When it was the Eighty-fifth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Wazir Dandan thus continued to Zau al-Makan, “Now when came the day for the Sultan’s fast, the old woman went her ways. And after he had accomplished the ten days thereof, on the eleventh he opened the gugglet and drank what was therein and found it cordial to his stomach. Within the second ten days of the month the old woman returned, bringing sweetmeats wrapped in a green leaf, like no leaf of known tree. She went in to thy sire and saluted him; and, when he saw her, he rose to her saying, ‘Welcome, O pious lady!’ ‘O King,’ quoth she, ‘the Invisible Controuls salute thee, for I told them of thee, and they rejoiced in thee and have sent thee their Halwá,374 which is of the sweetmeats of the other world. Do thou break thy fast on it at the end of the day.’ The King rejoiced at this with great joy, and exclaimed, ‘Praised be Allah, who hath given me brethren of the Invisible World!’ Thereupon he thanked the ancient dame and kissed her hands; and he honoured her and the damsels with exceeding honour. She went forth for the twenty days of thy father’s fast at the end of which time she came to him and said, ‘Know, O King, that I told the Invisible Controuls of the love which is between me and thee, and informed them how I had left the maidens with thee, and they were glad that the damsels should belong to a King like thee; for they were wont, when they saw them, to be strenuous in offering on their behalf prayers and petitions ever granted. So I would fain carry them to the Invisible Controuls that they may benefit by the breath of their favour, and peradventure, they shall not return to thee without some treasure of the treasures of the earth, that thou, after completing thy fast, mayst occupy thyself with their raiment and help thyself by the money they shall bring thee, to the extent of thy desires.’ When thy sire heard her words, he thanked her for them and said, ‘Except that I fear to cross thee, I would not accept the treasure or aught else; but when wilt thou set out with them?’ Replied she, ‘On the seven and twentieth night; and I will bring them back to thee at the head of the month, by which time thou wilt have accomplished thy fast and they will have had their courses and be free from impurity; and they shall become thine and be at thy disposal. By Allah, each damsel of them is worth many times thy kingdom!’ He said, ‘I know it, O pious lady!’ Then quoth the old woman, ‘There is no help but that thou send with them someone in thy palace who is dear to thee, that she may find solace and seek a blessing of the Invisible Controuls.’ Quoth he, ‘I have a Greek slave called Sophia, by whom I have been blessed with two children, a girl and a boy; but they were lost; years ago. Take her with thee that she may get the blessing’” — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Eighty-sixth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Wazir Dandan continued to Zau al-Makan, “Quoth thy sire to the ancient woman when she demanded the handmaids of him, ‘I have a Greek slave called Sophia, by whom I have been blest with two children, a girl and a boy, but they were lost years ago; so take her with thee, haply she may get the benediction and, belike, the Invisible Controuls will sue Allah for her that her two children may be restored to her.’ ‘Thou hast said well,’ replied she; ‘for that indeed was her grievousest want.’ Thy sire gave not over finishing his fast till the old woman said to him, ‘O my son, I am going to the Invisible Controuls; so bring me Sophia.’ Accordingly, he summoned her and she came forthright, and he delivered her to the old woman who mixed her up with the other damsels. Then she went in to her chamber and bringing out a sealed cup, presented it to the Sultan saying, ‘On the thirtieth day, do thou repair to the Hammam and when thou comest out, enter one of the closets in thy palace and drink what is in this cup. Then sleep, and thou shalt attain what thou seekest, and peace be with thee’! Thereat the King was glad and thanked her and kissed her hands. Quoth she, ‘I commend thee to Allah’s care;’ whereat quoth he, ‘And when shall I see thee again, O pious lady? In very sooth I love not to part with thee.’ Then she called down blessings on him and departed with the five damsels and the Queen; whilst the King fasted after her departure other three days, till the month ended, when he arose and went to the Hammam and coming out shut himself up in a closet of his palace, commanding that none should go in to him. There, after making fast the door, he drank what was in the cup and lay down to sleep; and we sat awaiting him till the end of the day, but he did not come out and we said, ‘Perchance he is tired with the bath and with watching by night and fasting by day; wherefore he sleepeth.’ So we waited till next day; but still he did not come forth. Then we stood at the closet door and cried aloud so haply he might awake and ask what was the matter. But nothing came of that; so at last we lifted up the door;375 and, going in, found him dead, with his flesh torn into strips and bits and his bones broken.376 When we saw him in this condition it was grievous to us, and we took up the cup and found within its cover a piece of paper whereon was inscribed, ‘Whoso doeth evil leaveth no regrets, and this be the reward of him who playeth traitor with the daughters of Kings and who debaucheth them; and we make known to all who fall upon this scroll that Sharrkan, when he came to our country, seduced our Queen Abrizah; nor did that suffice him but he must needs take her from us and bring her to you. Then he377 sent her away in company of a black slave who slew her, and we found her lying dead on the desert sward and thrown out to wild beasts. This be no kingly deed, and he who did this is requited with naught but what he merited. So do ye suspect none of having killed him, for no one slew him but the cunning witch, whose name is Zat al-Dawahi. And behold, I have taken the King’s wife, Sophia, and have carried her to her father, Afridun King of Constantinople. Moreover, there is no help for it but that we wage war upon you and kill you and take your country from you, and ye shall be cut off even to the last man, nor shall a living soul be spared by Death nor one who bloweth fire with his breath, save he who Cross and Belt378 worshippeth.’ When we read this paper, we knew that the ancient woman had beguiled us and carried out her plot against us: whereupon we cried aloud and buffeted our faces and wept sore when weeping availed us naught. And the troops fell out as to whom they should make Sultan; some would have thee, and others would have thy brother Sharrkan; and we ceased not to dispute about this for the space of a month, at the end of which certain of us drew together and agreed to repair to thy brother Sharrkan: so we set out and journeyed on till we fell in with thee. And such is the manner of the death of Sultan Omar bin al-Nu’uman!” Now when the Wazir Dandan had made an end of his story, Zau al- Makan and his sister, Nuzhat al-Zaman wept; and the Chamberlain, who wept also, said to Zau al-Makan, “O King, weeping will avail thee naught; nor shall aught profit thee but that thou harden thy heart and strengthen thy stress and establish thy sovranty; for verily whoso leaveth the like of thee is not dead.” Thereupon Zau al-Makan gave over his weeping and caused his throne to be set up without the pavilion, and then commanded the army to pass in review order before him. And the Chamberlain sat by his side and all the armour-bearers379 behind him, whilst the Wazir Dandan and the rest of the Emirs and Grandees stood each in his individual stead. Then quoth King Zau al-Makan to the Minister Dandan, “Inform me concerning my sire’s treasures;” and he replied, “I hear and I obey;” and gave him to know of the late King’s hoards and monies, and what was in the treasury of amassed wealth and jewels, and acquainted him with other precious things. So Zau al-Makan opened his hand to the army, and gave a sumptuous robe of honour to the Wazir Dandan, saying, “Thou continues” in office. Whereupon Dandan kissed the ground before him and wished him long life. Then he bestowed dresses on the Emirs, after which he said to the Chamberlain, “Bring out before me the tribute of Damascus that is with thee.” So he was shown the chests of money and rarities and jewels, when he took them and parted them all amongst the troops, — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Eighty-seventh Night,
She said, It hath reached
me, O auspicious King, that Zau al- Makan ordered the Chamberlain to bring out before him what he had brought of the tribute of Damascus; and, when he was shown the chests of money and rarities and jewels, he took them and parted them all amongst the troops, till nothing was left. And the Emirs kissed the ground before him and wished him long life, saying, “Never saw we a King, who gave the like of these gifts.” Then all went away to their tents and when it was morning he gave orders for marching. So they marched for three days, till, on the fourth day, they drew near to Baghdad. When they entered the city, they found it decorated, and Zau al-Makan, the Sultan, went up to his father’s palace and sat down on the throne, whilst the Emirs of the army and the Wazir Dandan and the Chamberlain of Damascus stood between his hands. Then he bade his private secretary write a writ to his brother Sharrkan, acquainting him with all that had passed, from first to last, and he concluded, “As soon as thou hast read this letter, make ready thine affair and join us with thine army, that we may turn to Holy War upon the Infidels and take man bote for our father and wipe out the stain upon our honour.” Then he folded the letter and sealed it with his seal ring and said to the Minister Dandan, “None shall carry this letter but thou; and it behoveth thee speak my brother fair and say to him, ‘If thou have a mind to thy father’s kingdom, it is thine, and thy brother shall be Viceroy for thee in Damascus; for to this effect am I instructed by him.’” So the Wazir went down from before him and made ready for his march. Then Zau al-Makan bade set apart a magnificent house for the Fireman and furnished it with the best of furniture and long is the tale of that Fireman.380 Presently Zau al-Makan went out chasing and hunting and, as he was returning to Baghdad, one of the Emirs presented him with blood horses and with beauteous handmaids whose description the tongue evades. One of the damsels pleased him: so he went in unto her and knew her that night, and she conceived by him forthright. After a while, the Wazir Dandan returned from his journey, bringing him news of his brother Sharrkan and that he was then on his way to him, and said, “It were fitting thou go forth to meet him.” Zau al- Makan replied, “I hear and I consent;” and riding forth with his Grandees a day’s journey from Baghdad, he pitched his pavilions there awaiting his brother. Next morning appeared King Sharrkan amid the army of Syria, a horseman of might, a lion fierce in fight, a prow and doughty knight. As the squadrons drew nigh and the dust clouds came hard by and the troops rode up with banners on high, Zau al-Makan and those with him pushed forward to meet Sharrkan and his men; and when Zau al-Makan saw his brother, he desired to dismount, but Sharrkan conjured him not to do on this wise, and himself footed it, and walked a few paces towards him.381 As soon as he reached Zau al-Makan, the new Sultan threw himself upon him, and Sharrkan embraced him and wept with great weeping and the twain condoled with each other. Then they mounted and rode onward, they and their troops, till they reached Baghdad, where they alighted and went up to the royal palace and there they passed that night, and when next morning came, Zau al- Makan went forth and bade summon the troops from all parts, and proclaimed a Holy War and a Razzia.382 They then awaited the coming of the levies from each quarter of the kingdom, and every one who came they entreated with honour and promised him all manner of good; till in so doing a full month had sped, and the fighting men flocked to them in a continuous body. Then Sharrkan said to Zau al-Makan, “O my brother, tell me thy history.” So he told him all that had befallen him from first to last, including the benevolent dealing of the Fireman with him. Asked Sharrkan, ‘Hast thou requited his kindness?”; and he answered, “O my brother! I have not rewarded him as yet, but Inshallah! I will recompense him whenas I return from this raid” — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Eighty-eighth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sharrkan asked his brother Zau al-Makan, “Hast thou requited the Fireman for his kindness?”; and he answered, “O my brother, I have not rewarded him as yet, but Inshallah! I will recompense him whenas I return from this raid and find time so to do.” Therewith Sharrkan was certified that his sister, Nuzhat al-Zaman, had told him the whole truth; but he concealed what had passed between them and offered his salutation to her by her husband the Chamberlain. She sent him back her greeting, calling down blessings on him and enquiring after her daughter Kuzia-Fakan, to which he replied that the maiden was well and in the best of health and safety. Where upon she praised Almighty Allah and gave him thanks. Then Sharrkan went to his brother to take counsel with him for departure; and Zau al-Makan said, “O my brother, as soon as the army is complete and the Arabs have come in from all parts, we will march forth.” So he bade make ready the commissariat and prepare munitions of war and went in to his wife, who was now five months gone with child; and he put under her astrologers and mathematicians, to whom he appointed stipends and allowances. Then he set out three months after the arrival of the army of Syria, and as soon as the Arabs were come in and the troops were assembled from all directions; and, as he fared forth, he was followed by the warriors and the united host. Now the name of the General of the Daylam army was Rustam and that of the General of the army of the Turks383 Bahram. And Zau al- Makan marched in mid host and on his right was his brother Sharrkan, and on his left the Chamberlain his brother-in-law. So the squadrons broke up and pushed forward and the battalions and companies filed past in battle array, till the whole army was in motion. They ceased not to fare on for the space of a month, and each body dismounted at its own ground and there rested every week three days (for the host was great); and they advanced in this order till they came to the country of the Greeks. Then the people of the villages and hamlets and the poorer sort took fright at them and fled to Constantinople. But when King Afridun heard the tidings he arose and betook himself to Zat al-Dawahi, the same who had contrived the stratagem, and had travelled to Baghdad and had slain King Omar bin Al-Nu’uman; and who after carrying off her slaves and Queen Sophia, had returned with them all to her native land. Now when she had been restored to her son, the King of Greece, and felt herself safe, she said to King Hardub, “Cool thine eyes; for I have avenged by blood the shame of thy daughter Abrizah, and have killed Omar bin al-Nu’uman and have brought back Sophia. So now let us go to the King of Constantinople and carry to him his daughter and acquaint him with what hath happened, that all of us be on guard and prepare our forces; and I will fare with thee to King Afridun, Lord of Constantinople, for I opine that the Moslems will not await our attack.” Said Hardub, “Tarry thou till they draw near our country, that we may make us ready meantime and assemble our power.” Accordingly they took to levying their forces and preparing for war, and, when the news of the Moslems’ advance reached them, they were prepared for defence; and Zat al Dawahi had preceded them. Now when she and her son arrived at Constantinople, the King of Kings, Afridun, hearing of the approach of Hardub, King of the Greeks, came forth to meet him and asked how it was with him and the cause of his visit. So Hardub acquainted him with the cunning doings of his mother, Zat al-Dawahi, how she had slain the Moslem King and recovered from him Queen Sophia, and had said, “The Moslems have assembled their forces and are on their way to attack us, wherefore it behoveth that we two join hands in single band and meet them.” Now King Afridun rejoiced in the return of his daughter and the killing of King Omar bin al-Nu’uman; and he sent to all countries seeking succour and acquainting the folk with the cause of slaying the Moslem King. So the Nazarene troops flocked to him and three months were not past ere the army of the Greeks was complete, besides which there joined themselves to him Franks from all their lands, French, Germans384 and Ragusans,385 with men of Zara,386 Venetians, Genoese, and all the hosts of the Yellow Faces387 ; and, when the gathering was at its full, earth was straitened on them by reason of their multitude. Then Afridun, the Great King, ordered a march; so they set out and ceased not to defile through the city for ten days. They fared on till they reached the Wady highs Al-Nu’uman, a broad sided vale hard by
the Salt Sea, where they halted three days; and on the fourth they were about to set out again, when news came that the army of Al-Islam on them press, and the defenders of the faith of Mohammed, of Men the Best. So they halted in it other three days, and on the eighth they espied a dust cloud which towered till it walled the whole land; nor was an hour of the day past ere that dust began to drift and was torn to shreds in the lift, and pierced through its shades the starry radiance of lance and the white levee of blades. Presently there appeared beneath it the banners Islamitan and the ensigns Mahometan; the horsemen urged forward, like the letting loose of seas that surged, clad in mail, as they were mackerel-back clouds which the moon enveil; whereupon the two hosts clashed, like two torrents on each other dashed. Eyes fell upon eyes; and the first to seek combat singular was the Wazir Dandan, he and the army of Syria, numbering thirty thousand bridles, and with him were the General of the Turks, and the General of Daylam, Rustam and Bahram, amid twenty thousand horse, behind whom came the men from the shores of the Salt Sea, clad in iron mail, as they were full moons that past through a night o’ercast. Then the Nazarene host called out on Jesus and Mary, and the defiled388 Cross and they heaped themselves upon the Wazir Dandan and those with him of the Syrian host. Now all this was in pursuance of a stratagem devised by that ancient woman Zat al-Dawahi; for, before his departure, King Afridun had gone in to her and asked her, “How shall I do and what plan shall I pursue?; it is thou hast caused this great distress to us;” and she had answered, “O great King and mighty Cohen!389 I will teach thee a trick would baffle Iblis himself, though he summon to his assistance all his grisly hosts.” — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
One Thousand and One Nights Page 619
