One Thousand and One Nights

by Richard Burton

  O friends, the East wind waxes, the morning draweth near; A

  plaintive voice bespeaks me and I rejoice to hear.

  Up, to our comrade’s convent, that we may visit him And drink of

  wine more subtle than dust; our trusty fere

  Hath spent thereon his substance, withouten stint; indeed, In his

  own cloak he wrapped it, he tendered it so dear.

  Whenas its jar was opened, the singers prostrate fell In worship

  of its brightness, it shone so wonder-clear.

  The priests from all the convent came flocking onto it: With

  cries of joy and welcome their voices they did rear.

  We spent the night in passing the cup, my mates and I, Till in

  the Eastward heaven the day-star did appear.

  No sin is there in drinking of wine, for it affords All that’s

  foretold of union and love and happy cheer.

  O morn, our loves that sunder’st, a sweet and easeful life Thou

  dost for me prohibit, with thy regard austere.

  Be gracious, so our gladness may be fulfilled with wine And we of

  our beloved have easance, without fear.

  The best of all religions your love is, for in you Are love and

  life made easeful, untroubled and sincere.

  Meanwhile, El Abbas betook himself to his father’s camp, which was pitched in the Green Meadow, by the side of the Tigris, and none might make his way between the tents, for the much interlacement of the tent-ropes. When the prince reached the first of the tents, the guards and servants came out to meet him from all sides and escorted him till he drew near the sitting-place of his father, who knew of his coming. So he issued forth of his pavilion and coming to meet his son, kissed him and made much of him. Then they returned together to the royal pavilion and when they had seated themselves and the guards had taken up their station in attendance on them, the king said to El Abbas, “O my son, make ready thine affair, so we may go to our own land, for that the folk in our absence are become as they were sheep without a shepherd.” El Abbas looked at his father and wept till he swooned away, and when he recovered from his swoon, he improvised and recited the following verses:

  I clipped her in mine arms and straight grew drunken with

  the scent Of a fresh branch that had been reared in

  affluence and content.

  ’Twas not of wine that I had drunk; her mouth’s sweet honeyed

  dews It was intoxicated me with bliss and ravishment.

  Upon the table of her cheek beauty hath writ, “Alack, Her charms!

  ‘Twere well thou refuge sought’st with God

  incontinent.”

  Since thou hast looked on her, mine eye, be easy, for by God Nor

  mote nor ailment needst thou fear nor evil accident.

  Beauty her appanage is grown in its entirety, And for this cause

  all hearts must bow to her arbitrament.

  If with her cheek and lustre thou thyself adorn, thou’lt

  find But chrysolites and gold, with nought of baser metal

  blent.

  When love-longing for her sweet sake I took upon myself, The

  railers flocked to me anon, on blame and chiding bent;

  But on no wise was I affrayed nor turned from love of her; So let

  the railer rave of her henceforth his heart’s content.

  By God, forgetfulness of her shall never cross my mind, What

  while I wear the bonds of life nor when of death they’re

  rent

  An if I live, in love of her I’ll live, and if I die Of love and

  longing for her sight, O rare! O excellent!

  When El Abbas had made an end of his verses, his father said to him, “I seek refuge for thee with God, O my son! Hast thou any want unto which thou availest not, so I may endeavour for thee therein and lavish my treasures in quest thereof?” “O father mine,” answered El Abbas, “I have, indeed, an urgent want, on account whereof I came forth of my native land and left my people and my home and exposed myself to perils and stresses and became an exile from my country, and I trust in God that it may be accomplished by thine august endeavour.” “And what is thy want?” asked the king. Quoth El Abbas, “I would have thee go and demand me in marriage Mariyeh, daughter of the King of Baghdad, for that my heart is distraught with love of her.” And he recounted to his father his story from first to last.

