One Thousand and One Nights

by Richard Burton

  When it was the One Hundred and Seventy-eight Night,

  She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Dahnash spoke thus to Maymunah, “I accept, O my lady, these conditions.” Then he resumed, “Know, O my mistress, that I come to-night from the Islands of the Inland Sea in the parts of China, which are the realms of King Ghayúr, lord of the Islands and the Seas and the Seven Palaces. There I saw a daughter of his, than whom Allah hath made none fairer in her time: I cannot picture her to thee, for my tongue would fail to describe her with her due of praise; but I will name to thee a somewhat of her charms by way of approach. Now her hair is like the nights of disunion and separation and her face like the days of union and delectation; and right well hath the poet said when picturing her,

  ‘She dispread the locks from her head one night, *

  Showing four fold nights into one night run

  And she turned her visage towards the moon, *

  And two moons showed at moment one.’

  She hath a nose like the edge of the burnished blade and cheeks like purple wine or anemones blood-red: her lips as coral and carnelian shine and the water of her mouth is sweeter than old wine; its taste would quench Hell’s fiery pain. Her tongue is moved by wit of high degree and ready repartee: her breast is a seduction to all that see it (glory be to Him who fashioned it and finished it!); and joined thereto are two upper arms smooth and rounded; even as saith of her the poet Al-Walahán,245

  ‘She hath wrists which, did her bangles not contain, *

  Would run from out her sleeves in silvern rain.’

  She hath breasts like two globes of ivory, from whose brightness the moons borrow light, and a stomach with little waves as it were a figured cloth of the finest Egyptian linen made by the Copts, with creases like folded scrolls, ending in a waist slender past all power of imagination; based upon back parts like a hillock of blown sand, that force her to sit when she would fief stand, and awaken her, when she fain would sleep, even as saith of her and describeth her the poet,

  ‘She hath those hips conjoined by thread of waist, *

  Hips that o’er me and her too tyrannise

  My thoughts they daze whene’er I think of them, *

  And weigh her down whene’er she would uprise.’246

  And those back parts are upborne by thighs smooth and round and by a calf like a column of pearl, and all this reposeth upon two feet, narrow, slender and pointed like spear-blades,247 the handiwork of the Protector and Requiter, I wonder how, of their littleness, they can sustain what is above them. But I cut short my praises of her charms fearing lest I be tedious.” — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

