Of abstinent devoutness was plain unto the sight.
The days he had made proof of and eke the nights essayed; In lawful and unlawful he had not spared to wade.
He had been love-distracted for minion and for maid And to a skewer’s likeness worn down was he and frayed;
But wasted bones were left him, with parchment skin bedight.
A Moor in this same fashion the sheikh himself did show, For by his side a youngling was ever seen to go:
He in the love of women an Udhri was, I trow; In either mode seductive and throughly versed, for lo,
Zeid was to him as Zeyneb, to wit, and wench as wight.
Distraught he was with passion for this and th’ other fair; He mourned the camp, bewailing the ruins bleak and bare:
Of his excess of longing, thou’dst deem him, as it were, A sapling that the zephyr still bendeth here and there.
Cold-heartedness pertaineth to stones alone aright.
Yea, In the way of passion experienced was he, Sharp-witted in Love’s matters and quick indeed to see.
He’d prove Love’s hard and easy, its valley and its sea, And buck and doe delighted to clip indiff’rently;
He burnt alike when beardless and when his beard was white.
Then he came up to the boy and gave him a sprig of sweet basil, whereupon his father put his hand to his pouch and gave him some small matter of money, saying, ‘Take thy portion, O dervish, and go thy ways.’ He took the money, but sat down on the bench before the shop, opposite the lad, and fell to gazing upon him and heaving sigh upon sigh, whilst the tears flowed like springs welling forth. The folk began to look at him and remark upon him, some saying, ‘All dervishes are lewd fellows,’ and other some, ‘Verily, this dervish’s heart is set on fire for love of this youth.’
When Abdurrehman saw this, he said to the boy, ‘Come O my son, let us shut the shop and go home, for it boots not to buy and sell this day; and may God requite thy mother that which she hath done with us, for it is she who hath brought all this about!’ Then said he to the dervish, ‘Rise, that I may shut my shop.’ So the dervish rose and Abdurrehman shut his shop and taking his son, went away. The dervish and the folk followed them, till they reached their dwelling, when Kemerezzeman went in and his father, turning to the dervish, said to him, ‘What wouldst thou, O dervish, and why do I see thee weep ?’ ‘O my lord,’ answered he, ‘ I would fain be thy guest this night, for the guest is the guest of God.’ Quoth the merchant, ‘Welcome to the guest of God! Enter, O dervish !’ But he said in himself, ‘If he be enamoured of the boy and require him of lewdness, needs must I slay him this night and bury him secretly. But, if there be no lewdness in him, the guest shall eat his portion.’
Then he brought him into a saloon, where he left him with Kemerezzeman, after he had said privily to the latter, ‘O my son, when I am gone out, sit thou beside the dervish and sport with him and provoke him to dalliance. I will watch you from the window overlooking the saloon, and if he seek of thee lewdness, I will come down to him and slay him.’ So, as soon as Kemerezzeman was alone with the dervish, he sat down by him, and the latter began to look upon him and sigh and weep. Whenever the lad spoke to him, he answered him kindly, trembling the while and groaning and sobbing, and thus he did till the evening meal was brought in, when he fell to eating, with his eyes on Kemerezzeman, but stinted not from weeping. When a fourth part of the night was past and talk was ended and the time of sleep come, Abdurrehman said to the lad, ‘O my son, apply thyself to the service of thine uncle the dervish and gainsay him not :’ and would have gone out; but the dervish said to him, ‘O my lord, carry thy son with thee or sleep with us.’ ‘Nay,’ answered the merchant; ‘my son shall lie with thee: peradventure thy soul may desire somewhat, and he will do thine occasion and wait upon thee.’ Then he went out and sat down in an adjoining room, wherein was a window giving upon the saloon.
As soon as he had left them, the lad came up to the dervish and began to provoke him and make advances to him, whereupon he waxed wroth and said, ‘What talk is this, O my son? I take refuge with God from Satan the Stoned! O my God, indeed this is an iniquity that pleaseth Thee not! Hold off from me, O my son !’ So saying, he arose and sat down at a distance; but the boy followed him and threw himself upon him, saying, ‘O dervish, why wilt thou deny thyself the delight of my possession, seeing that my heart loveth thee ?’ With this the dervish’s anger redoubled and he said, ‘An thou refrain not from me, I will call thy father and tell him of thee.’ Quoth Kemerezzeman, ‘My father knows my mind to thee and it may not be that he will hinder me: so heal thou my heart. Why cost thou hold off from me? Do I not please thee?’ ‘By Allah, O my son,’ answered the dervish, ‘I will not do this, though I be hewn in pieces with sharp swords!’ And he repeated the saying of the poet:
My heart the fair desireth, both wench and wight; I sigh For all I see: yet passion leads not my wit awry.
Nay, though I still behold them morning and eventide, Nor sodomite, believe me, nor whoremonger am I.
Then he wept and said, ‘Arise, open the door, that I may go my way, for I will lie no longer in this place.’ Therewith he rose to his feet; but the boy caught hold of him, saying, ‘Look at the brightness of my face and the redness of my cheeks and the softness of my sides and the daintiness of my lips.’ Moreover he discovered to him a leg that would put to shame wine and cupbearer and gazed on him with looks that would baffle enchantment and enchanter; for he was surpassing of loveliness and full of tender blandishment, even as saith of him the poet:
I never can forget him, since of intent the fair A leg to me discovered, as flashing pearl it were.
So marvel not if on me the flesh should rise; for lo, the Day of Resurrection’s a day of shanks laid bare.
Then he displayed to him his bosom, saying, ‘Look at my breasts. They are goodlier than girls’ breasts and my spittle is sweeter than sugar-candy. So leave scruple and abstinence and cast off piety and devoutness and take thy delight of my possession and enjoy my beauty. Fear nothing, for thou art safe from hurt, and leave this dulness, for it is an ill habit.’ And he went on to discover to him his hidden charms, striving to turn the reins of his reason with his [graceful] bendings, whilst the dervish averted his face and said, ‘I seek refuge with God! Shame upon thee, O my son! This is a forbidden thing, and I will not do it, no, not even in sleep.’ The boy pressed upon him, but the dervish escaped from him and turning towards Mecca, addressed himself to prayer.
When Kemerezzeman saw him praying, he left him till he had prayed a two-bow prayer and saluted, when he would have accosted him again; but the dervish again repeated the intent and prayed a second two-bow prayer, and thus he did a third and a fourth and a fifth time. Quoth Kemerezzeman, ‘What prayers are these ? Art thou minded to take flight upon the clouds? Thou lettest slip our delight, whilst thou passest the whole night in the prayer-niche.’ So saying, he threw himself upon the dervish and kissed him between the eyes: and he said, ‘O my son, put away from thee the devil and betake thee to the obedience of the Compassionate One.’ Quoth Kemerezzeman, ‘An thou do not with me that which I wish, I will call my father and say to him, “The dervish is minded to do lewdness with me.” Whereupon he will come in to thee and beat thee, till thy bones be broken upon thy flesh.’
All this while Abdurrehman was watching with his eyes and hearkening with his ears, and he was certified that there was no lewdness in the dervish and said in himself, ‘An he were a lewd fellow, he had not stood out against all this importunity.’ The boy continued to beguile the dervish and every time he addressed himself to prayer, he interrupted him, till at last he waxed exceeding wroth with him and was rough with him and beat him. Kemerezzeman wept and his father came in and wiped away his tears and comforted him. Then said he to the dervish, ‘O my brother, since thou art on this wise, why didst thou weep and sigh, when thou sawest my son? Is there a reason for this?’ ‘Yes,’ answered the dervish; and Abdurrehman continued, ‘When I saw thee weep
at sight of my son, I deemed evil of thee and bade the boy do with thee thus, that I might try thee, purposing in myself, if I saw thee require him of lewdness, to come in upon thee and slay thee. But, when I saw thy carriage towards him, I knew thee for one of those who are virtuous to the utmost. But, God on thee, tell me the cause of thy weeping!’
The dervish sighed and said, ‘O my lord, fret not a closed wound.’ But the merchant said, ‘Nothing will serve but thou must tell me.’ ‘Know, then,’ began the other, ‘that I am a dervish who wander in the lands and the countries, admonishing myself by the traces of the Creator of Night and Day. It chanced that one Friday I entered the city of Bassora in the forenoon of the day and saw the shops open and full of all manner wares and goods and meat and drink; but they were deserted and there was in them neither man nor woman nor girl nor boy: nor in the markets and the streets was there dog nor cat nor yet voice heard nor creature seen. I marvelled at this and said to myself, “I wonder whither the people of the city are gone with their dogs and cats and what hath God done with them ? “ Now I was anhungred, so I took hot bread from a baker’s oven and going into an oilman’s shop, spread the bread with butter and honey and ate. Then I entered the shop of a sherbet-seller and drank what I would; after which, seeing a coffee-shop open, I went in and saw the pots on the fire, full of coffee; but there was no one there. So I drank my fill and said, “Verily, this is a strange thing! It seems as if death had stricken the people of this city and they had all died forthright, or as if they had taken fright at some- thing that hath befallen them and fled, without having time to close their shops.”
As I pondered this matter, I heard a sound of drums beating; whereat I was afraid and hid myself: then, looking out through a crevice, I saw fourscore damsels, like moons, come walking through the market, two by two, with uncovered heads and faces displayed; and in their midst a young lady, riding on a horse that could hardly move its feet for that which was upon it of trappings and housings. Her face was unveiled, and she was adorned with the costliest ornaments and clad in the richest of raiment and covered with gold and silver and jewels. About her neck she wore a collar of gold and on her bosom were necklaces of the same metal; her wrists were clasped with bracelets, that shone like stars, and her ankles with bangles of gold set with precious stones. The slave- girls walked before her and behind and on her right and left and before her was a damsel girt with a great sword, with hilts of emerald and hangers of gold, set with jewels.
When the young lady came to where I lay hid, she checked her horse and said, “O damsels, I hear a noise of somewhat within yonder shop: so do ye search it, lest there be one hidden there, with intent to look upon us, whilst we have our faces unveiled.” So they searched the shop opposite that in which I lay hid, whilst I abode in terror; and presently I saw them come forth with a man and heard them say to her, “O our lady, we found a man there and here he is before thee.” Quoth she to the damsel with the sword, “Strike off his head.” So she went up to him and smote off his head and they passed on, leaving the dead man lying on the ground. When I saw this, I was affrighted; but my heart was taken with love of the young lady.
After awhile, the people reappeared and every one who had a shop entered it; whilst the folk began to come and go in the markets and gathered about the slain man, staring at him. Then I came forth from my hiding-place by stealth, and none took note of me; but love of the lady had gotten possession of my heart, and I began to enquire of her privily; but none gave me news of her. So I left Bassora, with a heart torn with love of her; and when I came upon this thy son, I saw him to be the likest of all creatures to the young lady, wherefore he minded me of her and his sight revived the fire of passion in me and kindled anew in my heart the flames of love-longing and distraction.’ Then he wept passing sore and said, ‘O my lord, I conjure thee by Allah, open the door to me, so I may go my way!’ So Abdurrehman opened the door and he went forth.
As for Kemerezzeman, when he heard the dervish’s story, his heart was taken with love of the lady and passion got the mastery of him and longing and dis- traction raged in him; so, on the morrow, he said to his father, ‘All the sons of the merchants travel in the lands, to attain their desire, nor is there one of them but his father provideth him with merchandise, wherewith he may travel and traffic for gain. Why, then, O my father, dost thou not provide me with merchandise, so I may travel with it and try my luck?’ ‘O my son,’ answered Abdurrehman, ‘the merchants [of whom thou speakest] lack of money; so they send their sons abroad for the sake of profit and gain and the getting of the goods of the world. But I have wealth in plenty nor do I covet [more]: so why should I exile thee [from thy native land?] Indeed, I cannot brook to be parted from thee an hour, more by token that thou art unique in beauty and grace and perfection and I fear for thee.’ But Kemerezzeman said, ‘O my father, nothing will serve but thou must furnish me with merchandise wherewithal to travel; else will I take thee at unawares and flee, though without goods or money. So, if thou wish to pleasure my heart, make ready for me merchandise, that I may travel and divert myself by viewing foreign countries.’
Abdurrehman, seeing his son enamoured of travel, acquainted his wife with this, saying, ‘ My son would have me provide him with merchandise, so he may travel therewith in strange countries, albeit travel is travail.’ ‘What is there should mislike thee in this?’’ answered she. ‘This is the wont of the sons of the merchants and they all vie with one another in glorying in travel and gain. ‘Quoth he, ‘Most of the merchants are poor and seek increase of good; but I have wealth galore.’ ‘More of a good thing hurteth not,’ replied she; ‘and if thou comply not with his wish, I will furnish him of my own monies.’ Quoth Abdurrehman, ‘I fear strangerhood for him, for it is rife in trouble.’ But she said, ‘There is no harm in strangerhood, when it leads to gain; and [if we do not according to his wish], our son will go away and we shall seek him and find him not and be dishonoured among the folk.’ The merchant accepted his wife’s counsel and provided his son with merchandise, to the value of fourscore and ten thousand dinars, whilst his mother gave him a purse containing forty jewels of price, the least of the value of one of which was five hundred dinars, saying, ‘O my son, be careful of these jewels, for they will be of service to thee.’
Kemerezzeman took the jewels and laid them in a belt, which he buckled about his waist; then he set out for Bassora with his goods and stayed not till there remained but a day’s journey between that city and himself; when the [wild] Arabs came out upon him and stripped him and slew his men and servants; but he himself lay down among the slain and smeared himself with blood, so that the Bedouins took him for dead and left him and made off with their booty. When they had gone their ways, he arose, having nought left but the jewels in his girdle, and fared on till he came to Bassora. It chanced that his entry was on a Friday and the town was empty of folk, even as the dervish had told him. He found the streets deserted and the shops open and full of goods; so he ate and drank and looked about him. Presently, he heard drums beating and hid himself in a shop, till the slave- girls came up, when he looked at them and seeing the young lady riding amongst them, love and longing took him and passion and distraction overcame him, so that he could hardly stand. After awhile, the people reappeared and the markets became full. Whereupon he went to the bazaar and sold one of his jewels to a jeweller there for a thousand dinars, with which he returned to his place and passed the night there.
Next morning he changed his clothes and going to the bath, came forth as he were the full moon. Then he sold other four stones for four thousand dinars and sauntered about the streets of Bassora, clad in the costliest of raiment, till he came to a market, where he saw a barber’s shop. So he went in to the barber, who shaved his head, and clapping up an acquaintance with him, said to him, ‘O my father, I am a stranger in these parts and yesterday I entered this city and found it void of inhabitants, nor was there in it any living soul, man nor genie. Then I saw a company of slave-girls and amon
gst them a young lady riding in state.’ And he went on to tell him all he had seen. ‘O my son,’ said the barber, ‘hast thou told any but me of this?’ And he answered, ‘No.’ ‘Then, O my son,’ rejoined the barber, ‘beware of mentioning this before any but me; for all cannot keep a secret and thou art but a lad and I fear lest the talk travel from folk to folk, till it reach those whom it concerns and they kill thee. For know, O my son, that this thou hast seen, none ever heard nor knew in other than this city. As for the people of Bassora, they are dying of this vexation; for every Friday forenoon they shut up the dogs and cats, to hinder them from going about the streets, and all the people of the city enter the mosques, where they lock the doors on them, and not one of them can pass about the market nor even look out of window; nor knoweth any the cause of this calamity. But to-night I will question my wife of it, for she is a midwife and enters the houses of the notables and knows all the news of the city. And if it please God the Most High, do thou come to me to-morrow and I will tell thee what she shall have told me.’
With this Kemerezzeman pulled out a handful of gold and said to him, ‘O my father, take this gold and give it to thy wife, for she is become my mother.’ Then he gave him a second handful, saying ‘Take this for thyself.’ Whereupon quoth the barber, ‘O my son, sit thou in thy place, till I go to my wife and ask her and bring thee news of the true state of the case.’ So saying, he left him in the shop and going home, acquainted his wife with the young man’s case, saying, ‘I would have thee tell me the truth of this affair, so I may tell it to this young merchant, for he hath set his heart on knowing the reason why men and beasts are forbidden the streets every Friday forenoon; and methinks he is in love, for he is open-handed and generous, and if we tell him [what he would know], we shall get great good of him.’ Quoth she, ‘Go back and say to him, “Come and speak with thy mother my wife, for she salutes thee and says to thee, ‘The thing is done.”’
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