  When the king heard this from his son, he rose to his feet and calling for his charger of state, took horse with four-and-twenty amirs of the chief officers of his empire. Then he betook himself to the palace of the King of Baghdad, who, when he saw him coming, bade his chamberlains open the doors to him and going down himself to meet him, received him with all worship and hospitality and entreated him with the utmost honour. Moreover, he carried him [and his suite] into the palace and causing make ready for them carpets and cushions, sat down upon a chair of gold, with traverses of juniper- wood, set with pearls and jewels. Then he bade bring sweetmeats and confections and odoriferous flowers and commanded to slaughter four-and-twenty head of sheep and the like of oxen and make ready geese and fowls, stuffed and roasted, and pigeons and spread the tables; nor was it long before the meats were set on in dishes of gold and silver. So they ate till they had enough and when they had eaten their fill, the tables were removed and the wine-service set on and the cups and flagons ranged in order, whilst the mamelukes and the fair slave- girls sat down, with girdles of gold about their middles, inlaid with all manner pearls and diamonds and emeralds and rubies and other jewels. Moreover, the king bade fetch the musicians; so there presented themselves before him a score of damsels, with lutes and psalteries and rebecks, and smote upon instruments of music, on such wise that they moved the assembly to delight.

  Then said El Aziz to the King of Baghdad, “I would fain speak a word to thee; but do thou not exclude from us those who are present. If thou consent unto my wish, that which is ours shall be thine and that which is incumbent on thee shall be incumbent on us, and we will be to thee a mighty aid against all enemies and opposites.” Quoth Ins ben Cais, “Say what thou wilt, O King, for indeed thou excellest in speech and attainest [the mark] in that which them sayest” So El Aziz said to him,” I desire that thou give thy daughter Mariyeh in marriage to my son El Abbas, for thou knowest that wherewithal he is gifted of beauty and loveliness and brightness and perfection and how he beareth himself in the frequentation of the valiant and his constancy in the stead of smiting and thrusting.” “By Allah, O king,” answered Ins ben Cais, “of my love for Mariyeh, I have appointed her disposal to be in her own hand; wherefore, whomsoever she chooseth of the folk, I will marry her to him.”

  Then he arose and going in to his daughter, found her mother with her; so he set out to them the case and Mariyeh said, “O father mine, my wish is subject unto thy commandment and my will ensueth thy will; so whatsoever thou choosest, I am still obedient unto thee and under thy dominion.” Therewithal the King knew that Mariyeh inclined unto El Abbas; so he returned forthright to King El Aziz and said to him, “May God amend the King! Verily, the occasion is accomplished and there is no opposition unto that which thou commandest” Quoth El Aziz, “By God’s leave are occasions accomplished. How deemest thou, O King, of fetching El Abbas and drawing up the contract of marriage between Mariyeh and him?” And Ins ben Cais answered, saying, “Thine be it to decide.”

  So El Aziz sent after his son and acquainted him with that which had passed; whereupon El Abbas called for four-and-twenty males and half a score horses [and as many camels] and loaded the mules with pieces of silk and rags of leather and boxes of camphor and musk and the camels [and horses] with chests of gold and silver. Moreover, he took the richest of the stuffs and wrapping them in pieces of gold-striped silk, laid them on the heads of porters, and they fared on with the treasures till they reached the King of Baghdad’s palace, whereupon all who were present dismounted in honour of El Abbas
and escorting him to the presence of King Ins ben Cais, displayed unto the latter all that they had with them of things of price. The king bade carry all this into the harem and sent for the Cadis and the witnesses, who drew up the contract and married Mariyeh to Prince El Abbas, whereupon the latter commanded to [slaughter] a thousand head of sheep and five hundred buffaloes. So they made the bride-feast and bade thereto all the tribes of the Arabs, Bedouins and townsfolk, and the tables abode spread for the space of ten days.

  Then El Abbas went in to Mariyeh in a happy and praiseworthy hour and found her an unpierced pearl and a goodly filly that had never been mounted; wherefore he rejoiced and was glad and made merry, and care and sorrow ceased from him and his life was pleasant and trouble departed and he abode with her in the gladsomest of case and in the most easeful of life, till seven days were past, when King El Aziz determined to set out and return to his kingdom and bade his son seek leave of his father-in-law to depart with his wife to his own country. [So El Abbas bespoke King Ins of this] and he granted him the leave he sought; whereupon he chose out a red camel, taller than the [other] camels, and mounting Mariyeh in a litter thereon, loaded it with apparel and ornaments.

  Then they spread the ensigns and the standards, whilst the drums beat and the trumpets sounded, and set out upon the homeward journey. The King of Baghdad rode forth with them and brought them three days’ journey on their way, after which he took leave of them and returned with his troops to Baghdad. As for King El Aziz and his son, they fared on night and day and gave not over going till there abode but three days’ journey between them and Yemen, when they despatched three men of the couriers to the prince’s mother [to acquaint her with their return], safe and laden with spoil, bringing with them Mariyeh, the king’s daughter of Baghdad. When the queen-mother heard this, her wit fled for joy and she adorned El Abbas his slave-girls after the goodliest fashion. Now he had ten slave-girls, as they were moons, whereof his father had carried five with him to Baghdad, as hath aforetime been set out, and other five abode with his mother. When the dromedary-posts came, they were certified of the approach of El Abbas, and when the sun rose and their standards appeared, the prince’s mother came out to meet her son; nor was there great or small, old man or infant, but went forth that day to meet the king.

  The drums of glad tidings beat and they entered in the utmost of worship and magnificence. Moreover, the tribes heard of them and the people of the towns and brought them the richest of presents and the costliest of rarities and the prince’s mother rejoiced with an exceeding joy. Then they slaughtered beasts and made mighty bride-feasts to the people and kindled fires, that it might be visible afar to townsman [and Bedouin] that this was the house of the guest-meal and the wedding, festival, to the intent that, if any passed them by, [without partaking of their hospitality], it should be of his own fault So the folk came to them from all parts and quarters and on this wise they abode days and months.

  Then the prince’s mother bade fetch the five slave-girls to that assembly; whereupon they came and the ten damsels foregathered. The queen seated five of them on her son’s right hand and other five on his left and the folk assembled about them. Then she bade the five who had remained with her speak forth somewhat of verse, so they might entertain therewith the assembly and that El Abbas might rejoice therein. Now she had clad them in the richest of raiment and adorned them with trinkets and ornaments and wroughten work of gold and silver and collars of gold, set with pearls and jewels. So they came forward, with harps and lutes and psalteries and recorders and other instruments of music before them, and one of them, a damsel who came from the land of China and whose name was Baoutheh, advanced and tightened the strings of her lute. Then she cried out from the top of her head and improvising, sang the following verses:

  Unto its pristine lustre your land returned and more, Whenas ye

  came, dispelling the gloom that whiles it wore.

  Our stead, that late was desert, grew green and eke our trees,

  That barren were, grew loaded with ripened fruits galore.

  Yea, to the earth that languished for lack of rain, the clouds

  Were bounteous; so it flourished and plenteous harvests

  bore;

  And troubles, too, forsook us, who tears like dragons’ blood, O

  lordings, for your absence had wept at every pore.

  Indeed, your long estrangement hath caused my bowels yearn. Would

  God I were a servant in waiting at your door!

  When she had made an end of her song, all who were present were moved to delight and El Abbas rejoiced in this. Then he bade the second damsel sing somewhat on the like subject. So she came forward and tuning the strings of her harp, which was of balass ruby, warbled a plaintive air and improvising, sang the following verses;

  The absent ones’ harbinger came us unto With tidings of those

  who had caused us to rue.

  “My soul be thy ransom,”quoth I,”for thy grace! Indeed, to the

  oath that thou swor’st thou wast true.”

  On the dear nights of union, in you was our joy, But afflicted

  were we since ye bade us adieu.

  You swore you’d be faithful to us and our love, And true to your

  oath and your troth-plight were you;

  And I to you swore that a lover I was; God forbid that with

  treason mine oath I ensue!

  Yea, “Welcome! Fair welcome to those who draw near!” I called out

  aloud, as to meet you I flew.

  The dwellings, indeed, one and all, I adorned, Bewildered and

  dazed with delight at your view;

  For death in your absence to us was decreed; But, when ye came

  back, we were quickened anew.

  When she had made an end of her verses, El Abbas bade the third damsel, who came from Samarcand of the Persians and whose name was Rummaneh, sing, and she answered with “Hearkening and obedience.” Then she took the psaltery and crying out from the midst of her bead improvised and sang the following verses:

  My watering lips, that cull the rose of thy soft cheek, declare

  My basil, lily mine, to be the myrtles of thy hair.

  Sandhill and down betwixt there blooms a yellow

  willow-flower, Pomegranate-blossoms and for

  fruits pomegranates that doth bear.

  His eyelids’ sorcery from mine eyes hath banished sleep; since he

  From me departed, nought see I except a drowsy fair.

  He shot me with the shafts of looks launched from an

  eyebrow’s bow; A chamberlain betwixt his

  eyes hath driven me to despair.

  My heart belike shall his infect with softness, even as me His

  body with disease infects, of its seductive air.

  Yet, if with him forgotten be the troth-plight of our loves, I

  have a king who of his grace will not forget me e’er.

  His sides the tamarisk’s slenderness deride, so lithe they are,

  Whence for conceit in his own charms still drunken doth he

  fare.

  Whenas he runs, his feet still show like wings, and for

  the wind When was a rider found, except King Solomon it

  were?

  Therewithal El Abbas smiled and her verses pleased him. Then he bade the fourth damsel come forward and sing. Now she was from the land of Morocco and her name was Belekhsha. So she came forward and taking the lute and the psaltery, tightened the strings thereof and smote thereon in many modes; then returned to the first mode and improvising, sang the following verses:

  When in the sitting-chamber we for merry-making sate, With thine

  eyes’ radiance the place thou didst illuminate

  And pliedst us with cups of wine, whilst from the necklace

  pearls A strange intoxicating bliss withal did

  circulate,

  Whose subtleness might well infect the understanding folk; And

  secrets didst t
hou, in thy cheer, to us communicate.

  Whenas we saw the cup, forthright we signed to past it round And

  sun and moon unto our eyes shone sparkling from it straight.

  The curtain of delight, perforce, we’ve lifted through the

  friend, For tidings of great joy, indeed, there came

  to us of late.

  The camel-leader singing came with the belov’d; our wish

  Accomplished was and we were quit of all the railers’ prate.

  When clear’d my sky was by the sweet of our foregathering And not

  a helper there remained to disuniting Fate,

  I shut myself up with my love; no spy betwixt us was; We feared

  no enemies’ despite, no envious neighbour’s hate.

  Life with our loves was grown serene, estrangement was at end:

  Our dear ones all delight of love vouchsafed to us elate,

  Saying, “Thy fill of union take; no spy is there on us, Whom we

  should fear, nor yet reproach our gladness may abate.”

  Our loves are joined and cruelty at last is done away; Ay, and

  the cup of love-delight ‘twixt us doth circulate.

  Upon yon be the peace of God! May all prosperity, For what’s

  decreed of years and lives, upon you ever wait!

  When Belekhsha had made an end of her verses, all present were moved to delight and El Abbas said to her, “Well done, O damsel!” Then he bade the fifth damsel come forward and sing. Now she was from the land of Syria and her name was Rihaneh; she was surpassing of voice and when she appeared in an assembly, all eyes were fixed upon her. So she came forward and taking the rebeck (for that she was used to play upon [all manner] instruments) improvised and sang the following verses: