One Thousand and One Nights

by Richard Burton

  El Abbas went in and passed from place to place and chamber to chamber, till he came to the chamber aforesaid and espied the portrait of Mariyeh, whereupon he fell down in a swoon and the workmen went to his father and said to him, “Thy son El Abbas hath swooned away.” So the king came and finding the prince cast down, seated himself at his head and bathed his face with rose-water. After awhile he revived and the king said to him, “God keep thee, O my son! What hath befallen thee?” “O my father,” answered the prince, “I did but look on yonder picture and it bequeathed me a thousand regrets and there befell me that which thou seest.” Therewithal the king bade fetch the [chief] painter, and when he stood before him, he said to him, “Tell me of yonder portrait and what girl is this of the daughters of the kings; else will I take thy head.” “By Allah, O king,” answered the painter, “I limned it not, neither know I who she is; but there came to me a poor man and looked at me. So I said to him, ‘Knowest thou the art of painting?’ And he replied, ‘Yes.’ Whereupon I gave him the gear and said to him, ‘Make us a rare piece of work.’ So he wrought yonder portrait and went away and I know him not neither have I ever set eyes on him save that day.”

  Therewithal the king bade all his officers go round about in the thoroughfares and colleges [of the town] and bring before him all strangers whom they found there. So they went forth and brought him much people, amongst whom was the man who had painted the portrait. When they came into the presence, the Sultan bade the crier make proclamation that whoso wrought the portrait should discover himself and have whatsoever he desired. So the poor man came forward and kissing the earth before the king, said to him, “O king of the age, I am he who painted yonder portrait.” Quoth El Aziz, “And knowest thou who she is?” “Yes,” answered the other; “this is the portrait of Mariyeh, daughter of the king of Baghdad.” The king ordered him a dress of honour and a slave-girl [and he went his way]. Then said El Abbas, “O father mine, give me leave to go to her, so I may look upon her; else shall I depart the world, without fail.” The king his father wept and answered, saying, “O my son, I builded thee a bath, that it might divert thee from leaving me, and behold it hath been the cause of thy going forth; but the commandment of God is a foreordained decree.”

  Then he wept again and El Abbas said to him, “Fear not for me, for thou knowest my prowess and my puissance in returning answers in the assemblies of the land and my good breeding and skill in rhetoric; and indeed he whose father thou art and whom thou hast reared and bred and in whom thou hast united praiseworthy qualities, the repute whereof hath traversed the East and the West, thou needest not fear for him, more by token that I purpose but to seek diversion and return to thee, if it be the will of God the Most High.” Quoth the king, “Whom wilt thou take with thee of attendants and [what] of good?” “O father mine,” replied El Abbas, “I have no need of horses or camels or arms, for I purpose not battle, and I will have none go forth with me save my servant Aamir and no more.”

  As he and his father were thus engaged in talk, in came his mother and caught hold of him; and he said to her, “God on thee, let me go my gait and strive not to turn me from my purpose, for that needs must I go.” “O my son,” answered she, “if it must be so and there is no help for it, swear to me that them wilt not be absent from me more than a year.” And he swore to her. Then he entered his father’s treasuries and took therefrom what he would of jewels and jacinths and everything heavy of worth and light of carriage. Moreover, he bade his servant Aamir saddle him two horses and the like for himself, and whenas the night darkened behind him, he rose from his couch and mounting his horse, set out for Baghdad, he and Aamir, whilst the latter knew not whither he intended.

  He gave not over going and the journey was pleasant to him, till they came to a goodly land, abounding in birds and wild beasts, whereupon El Abbas started a gazelle and shot it with an arrow. Then he dismounted and cutting its throat, said to his servant, “Alight thou and skin it and carry it to the water.” Aamir answered him [with “Hearkening and obedience”] and going down to the water, kindled a fire and roasted the gazelle’s flesh. Then they ate their fill and drank of the water, after which they mounted again and fared on diligently, and Aamir still unknowing whither El Abbas was minded to go. So he said to him, “O my lord, I conjure thee by God the Great, wilt thou not tell me whither thou intendest?” El Abbas looked at him and made answer with the following verses:

  In my soul the fire of yearning and affliction rageth aye; Lo, I

  burn with love and longing; nought in answer can I say.

  To Baghdad upon a matter of all moment do I fare, For the love of

  one whose beauties have my reason led astray.

  Under me’s a slender camel, a devourer of the waste; Those who

  pass a cloudlet deem it, as it flitteth o’er the way.

  So, O Aamir, haste thy going, e’en as I do, so may I Heal my

  sickness and the draining of the cup of love essay;

  For the longing that abideth in my heart is hard to bear. Fare

  with me, then, to my loved one. Answer nothing, but obey.

  When Aamir heard his lord’s verses, he knew that he was a slave of love [and that she of whom he was enamoured abode] in Baghdad. Then they fared on night and day, traversing plains and stony wastes, till they came in sight of Baghdad and lighted down in its suburbs and lay the night there. When they arose in the morning, they removed to the bank of the Tigris and there they encamped and sojourned three days.

  As they abode thus on the fourth day, behold, a company of folk giving their beasts the rein and crying aloud and saying, “Quick! Quick! Haste to our rescue, O King!” Therewithal the king’s chamberlains and officers accosted them and said to them, “What is behind you and what hath befallen you?” Quoth they, “Bring us before the king.” [So they carried them to Ins ben Cais;] and when they saw him, they said to him, “O king, except thou succour us, we are dead men; for that we are a folk of the Benou Sheiban, who have taken up our abode in the parts of Bassora, and Hudheifeh the Arab hath come down on us with his horses and his men and hath slain our horsemen and carried off our women and children; nor was one saved of the tribe but he who fled; wherefore we crave help [first] by God the Most High, then by thy life.”

  When the king heard their speech, he bade the crier make proclamation in the thoroughfares of the city that the troops should prepare [for the march] and that the horsemen should mount and the footmen come forth; nor was it but the twinkling of the eye ere the drums beat and the trumpets sounded; and scarce was the forenoon of the day passed when the city was blocked with horse and foot. So the king passed them in review and behold, they were four-and-twenty thousand in number, horsemen and footmen. He bade them go forth to the enemy and gave the commandment over them to Said ibn el Wakidi, a doughty cavalier and a valiant man of war. So the horsemen set out and fared on along the bank of the Tigris.

  El Abbas looked at them and saw the ensigns displayed and the standards loosed and heard the drums beating; so he bade his servant saddle him a charger and look to the girths and bring him his harness of war. Quoth Aamir, “And indeed I saw El Abbas his eyes flash and the hair of his hands stood on end, for that indeed horsemanship abode [rooted in his heart].”So he mounted his charger, whilst Aamir also bestrode a war-horse, and they went forth with the troops and fared on two days. On the third day, after the hour of the mid-afternoon prayer, they came in sight of the enemy and the two armies met and the ranks joined battle. The strife raged amain and sore was the smiting, whilst the dust rose in clouds and hung vaulted [over them], so that all eyes were blinded; and they ceased not from the battle till the night overtook them, when the two hosts drew off from the mellay and passed the night, perplexed concerning themselves [and the issue of their affair].

  When God caused the morning morrow, the two armies drew out in battle array and the troops stood looking at one another. Then came forth El Harith ibn Saad between the two lines and played with his lance and
cried out and recited the following verses:

  Algates ye are our prey become; this many a day and night Right

  instantly of God we’ve craved to be vouchsafed your sight.

  So hath the Merciful towards Hudheifeh driven you, A champion

  ruling over all, a lion of great might.

  Is there a man of you will come, that I may heal his paint With

  blows right profitful for him who’s sick for lust of fight?

  By Allah, come ye forth to me, for lo, I’m come to you I May he who’s wronged the victory get and God defend the right!

  Thereupon there sallied forth to him Zuheir ben Hebib, and they wheeled about and feinted awhile, then came to dose quarters and exchanged strokes. El Harith forewent his adversary in smiting and stretched him weltering in his gore; whereupon Hudheifeh cried out to him, saying, “Gifted of God art thou, O Harith! Call another of them.” So he cried out, saying, “Is there a comer-forth [to battle?]” But they of Baghdad held back froni him; and when it appeared to El Harith that confusion was amongst them, he fell upon them and overthrew the first of them upon their last and slew of them twelve men. Then the evening overtook him and the Baghdadis addressed themselves to flight.

  When the morning morrowed, they found themselves reduced to a fourth part of their number and there was not one of them had dismounted from his horse. So they made sure of destruction and Hudheifeh came out between the ranks (now he was reckoned for a thousand cavaliers) and cried out, saying, “Harkye, my masters of Baghdad! Let none come forth to me but your Amir, so I may talk with him and he with me; and he shall meet me in single combat and I will meet him, and may he who is void of offence come off safe!” Then he repeated his speech and said, “Why do I not hear your Amir return me an answer?” But Saad, the amir of the army of Baghdad, [replied not to him], and indeed his teeth chattered in his head, whenas he heard him summon him to single combat.

  When El Abbas heard Hudheifeh’s challenge and saw Saad in this case, he came up to the latter and said to him, “Wilt thou give me leave to reply to him and I will stand thee in stead in the answering of him and the going forth to battle with him and will make myself thy sacrifice?” Saad looked at him and seeing valour shining from between his eyes, said to him, “O youth, by the virtue of the Chosen [Prophet,] (whom God bless and keep,) tell me [who thou art and] whence thou comest to our succour.” “This is no place for questioning,” answered the prince; and Saad said to him, “O champion, up and at Hudheifeh! Yet, if his devil prove too strong for thee, afflict not thyself in thy youth.” Quoth El Abbas, “It is of Allah that help is to be sought,” and taking his arms, fortified his resolution and went down [into the field], as he were a castle of the castles or a piece of a mountain.

  [When] Hudheifeh [saw him], he cried out to him, saying, “Haste thee not, O youth! Who art thou of the folk?” And he answered, “I am Saad [ibn] el Wakidi, commander of the host of King Ins, and but that thou vauntedst thyself in challenging me, I had not come forth to thee; for that thou art not of my peers neither art counted equal to me in prowess and canst not avail against my onslaught. Wherefore prepare thee for departure, seeing that there abideth but a little of thy life.” When Hudheifeh heard this his speech, he threw himself backward, as if in mockery of him, whereat El Abbas was wroth and called out to him, saying, “O Hudheifeh, guard thyself against me.” Then he rushed upon him, as he were a swooper of the Jinn, and Hudheifeh met him and they wheeled about a long while.

  Presently, El Abbas cried out at Hudheifeh a cry that astonied him and dealt him a blow, saying, “Take this from the hand of a champion who feareth not the like of thee.” Hudheifeh met the stroke with his shield, thinking to ward it off from him; but the sword shore the target in sunder and descending upon his shoulder, came forth gleaming from the tendons of his throat and severed his arm at the armpit; whereupon he fell down, wallowing in his blood, and El Abbas turned upon his host; nor had the sun departed the pavilion of the heavens ere Hudheifeh’s army was in full flight before El Abbas and the saddles were empty of men. Quoth Saad, “By the virtue of the Chosen [Prophet], whom God bless and keep, I saw El Abbas with the blood upon his saddle pads, [in gouts] like camels’ livers, smiting with the sword right and left, till he scattered them abroad in every mountain-pass and desert; and when he turned [back to the camp], the men of Baghdad were fearful of him.”

  When the Baghdadis saw this succour that had betided them against their enemies [and the victory that El Abbas had gotten them], they turned back and gathering together the spoils [of the defeated host], arms and treasures and horses, returned to Baghdad, victorious, and all by the valour of El Abbas. As for Saad, he foregathered with the prince, and they fared on in company till they came to the place where El Abbas had taken horse, whereupon the latter dismounted from his charger and Saad said to him, “O youth, wherefore alightest thou in other than thy place? Indeed, thy due is incumbent upon us and upon our Sultan; so go thou with us to the dwellings, that we may ransom thee with our souls.” “O Amir Saad,” replied El Abbas, “from this place I took horse with thee and herein is my lodging. So, God on thee, name me not to the king, but make as if thou hadst never seen me, for that I am a stranger in the land.”

  So saying, he turned away from him and Saad fared on to the palace, where he found all the suite in attendance on the king and recounting to him that which had betided them with El Abbas. Quoth the king, “Where is he?” And they answered, “He is with the Amir Saad.” [So, when the latter entered], the king [looked, but] found none with him; and Saad, seeing that he hankered after the youth, cried out to him, saying, “God prolong the king’s days! Indeed, he refuseth to present himself before thee, without leave or commandment.” “O Saad,” asked the king, “whence cometh this man?” And the Amir answered, “O my lord, I know not; but he is a youth fair of favour, lovesome of aspect, accomplished in discourse, goodly of repartee, and valour shineth from between his eyes.”

  Quoth the king, “O Saad, fetch him to me, for indeed thou describest to me a masterful man.” And he answered, saying, “By Allah, O my lord, hadst thou but seen our case with Hudheifeh, what while he challenged me to the field of war and the stead of thrusting and smiting and I held back from doing battle with him! Then, whenas I thought to go forth to him, behold, a cavalier gave loose to his bridle-rein and called out to me, saying, ‘O Saad, wilt thou suffer me to fill thy room in waging war with him and I will ransom thee with myself?’ And I said, ‘By Allah, O youth, whence cometh thou?’ Quoth he, ‘This is no time for thy questions.’” Then he recounted to the king all that had passed between himself and El Abbas from first to last; whereupon quoth Ins ben Cais, “Bring him to me in haste, so we may learn his tidings and question him of his case.” “It is well,” answered Saad, and going forth of the king’s presence, repaired to his own house, where he put off his harness of war and took rest for himself.

  To return to El Abbas, when he alighted from his charger, he put off his harness of war and rested awhile; after which he brought out a shirt of Venetian silk and a gown of green damask and donning them, covered himself with a turban of Damietta stuff and girt his middle with a handkerchief. Then he went out a-walking in the thoroughfares of Baghdad and fared on till he came to the bazaar of the merchants. There he found a merchant, with chess before him; so he stood watching him and presently the other looked up at him and said to him, “O youth, what wilt thou stake upon the game?” And he answered, “Be it thine to decide.” “Then be it a hundred dinars,” said the merchant, and El Abbas consented to him, whereupon quoth he, “O youth, produce the money, so the game may be fairly stablished.” So El Abbas brought out a satin purse, wherein were a thousand dinars, and laid down an hundred dinars therefrom on the edge of the carpet, whilst the merchant did the like, and indeed his reason fled for joy, whenas he saw the gold in El Abbas his possession.

  The folk flocked about them, to divert themselves with watching the play, and they called the bystanders to witness
of the wager and fell a-playing. El Abbas forbore the merchant, so he might lead him on, and procrastinated with him awhile; and the merchant won and took of him the hundred dinars. Then said the prince, “Wilt thou play another game?” And the other answered, “O youth, I will not play again, except it be for a thousand dinars.” Quoth the prince, “Whatsoever thou stakest, I will match thy stake with the like thereof.” So the merchant brought out a thousand dinars and the prince covered them with other thousand. Then they fell a-playing, but El Abbas was not long with him ere he beat him in the square of the elephant, nor did he leave to do thus till he had beaten him four times and won of him four thousand dinars.

  This was all the merchant’s good; so he said, “O youth, I will play thee another game for the shop.” Now the value of the shop was four thousand dinars; so they played and El Abbas beat him and won his shop, with that which was therein; whereupon the other arose, shaking his clothes, and said to him, “Up, O youth, and take thy shop.” So El Abbas arose and repairing to the shop, took possession thereof, after which he returned to [the place where he had left] his servant [Aamir] and found there the Amir Saad, who was come to bid him to the presence of the king. El Abbas consented to this and accompanied him till they came before King Ins ben Cais, whereupon he kissed the earth and saluted him and exceeded in the salutation. Quoth the king to him, “Whence comest thou, O youth?” and he answered, “I come from Yemen.”

  Then said the king, “Hast thou a need we may accomplish unto thee? For indeed we are exceeding beholden to thee for that which thou didst in the matter of Hudheifeh and his folk.” And he let cast over him a mantle of Egyptian satin, worth an hundred dinars. Moreover, he bade his treasurer give him a thousand dinars and said to him, “O youth, take this in part of that which thou deserves! of us; and if thou prolong thy sojourn with us, we will give thee slaves and servants.” El Abbas kissed the earth and said, “O king, may grant thee abiding prosperity, I deserve not all this.” Then he put his hand to his poke and pulling out two caskets of gold, in each of which were rubies, whose value none could tell, gave them to the king, saying, “O king, God cause thy prosperity to endure, I conjure thee by that which God hath vouchsafed thee, heal my heart by accepting these two caskets, even as I have accepted thy present.” So the king accepted the two caskets and El Abbas took his leave and went away to the bazaar.