One Thousand and One Nights

by Richard Burton

  “Long have I wept o’er severance ban and bane, * Long from mine

  eyelids tear-rills rail and rain:

  And vowed I if Time re-union bring * My tongue from name of

  “Severance” I’ll restrain:

  Joy hath o’ercome me to this stress that I * From joy’s revulsion

  to shed tears am fain:

  Ye are so trained to tears, O eyne of me! * You weep with

  pleasure as you weep with pain.” 482

  When he had ended his verse his mother came in and threw herself upon him and began reciting: —

  “When we met we complained, * Our hearts were sore wrung:

  But plaint is not pleasant * Fro’ messenger’s tongue.”

  Then she wept and related to him what had befallen her since his departure, and he told her what he had suffered, and they thanked Allah Almighty for their reunion. Two days after his arrival the Wazir Shams al-din went in to the Sultan and, kissing the ground between his hands, greeted him with the greeting due to Kings. The Sultan rejoiced at his return and his face brightened and, placing him hard by his side, 483 asked him to relate all he had seen in his wayfaring and whatso had betided him in his going and coming. So the Wazir told him all that had passed from first to last and the Sultan said, “Thanks be to Allah for thy victory 484 and the winning of thy wish and thy safe return to thy children and thy people! And now I needs must see the son of thy brother, Hasan of Bassorah, so bring him to the audience-hall to- morrow.” Shams al-Din replied, “Thy slave shall stand in thy presence to-morrow, Inshallah, if it be God’s will.” Then he saluted him and, returning to his own house, informed his nephew of the Sultan’s desire to see him, whereto replied Hasan, whilome the Bassorite, “The slave is obedient to the orders of his lord.” And the result was that next day he accompanied his uncle, Shams al-Din, to the Divan; and, after saluting the Sultan and doing him reverence in most ceremonious obeisance and with most courtly obsequiousness, he began improvising these verses: —

  “The first in rank to kiss the ground shall deign * Before you,

  and all ends and aims attain:

  You are Honour’s fount; and all that hope of you, * Shall gain

  more honour than Hope hoped to gain.”

  The Sultan smiled and signed to him to sit down. So he took a seat close to his uncle, Shams al-Din, and the King asked him his name. Quoth Badr al-Din Hasan, “The meanest of thy slaves is known as Hasan the Bassorite, who is instant in prayer for thee day and night.” The Sultan was pleased at his words and, being minded to test his learning and prove his good breeding, asked him, “Dost thou remember any verses in praise of the mole on the cheek?” He answered, “I do,” and began reciting: —

  “When I think of my love and our parting-smart, * My groans go

  forth and my tears upstart:

  He’s a mole that reminds me in colour and charms * O’ the black

  o’ the eye and the grain 485 of the heart.”

  The King admired and praised the two couplets and said to him, “Quote something else; Allah bless thy sire and may thy tongue never tire!” So he began: —

  “That cheek-mole’s spot they evened with a grain * Of musk, nor

  did they here the simile strain:

  Nay, marvel at the face comprising all * Beauty, nor falling

  short by single grain.”

  The King shook with pleasure 486 and said to him, “Say more:

  Allah bless thy days!” So he began: —

  “O you whose mole on cheek enthroned recalls * A dot of musk

  upon a stone of ruby,

  Grant me your favours! Be not stone at heart! * Core of my heart

  whose only sustenance you be!”

  Quoth the King, “Fair comparison, O Hasan! 487 thou hast spoken excellently well and hast proved thyself accomplished in every accomplishment! Now explain to me how many meanings be there in the Arabic language 488 for the word Khal or mole.” He replied, “Allah keep the King! Seven and fifty and some by tradition say fifty.” Said the Sultan, “Thou sayest sooth,” presently adding, “Hast thou knowledge as to the points of excellence in beauty?” “Yes,” answered Badr al-Din Hasan, “Beauty consisteth in brightness of face, clearness of complexion, shapeliness of nose, gentleness of eyes, sweetness of mouth, cleverness of speech, slenderness of shape and seemliness of all attributes. But the acme of beauty is in the hair and, indeed, al-Shihab the Hijazi hath brought together all these items in his doggrel verse of the metre Rajaz, 489 and it is this:

  Say thou to skin “Be soft,” to face “Be fair,” * And gaze, nor

  shall they blame howso thou stare:

  Fine nose in Beauty’s list is high esteemed; * Nor less an eye

  full, bright and debonnair:

  Eke did they well to laud the lovely lips * (Which e’en the sleep

  of me will never spare);

  A winning tongue, a stature tall and straight; 490 * A

  seemly union of gifts rarest rare:

  But Beauty’s acme in the hair one views it; * So hear my strain

  and with some few excuse it!”

  The Sultan was captivated by his converse and, regarding him as a friend, asked, “What meaning is there in the saw ‘Shurayh is foxier than the fox’?” And he answered, “Know, O King (whom Almighty Allah keep!) that the legist Shurayh 491 was wont, during the days of the plague, to make a visitation to Al-Najaf; and, whenever he stood up to pray, there came a fox which would plant himself facing him and which, by mimicking his movements, distracted him from his devotions. Now when this became longsome to him, one day he doffed his shirt and set it upon a cane and shook out the sleeves; then placing his turband on the top and girding its middle with a shawl, he stuck it up in the place where he used to pray. Presently up trotted the fox according to his custom and stood over against the figure, whereupon Shurayh came behind him, and took him. Hence the sayer saith, ‘Shurayh foxier than the fox.’” When the Sultan heard Badr al-Din Hasan’s explanation he said to his uncle, Shams al-Din, “Truly this the son of thy brother is perfect in courtly breeding and I do not think that his like can be found in Cairo.” At this Hasan arose and kissed the ground before him and sat down again as a Mameluke should sit before his master. When the Sultan had thus assured himself of his courtly breeding and bearing and his knowledge of the liberal arts and belles-lettres, he joyed with exceeding joy and invested him with a splendid robe of honour and promoted him to an office whereby he might better his condition. 492 Then Badr al-Din Hasan arose and, kissing the ground before the King, wished him continuance of glory and asked leave to retire with his uncle, the Wazir Shams al-Din. The Sultan gave him leave and he issued forth and the two returned home, where food was set before them and they ate what Allah had given them. After finishing his meal Hasan repaired to the sitting-chamber of his wife, the Lady of Beauty, and told her what had past between him and the Sultan; whereupon quoth she, “He cannot fail to make thee a cup-companion and give thee largess in excess and load thee with favours and bounties; so shalt thou, by Allah’s blessing, dispread, like the greater light, the rays of thy perfection wherever thou be, on shore or on sea.” Said he to her, “I purpose to recite a Kasidah, an ode, in his praise, that he may redouble in affection for me.” “Thou art right in thine intent,” she answered, “so gather thy wits together and weigh thy words, and I shall surely see my husband favoured with his highest favour.” Thereupon Hasan shut himself up and composed these couplets on a solid base and abounding in inner grace and copies them out in a hand-writing of the nicest taste. They are as follows: —