One Thousand and One Nights

by Richard Burton

  To whom save thee shall I complain, of whom relief implore, Whose

  image came to visit me, what while in dreams I lay?

  Reproach me not for what I did, but be thou kind to one Who’s

  sick of body and whose heart is wasted all away.

  The fire of love-longing I hide; severance consumeth me, A thrall

  of care, for long desire to wakefulness a prey.

  Midmost the watches of the night I see thee, in a dream; A lying

  dream, for he I love my love doth not repay.

  Would God thou knewest that for love of thee which I endure! It

  hath indeed brought down on me estrangement and dismay.

  Read thou my writ and apprehend its purport, for my case This is

  and fate hath stricken me with sorrows past allay.

  Know, then, the woes that have befall’n a lover, neither grudge

  Her secret to conceal, but keep her counsel still, I pray.

  Then she folded the letter and giving it to her slave-girl, bade her carry it to El Abbas and bring back his answer thereto. Accordingly, Shefikeh took the letter and carried it to the prince, after the doorkeeper had sought leave of him to admit her. When she came in to him, she found with him five damsels, as they were moons, clad in [rich] apparel and ornaments; and when he saw her, he said to her, “What is thine occasion, O handmaid of good?” So she put out her hand to him with the letter, after she had kissed it, and he bade one of his slave-girls receive it from her. Then he took it from the girl and breaking it open, read it and apprehended its purport; whereupon “We are God’s and to Him we return!” exclaimed he and calling for ink- horn and paper, wrote the following verses:

  I marvel for that to my love I see thee now incline, What time my

  heart, indeed, is fain to turn away from thine.

  Whilere, the verses that I made it was thy wont to flout, Saying,

  “No passer by the way hath part in me or mine.

  How many a king to me hath come, of troops and guards ensued, And

  Bactrian camels brought with him, in many a laden line,

  And dromedaries, too, of price and goodly steeds and swift Of

  many a noble breed, yet found no favour in my eyne!”

  Then, after them came I to thee and union did entreat And unto

  thee set forth at length my case and my design;

  Yea, all my passion and desire and love-longing in verse, As

  pearls in goodly order strung it were, I did enshrine.

  Yet thou repaidst me with constraint, rigour and perfidy, To

  which no lover might himself on any wise resign.

  How many a bidder unto love, a secret-craving wight, How many a

  swain, complaining, saith of destiny malign,

  “How many a cup with bitterness o’erflowing have I quaffed! I

  make my moan of woes, whereat it boots not to repine.”

  Quoth thou, “The goodliest of things is patience and its use: Its

  practice still mankind doth guide to all that’s fair and

  fine.”

  Wherefore fair patience look thou use, for sure ’tis

  praiseworthy; Yea, and its issues evermore are blessed and

  benign;

  And hope thou not for aught from me, who reck not with a folk To

  mix, who may with abjectness infect my royal line.

  This is my saying; apprehend its purport, then, and know I may in

  no wise yield consent to that thou dost opine.

  Then he folded the letter and sealing it, delivered it to the damsel, who took it and carried it to her mistress. When the princess read the letter and apprehended its contents, she said, “Meseemeth he recalleth to me that which I did aforetime.” Then she called for inkhorn and paper and wrote the following verses:

  Me, till I stricken was therewith, to love thou didst excite, And

  with estrangement now, alas! heap’st sorrows on my spright.

  The sweet of slumber after thee I have forsworn; indeed The loss

  of thee hath smitten me with trouble and affright.

  How long shall I, in weariness, for this estrangement pine, What

  while the spies of severance do watch me all the

  night?

  My royal couch have I forsworn, sequestering myself From all, and

  have mine eyes forbid the taste of sleep’s delight.

  Thou taught’st me what I cannot bear; afflicted sore am I; Yea,

  thou hast wasted me away with rigour and despite.

  Yet, I conjure thee, blame me not for passion and desire, Me whom

  estrangement long hath brought to sick and sorry plight.

  Sore, sore doth rigour me beset, its onslaughts bring me near

  Unto the straitness of the grave, ere in the shroud I’m

  dight.

  So be thou kind to me, for love my body wasteth sore, The thrall

  of passion I’m become its fires consume me quite.

  Mariyeh folded the letter and gave it to Shefikeh, bidding her carry it to El Abbas. So she took it and going with it to his door, would have entered; but the chamberlains and serving-men forbade her, till they had gotten her leave from the prince. When she went in to him, she found him sitting in the midst of the five damsels aforesaid, whom his father had brought him. So she gave him the letter and he took it and read it. Then he bade one of the damsels, whose name was Khefifeh and who came from the land of China, tune her lute and sing upon the subject of separation. So she came forward and tuning the lute, played thereon in four-and-twenty modes; after which she returned to the first mode and sang the following verses:

  Upon the parting day our loves from us did fare And left us to

  endure estrangement and despair.

  Whenas the burdens all were bounden on and shrill The

  camel-leader’s call rang out across the air,

  Fast flowed my tears; despair gat hold upon my soul And needs

  mine eyelids must the sweet of sleep forbear.

  I wept, but those who spied to part us had no ruth On me nor on

  the fires that in my vitals flare.

  Woe’s me for one who burns for love and longing pain! Alas for

  the regrets my heart that rend and tear!

  To whom shall I complain of what is in my soul, Now thou art gone

  and I my pillow must forswear?

  The flames of long desire wax on me day by day And far away are

  pitched the tent-poles of my fair.

  O breeze of heaven, from me a charge I prithee take And do not

  thou betray the troth of my despair;

  Whenas thou passest by the dwellings of my love, Greet him for me

  with peace, a greeting debonair,

  And scatter musk on him and ambergris, so long As time endures;

  for this is all my wish and care.

  When the damsel had made an end of her song, El Abbas swooned away and they sprinkled on him rose-water, mingled with musk, till he came to himself, when he called another damsel (now there was on her of linen and clothes and ornaments that which beggareth description, and she was endowed with brightness and loveliness and symmetry and perfection, such as shamed the crescent moon, and she was a Turkish girl from the land of the Greeks and her name was Hafizeh) and said to her, “O Hafizeh, close thine eyes and tune thy lute and sing to us upon the days of separation.” She answered him with “Hearkening and obedience” and taking the lute, tuned its strings and cried out from her head, in a plaintive voice, and sang the following verses:

  O friends, the tears flow ever, in mockery of my pain; My heart

  is sick for sev’rance and love-longing in vain.

  All wasted is my body and bowels tortured sore; Love’s fire on me

  still waxeth, mine eyes with tears still rain.

  Whenas the fire of passion flamed in my breast, with tears, Upon

  the day of wailing, to quench it I was fain.

  Desire hat
h left me wasted, afflicted, sore afraid, For the spy

  knows the secret whereof I do complain.

  When I recall the season of love-delight with them, The sweet of

  sleep forsakes me, my body wastes amain.

  Those who our parting plotted our sev’rance still delights; The

  spies, for fearful prudence, their wish of us attain.

  I fear me for my body from sickness and unrest, Lest of the fear

  of sev’rance it be betrayed and slain.

  When Hafizeh had made an end of her song, El Abbas said to her, “Well done! Indeed, thou quickenest hearts from sorrows.” Then he called another damsel of the daughters of the Medes, by name Merjaneh, and said to her, “O Merjaneh, sing to me upon the days of separation.” “Hearkening and obedience,” answered she and improvising, sang the following verses:

  “Fair patience practise, for thereon still followeth content.” So

  runs the rede ‘mongst all that dwell in city or in tent.

  How oft of dole have I made moan for love and longing pain, What

  while my body for desire in mortal peril went!

  How oft I’ve waked, how many a cup of sorrow have I drained,

  Watching the stars of night go by, for sleepless

  languishment!

  It had sufficed me, had thy grace with verses come to me; My

  expectation still on thee in the foredawns was bent.

  Then was my heart by that which caused my agitation seared, And

  from mine eyelids still the tears poured down without

  relent.

  Yea, nevermore I ceased from that wherewith I stricken was; My

  night with wakefulness was filled, my heart with dreariment.

  But now hath Allah from my heart blotted the love of thee, After

  for constancy I’d grown a name of wonderment.

  Hence on the morrow forth I fare and leave your land behind; So

  take your leave of us nor fear mishap or ill event.

  Whenas in body ye from us are far removed, would God I knew who

  shall to us himself with news of you present!

  And who can tell if ever house shall us together bring In union

  of life serene and undisturbed content?

  When Merjaneh had made an end of her song, the prince said to her, “Well done, O damsel! Indeed, thou sayest a thing that had occurred to my mind and my tongue was like to speak it.” Then he signed to the fourth damsel, who was a Cairene, by name Sitt el Husn, and bade her tune her lute and sing to him upon the [same] subject. So she tuned her lute and sang the following verses:

  Fair patience use, for ease still followeth after stress And all

  things have their time and ordinance no less.

  Though Fortune whiles to thee belike may be unjust, Her seasons

  change and man’s excused if he transgress.

  In her revolving scheme, to bitter sweetness still Succeeds and

  things become straight, after crookedness.

  Thine honour, therefore, guard and eke thy secret keep, Nor save

  to one free-born and true thy case confess.

  The Lord’s alternatives are these, wherewith He’s wont The needy

  wretch to ply and those in sore duresse.

  When El Abbas heard her verses, they pleased him and he said to her, “Well done, O Sitt el Husn! Indeed, thou hast done away trouble from my heart and [banished] the things that had occurred to my mind.” Then he heaved a sigh and signing to the fifth damsel, who was from the land of the Persians and whose name was Merziyeh (now she was the fairest of them all and the sweetest of speech and she was like unto a splendid star, endowed with beauty and loveliness and brightness and perfection and justness of shape and symmetry and had a face like the new moon and eyes as they were gazelle’s eyes) and said to her, “O Merziyeh, come forward and tune thy lute and sing to us on the [same] subject, for indeed we are resolved upon departure to the land of Yemen.” Now this damsel had met many kings and had consorted with the great; so she tuned her lute and sang the following verses:

  May the place of my session ne’er lack thee I Oh, why, My heart’s

  love, hast thou saddened my mind and mine eye?

  By thy ransom, who dwellest alone in my heart, In despair

  for the loss of the loved one am I.

  So, by Allah, O richest of all men in charms, Vouchsafe to a

  lover, who’s bankrupt well-nigh

  Of patience, thy whilom endearments again, That I never to any

  divulged, nor deny

  The approof of my lord, so my stress and unease I may ban and

  mine enemies’ malice defy,

  Thine approof which shall clothe me in noblest attire And my rank

  in the eyes of the people raise high.

  When she had made an end of her song, all who were in the assembly wept for the daintiness of her speech and the sweetness of her voice and El Abbas said to her, “Well done, O Merziyeh I Indeed, thou confoundest the wits with the goodliness of thy verses and the elegance of thy speech.” All this while Shefikeh abode gazing upon her, and when she beheld El Abbas his slave-girls and considered the goodliness of their apparel and the nimbleness of their wits and the elegance of their speech, her reason was confounded. Then she sought leave of El Abbas and returning to her mistress Mariyeh, without letter or answer, acquainted her with his case and that wherein he was of puissance and delight and majesty and venerance and loftiness of rank. Moreover, she told her what she had seen of the slave-girls and their circumstance and that which they had said and how they had made El Abbas desireful of returning to his own country by the recitation of verses to the sound of the strings.

  When the princess heard this her slave-girl’s report, she wept and lamented and was like to depart the world. Then she clave to her pillow and said, “O Shefikeh, I will instruct thee of somewhat that is not hidden from God the Most High, and it is that thou watch over me till God the Most High decree the accomplishment of His commandment, and when my days are ended, take thou the necklace and the mantle that El Abbas gave me and return them to him. Indeed, I deem not he will live after me, and if God the Most High decree against him and his days come to an end, do thou give one charge to shroud us and bury us both in one grave.”

  Then her case changed and her colour paled; and when Shefikeh saw her mistress in this plight, she repaired to her mother and told her that the lady Mariyeh refused meat and drink. “Since when hath this befallen her?” asked the queen, and Shefikeh answered, “Since yesterday;” whereat the queen was confounded and betaking herself to her daughter, that she might enquire into her case, found her as one dead. So she sat down at her head and Mariyeh opened her eyes and seeing her mother sitting by her, sat up for shamefastness before her. The queen questioned her of her case and she said, “I entered the bath and it stupefied me and weakened me and left an exceeding pain in my head; but I trust in God the Most High that it will cease.”

  When her mother went out from her, Mariyeh fell to chiding the damsel for that which she had done and said to her, “Verily, death were leifer to me than this; so look thou discover not my affair to any and I charge thee return not to the like of this fashion.” Then she swooned away and lay awhile without life, and when she came to herself, she saw Shefikeh weeping over her; whereupon she took the necklace from her neck and the mantle from her body and said to the damsel, “Lay them in a napkin of damask and carry them to El Abbas and acquaint him with that wherein I am for the persistence of estrangement and the effects of forbiddance.” So Shefikeh took them and carried them to El Abbas, whom she found in act to depart, for that he was about to take horse for Yemen. She went in to him and gave him the napkin and that which was therein, and when he opened it and saw what it contained, to wit, the mantle and the necklace, his vexation was excessive and his eyes were distorted, [so that the whites thereof appeared] and his rage was manifest in them.

  When Shefikeh saw that which betided him,
she came forward and said to him, “O bountiful lord, indeed my mistress returneth not the mantle and the necklace despitefully; but she is about to depart the world and thou hast the best right to them.” “And what is the cause of this?” asked he. Quoth Shefikeh, “Thou knowest. By Allah, never among the Arabs nor the barbarians nor among the sons of the kings saw I a harder of heart than thou! Is it a light matter to thee that thou troublest Mariyeh’s life and causest her mourn for herself and depart the world on account of thy youth? Indeed, thou wast the cause of her acquaintance with thee and now she departeth the world on thine account, she whose like God the Most High hath not created among the daughters of the kings.”

  When El Abbas heard these words from the damsel, his heart irked him for Mariyeh and her case was grievous to him; so he said to Shefikeh, “Canst thou avail to bring me in company with her, so haply I may discover her affair and allay that which aileth her?” “Yes,” answered the damsel, “I can do that, and thine will be the bounty and the favour.” So he arose and followed her, and she forewent him, till they came to the palace. Then she [opened and] locked behind them four-and-twenty doors and made them fast with bolts; and when he came to Mariyeh, he found her as she were the setting sun, cast down upon a rug of Taifi leather, among cushions stuffed with ostrich down, and not a limb of her quivered. When her maid saw her in this plight, she offered to cry out; but El Abbas said to her, “Do it not, but have patience till we discover her affair; and if God the Most High have decreed the ending of her days, wait till thou have opened the doors to me and I have gone forth. Then do what seemeth good to thee.”

  So saying, he went up to the princess and laying his hand upon her heart, found it fluttering like a doveling and the life yet clinging to her bosom. So he laid his hand upon her cheek, whereupon she opened her eyes and beckoning to her maid, signed to her, as who should say, “Who is this that treadeth my carpet and transgresseth against me?” “O my lady,” answered Shefikeh, “this is Prince El Abbas, for whose sake thou departest the world.” When Mariyeh heard speak of El Abbas, she raised her hand from under the coverlet and laying it upon his neck, inhaled his odour awhile. Then she sat up and her colour returned to her and they sat talking till a third part of the night was past.

  Presently, the princess turned to her maid and bade her fetch them somewhat of food and sweetmeats and dessert and fruits. So Shefikeh brought what she desired and they ate and drank [and abode on this wise] without lewdness, till the night departed and the day came. Then said El Abbas, “Indeed, the day is come. Shall I go to my father and bid him go to thy father and seek thee of him in marriage for me, in accordance with the Book of God the Most High and the Institutes of His Apostle (whom may He bless and keep!) so we may not enter into transgression?” And Mariyeh answered, saying, “By Allah, it is well counselled of thee!” So he went away to his lodging and nought befell between them; and when the day lightened, she improvised and recited the following verses: