one hour Of union, my heart to buy at such a price were fain.

  Then he gave a great sob and fell down in a swoon. The porter sighed, and when he came to himself, he said to him, ‘O my lord, what is it makes thee weep and who is she to whom thou alludest in these verses? Indeed, she cannot be but as dust to thy feet.’ Ibrahim made him no answer, but, rising, brought out a parcel of the richest women’s clothes and said to him, ‘Take this to thy harem.’ So he carried it to his wife and she returned with him to the young man’s lodging and found him weeping, whereupon quoth the porter to him, ‘Verily, thou breakest our hearts! Tell us what fair one thou desirest, and she shall be thy handmaid.’ ‘O uncle,’ answered he, ‘know that I am the son of El Khesib, lord of Egypt, and I am enamoured of Jemileh, daughter of the lord Aboulleith.’ ‘Allah! Allah!’ exclaimed the porter’s wife. ‘O my brother, leave this talk, lest any hear of us and we perish. For there is not on the face of the earth a more masterful than she nor may any name to her the name of a man, for she is averse from men. Wherefore, O my son, turn from her to other than her.’

  When Ibrahim heard this, he wept sore, and the porter said to him, ‘I have nothing save my life; but that I will venture for thy love and contrive thee a means of bringing thee to thy desire.’ Then they went out from him and on the morrow, he betook himself to the bath and donned a suit of royal raiment, after which he returned to his lodging. Presently the porter and his wife came in to him and said, ‘Know, O my lord, that there is a humpbacked tailor here who sews for the lady Jemileh. Go thou to him and acquaint him with thy case; peradventure he will put thee in the way of attaining thy desire.’

  So Ibrahim arose and betaking himself to the shop of the humpbacked tailor, went in to him and found with him ten white slaves, as they were moons. He saluted them and they returned his greeting and made him sit down; and indeed they rejoiced in him and were amazed at his beauty and grace. Now he had torn his pocket with intent and he said to the hunchback, ‘I desire that thou sew me up my pocket.’ So the tailor took a needleful of silk and sewed up his pocket; whereupon Ibrahim gave him five dinars and returned to his lodging. Quoth the tailor, ‘What have I done for this youth, that he should give me five dinars?’ And he passed the night pondering his beauty and generosity.

  On the morrow Ibrahim returned to the shop and saluted the tailor, who returned his greeting and welcomed him and made much of him. Then he sat down and said to the hunchback, ‘O uncle, sew up my pocket, for I have torn it again.’ ‘On my head and eyes, O my son,’ answered the tailor and sewed it up; whereupon Ibrahim gave him ten dinars and he took them, amazed at his beauty and generosity. Then said he, ‘By Allah, O
youth, needs must there be a reason for this conduct of thine, for this is no matter of sewing up a pocket. Tell me the truth of thy case. If thou be enamoured of one of these boys, by Allah, there is not among them a comelier than thou, for they are all as the dust of thy feet; and behold, they are all thy slaves and at thy disposal. Or if it be other than this, tell me.’ ‘O uncle,’ replied Ibrahim, ‘this is no place for talk, for my case is strange and my affair extraordinary.’ ‘If it be so,’ rejoined the tailor, ‘come with me to a privy place.’ So saying, he took the youth by the hand and carrying him into a chamber behind the shop, said, ‘Now tell me.’

  So Ibrahim related his whole story to the tailor, who was amazed at his speech and said, ‘O my son, fear God [and have mercy] on thyself, for she of whom thou speakest is a virago and averse from men. Wherefore, O my brother, do thou guard thy tongue, or thou wilt destroy thyself.’ When Ibrahim heard the hunchback’s words, he wept sore and clinging to the tailor’s skirts, said, ‘Help me, O my lord, or I am a dead man; for I have left my kingdom and the kingdom of my father and grandfather and am become a stranger and lonely in the lands; nor can I endure without her.’ When the tailor saw how it was with him, he had compassion on him and said, ‘O my son, I have but my life and that I will venture for thy love, for thou makest my heart ache. [Come again] to-morrow [and meanwhile] I will contrive thee somewhat whereby thy heart shall be solaced.’ Ibrahim called down blessings on him and returning to the khan, told the porter what the tailor had said, and he answered, ‘Indeed, he hath dealt kindly with thee.’

  Next morning, the youth donned his richest clothes and taking a purse of money, repaired to the tailor and saluted him. Then he sat down and said, ‘O uncle, fulfil thy promise to me.’ Quoth the hunchback, ‘Arise forthright and take three fat fowls and three ounces of sugar-candy and two small jugs of wine and a cup. Lay all these in a bag and to-morrow, after the morning-prayers, take boat with them, bidding the boatman row thee down the river below Bassora. If he say to thee, “I cannot go farther than a parasang [from the city],” do thou answer, “As thou wilt;” but, when he shall have come so far, tempt him with money to carry thee farther; and the first garden thou wilt see after this will be that of the lady Jemileh. Go up to the gate and there thou wilt see two high steps, carpeted with brocade, and seated thereon a hunchback like unto me. Do thou complain to him of thy case and solicit his favour: it may be he will have compassion on thee and bring thee to the sight of her, though but for a moment from afar. This is all I can do for thee; and except he be moved to pity for thee, we are dead men, thou and I. This then is my counsel, and the matter rests with God the Most High.’ Quoth Ibrahim, ‘I seek aid of God; what He wills, is; and there is no power and no virtue save in Him!’ Then he returned to his lodging and taking the things the tailor had named, laid them in a small bag.

  On the morrow, as soon as it was day, he went down to the bank of the Tigris, where he found a boatman asleep; so he awoke him and giving him ten dinars, bade him row him down the river below Bassora. ‘O my lord,’ answered the man, ‘[it must be] on condition that I go no farther than a parasang; for if I overpass that distance by a span, I am a lost man, and thou too.’ ‘Be it as thou wilt,’ said Ibrahim. So he took him and dropped down the river with him till he drew near the garden, when he said to him, ‘O my son, I can go no farther; for, if I overpass this limit, we are both dead men.’ Whereupon Ibrahim pulled out other ten dinars and gave them to him, saying, ‘Take this spending-money and better thy case therewithal.’ The boatman was ashamed to refuse him and fared on with him, saying, ‘I commit the affair to God the Most High!’ When they came to the garden, the youth arose, in his joy, whilst the boat was yet a spear’s cast from the land, and springing ashore, cast himself down, whilst the boatman turned and fled.

  Then Ibrahim went up to the garden-gate, which stood open, and saw in the porch a couch of ivory, whereon sat a humpbacked man of pleasant favour, clad in gold-laced clothes and bearing in his hand a mace of silver, plated with gold. So he hastened up to him and seizing his hand, kissed it; whereupon quoth the hunchback, ‘O my son, who art thou and whence comest thou and who brought thee hither?’ And indeed, when he saw the youth, he was amazed at his beauty. ‘O uncle,’ answered Ibrahim, ‘I am an ignorant boy and a stranger;’ and he wept The hunchback took pity on him and taking him up on the couch, wiped away his tears and said to him, ‘No harm shall come to thee. If thou be in debt, may God quit thy debt; and if thou be in fear, may He appease thy fear!’ ‘O uncle,’ replied Ibrahim, ‘I am neither in fear nor in debt, but have wealth in plenty, thanks to God.’ ‘Then, O my son,’ rejoined the other, ‘what is thine occasion, that thou ventureth thyself and thy beauty to a place, wherein is destruction?’

  So he told him his story and discovered to him his case, whereupon he bowed his head awhile, then said to him, ‘Was it the humpbacked tailor who directed thee to me?’ ‘Yes,’ answered Ibrahim, and the keeper said, ‘This is my brother, and he is a blessed man. But, O my son, had not the love of thee gotten hold upon my heart and had I not taken compassion on thee, verily thou wert lost, thou and my brother and the porter of the khan and his wife. For know that this garden hath not its like on the face of the earth and that it is called the Garden of the Pearl, nor hath any entered it in all my life, except the Sultan and myself and its mistress Jemileh; and I have dwelt here twenty years and never yet saw any else come dither. Every forty days the lady Jemileh comes hither in a bark and lands in the midst of her women, under a canopy of satin, whose skirts ten damsels hold up with hooks of gold, whilst she enters, and I see nothing of her. Nevertheless, I have but my life and I will venture it for thy sake.’

  Ibrahim kissed his hands and the keeper said to him, ‘Abide with me, till I contrive somewhat for thee.’ Then he took him by the hand and carried him into the garden, which when he saw, he deemed it Paradise, for therein were trees intertwining and tall palms and watery welling and birds carolling with various voices. Presently, the keeper brought him to a pavilion and said to him, ‘This is where the lady Jemileh sitteth.’ So he examined it and found it of the rarest of pleasure-places, full of all manner paintings in gold and ultramarine. It had four doors, to which one mounted by five steps, and in its midst was a basin of water, to which led down steps of gold, set with precious stones. Midmost the pool was a fountain of gold, with figures, large and small, and water pouring from their mouths; and when, by reason of the issuing forth of the water, they piped and whistled in various tones, it seemed to the hearer as though he were in Paradise. Round the pavilion ran a channel of water, with conduits of silver, and it was covered with brocade. To the left of the pavilion was a lattice of silver, giving upon a green park, wherein were all manner wild cattle and gazelles and hares, and on the right hand was another lattice, overlooking a meadow full of birds of all sorts, warbling in various voices and bewildering the hearers with delight.

  The youth was ravished at all he saw and sat down in the doorway by the gardener, who said to him, ‘How deemest thou of my garden?’ Quoth Ibrahim, ‘It is the Paradise of the world.’ Whereat the gardener laughed and rising, was absent awhile and presently returned with a tray, full of fowls and quails and sweetmeats of sugar and other dainties, which he set before Ibrahim, saying, ‘Eat thy fill.’ So he ate till he had enough, whereat the keeper rejoiced and said, ‘By Allah, this is the fashion of kings and kings’ sons!’ Then said he, ‘O Ibrahim, what hast thou in yonder bag?’ So he opened it before him and the keeper said, ‘Take it with thee; it will serve thee when the lady Jemileh cometh; for, when once she is come, I shall not be able to bring thee food..

  Then he rose and taking the youth by the hand, brought him to a place over against the pavilion, where he made him a bower among the trees and said to him, ‘Get thee up here, and when she comes, thou wilt see her and she will not see thee. When she sings, drink thou to her singing, and when she departs, God willing, thou shalt return in safety whence thou camest. This is the best I ca
n do for thee and on God be our dependence!’ Ibrahim thanked him and would have kissed his hand, but he forbade him. Then he laid the bag in the bower and the keeper said to him, ‘O Ibrahim, walk about and take thy pleasure in the garden and eat of its fruits, for thy mistress’s coming is appointed for to-morrow.’ So he took his pleasure in the garden and ate of its fruits; after which he passed the night with the keeper.

  When the morning arose and gave forth its light and shone, he prayed the morning-prayer and presently the keeper came to him with a pale face, and said to him, ‘Rise, O my son, and go up into the bower; for the slave-girls are come, to set the place in order, and she cometh after them; and beware lest thou spit or sneeze or blow thy nose; else we are dead men, thou and I.’ So Ibrahim rose and went up into the bower, whilst the keeper went away, saying, ‘God grant thee safety, O my son!’

  Presently up came four slave-girls, whose like none ever saw, and entering the pavilion, put off their clothes and washed it. Then they sprinkled it with rose-water and incensed it with ambergris and aloes-wood and spread it with brocade. After these came other fifty damsels, with instruments of music, and amongst them Jemileh, within a canopy of red brocade, the skirts whereof the slave-girls bore up with hooks of gold, till she had entered the pavilion, so that Ibrahim saw nought of her nor of her dress. So he said in himself, ‘By Allah, all my labour is lost! But needs must I wait to see how the case will be.’ Then the damsels brought meat and drink and they ate and drank and washed their hands, after which they set her a stool and she sat down. Then they all played on instruments of music and sang with ravishing voices, without compare.