  When it was the One Hundred and Seventy-ninth Night,

  She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Ifrit Dahnash bin Shamhurish said to the Ifritah Maymunah, “Of a truth I cut short my praises fearing lest I be tedious.” Now when Maymunah heard the description of that Princess and her beauty and loveliness, she stood silent in astonishment; whereupon Dahnash resumed, “The father of this fair maiden is a mighty King, a fierce knight, immersed night and day in fray and fight; for whom death hath no fright and the escape of his foe no dread, for that he is a tyrant masterful and a conqueror irresistible, lord of troops and armies and continents and islands, and cities and villages, and his name is King Ghayur, Lord of the Islands and of the Seas and of the Seven Palaces. Now he loveth his daughter, the young maiden whom I have described to thee, with dearest love and, for affection of her, he hath heaped together the treasures of all the kings and built her therewith seven palaces, each of a different fashion; the first of crystal, the second of marble, the third of China steel, the fourth of precious stones and gems of price, the fifth of porcelain and many-hued onyxes and ring bezels, the sixth of silver and the seventh of gold. And he hath filled the seven palaces with all sorts of sumptuous furniture, rich silken carpets and hangings and vessels of gold and silver and all manner of gear that kings require; and hath bidden his daughter to abide in each by turns for a certain season of the year; and her name is the Princess Budur.248 Now when her beauty became known and her name and fame were bruited abroad in the neighbouring countries, all the kings sent to her father to demand her of him in marriage, and he consulted her on the matter, but she disliked the very word wedlock with a manner of abhorrence and said, O my father, I have no mind to marry; no, not at all; for I am a sovereign Lady and a Queen suzerain ruling over men, and I have no desire for a man who shall rule over me. And the more suits she refused, the more her suitors’ eagerness increased and all the Royalties of the Inner Islands of China sent presents and rarities to her father with letters asking her in marriage. So he pressed her again and again with advice on the matter of espousals; but she ever opposed to him refusals, till at last she turned upon him angrily and cried, ‘O my father, if thou name matrimony to me once more, I will go into my chamber and take a sword and, fixing its hilt in the ground, will set its point to my waist; then will I press upon it, till it come forth from my back, and so slay myself.’ Now when the King heard these her words, the light became darkness in his sight and his heart burned for her as with a flame of fire, because he feared lest she should kill herself; and he was filled with perplexity concerning her affair and the kings her suitors. So he said to her ‘If thou be determined not to marry and there be no help for it abstain from going and coming in and out.’ Then he placed her in a house and shut her up in a chamber, appointing ten old women as duennas to guard her, and forbade her to go forth to the Seven Palaces; moreover, he made it appear that he was incensed against her, and sent letters to all the kings, giving them to know that she had been stricken with madness by the Jinns; and it is now a year since she hath thus been secluded.” Then continued the Ifrit Dahnash, addressing the Ifritah Maymunah, “And I, O my lady go to her every night and take my fill of feeding my sight on her face and I kiss her between the eyes: yet, of my love to her, I do her no hurt neither mount her, for that her youth is fair and her grace surpassing: every one who seeth her jealouseth himself for her. I conjure thee, therefore, O my lady, to go back with me and look on her beauty and loveliness and stature and perfection of proportion; and after, if thou wilt, chastise me or enslave me; and win to thy will, for it is shine to bid and to forbid.” So saying, the Ifrit Dahnash bowed his head towards the earth and drooped his wings downward; but Maymunah laughed at his words and spat in his face and answered, “What is this girl of whom thou pratest but a potsherd wherewith to wipe after making water?249 Faugh! Faugh! By Allah, O accursed, I thought thou hadst some wondrous tale to tell me or some marvellous news to give me. How would it be if thou were to sight my beloved? Verily, this night I have seen a young man, whom if thou saw though but in a dream, thou wouldst be palsied with admiration and spittle would flow from thy mouth.” Asked the Ifrit, “And who and what is this youth?”; and she answered, “Know, O Dahnash, that there hath befallen the young man the like of what thou tellest me befel thy mistress; for his father pressed him again and again to marry, but he refused, till at length his sire waxed wroth at being opposed and imprisoned him in the tower where I dwell: and I came up to-night and saw him.” Said Dahnash, “O my lady, shew me this youth, that I may see if he be indeed handsomer than my mistress, the Princess Budur, or not; for I cannot believe that the like of her liveth in this our age.” Rejoined Maymunah, “Thou liest, O accursed, O most ill-omened of Marids and vilest of Satans!250 Sure am I that the like of my beloved is not in this world.” — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

  When It was the One Hundred and Eightieth Night,

  She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Ifritah Maymunah spake thus to the Ifrit Dahnash, “Sure am I that the like of my beloved is not in this world! Art thou mad to fellow thy beloved with my beloved?” He said, “Allah upon thee, O my lady, go back with me and look upon my mistress, and after I will with thee and look upon thy belove
d.” She answered, “It must needs be so, O accursed, for thou art a knavish devil; but I will not go with thee nor shalt thou come with me, save upon condition of a wager which is this. If the lover thou lovest and of whom thou boastest so bravely, prove handsomer than mine whom I mentioned and whom I love and of whom I boast, the bet shall be shine against me; but if my beloved prove the handsomer the bet shall be mine against thee.” Quoth Dahnash the Ifrit, “O my lady, I accept this thy wager and am satisfied thereat; so come with me to the Islands.” Quoth Maymunah; “No! for the abode of my beloved is nearer than the abode of shine: here it is under us; so come down with me to see my beloved and after we will go look upon thy mistress.” “I hear and I obey,” said Dahnash. So they descended to earth and alighted in the saloon which the tower contained; then Maymunah stationed Dahnash beside the bed and, putting out her hand, drew back the silken coverlet from Kamar al-Zaman’s face, when it glittered and glistened and shimmered and shone like the rising sun. She gazed at him for a moment, then turning sharply round upon Dahnash said, “Look, O accursed, and be not the basest of madmen; I am a maid, yet my heart he hath waylaid.” So Dahnash looked at the Prince and long continued gazing steadfastly on him then, shaking his head, said to Maymunah, “By Allah, O my lady, thou art excusable; but there is yet another thing to be considered, and this is, that the estate female differeth from the male. By Allah’s might, this thy beloved is the likest of all created things to my mistress in beauty and loveliness and grace and perfection; and it is as though they were both cast alike in the mould of seemlihead.” Now when Maymunah heard these words, the light became darkness in her sight and she dealt him with her wing so fierce a buffet on the head as well-nigh made an end of him. Then quoth she to him, “I conjure thee, by the light of his glorious countenance, go at once, O accursed, and bring hither thy mistress whom thou lovest so fondly and foolishly, and return in haste that we may lay the twain together and look on them both as they lie asleep side by side; so shall it appear to us which be the goodlier and more beautiful of the two. Except thou obey me this very moment, O accursed, I will dart my sparks at thee with my fire and consume thee; yea, in pieces I will rend thee and into the deserts cast thee, that to stay at home and wayfarer an example thou be!” Quoth Dahnash, “O my lady, I will do thy behests, for I know forsure that my mistress is the fairer and the sweeter.” So saying the If rit flew away and Maymunah flew with him to guard him. They were absent awhile and presently returned, bearing the young lady, who was clad in a shift of fine Venetian silk, with a double edging of gold and purfled with the most exquisite of embroidery having these couplets worked upon the ends of the sleeves,

  “Three matters hinder her from visiting us, in fear *

  Of hate-full, slandering envier and his hired spies:

  The shining light of brow, the trinkets’ tinkling voice, *

  And scent of essences that tell whene’er she tries:

  Gi’en that she hide her brow with edge of sleeve, and leave *

  At home her trinketry, how shall her scent

  disguise?’’251

  And Dahnash and Maymunah stinted not bearing that young lady till they had carried her into the saloon and had laid her beside the youth Kamar al-Zaman. — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

  When it was the One Hundred and Eighty-first Night,

  She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Ifrit Dahnash and the Ifritah Maymunah stinted not bearing Princess Budur till they descended and laid her on the couch beside Kamar al- Zaman. Then they uncovered both their faces, and they were the likest of all folk, each to other, as they were twins or an only brother and sister; and indeed they were a seduction to the pious, even as saith of them the poet Al-Mubín,

  “O heart! be not thy love confined to one, *

  Lest thou by doting or disdain be undone:

  Love all the fair, and thou shalt find with them *

  If this be lost, to thee that shall be won.”

  And quoth another,

  “Mine eyes beheld two lying on the ground; *

  Both had I loved if on these eyne they lay!”

  So Dahnash and Maymunah gazed on them awhile, and he said, “By Allah, O my lady, it is good! My mistress is assuredly the fairer.” She replied, “Not so, my beloved is the fairer; woe to thee, O Dahnash! Art blind of eye and heart that lean from fat thou canst not depart? Wilt thou hide the truth? Dost thou not see his beauty and loveliness and fine stature and symmetry? Out on thee, hear what I purpose to say in praise of my beloved and, if thou be a lover true to her thou dost love, do thou the like for her thou Lovest.” Then she kissed Kamar al-Zaman again and again between the eyes and improvised this ode,

  “How is this? Why should the blamer abuse thee in his pride?

  What shall console my heart for thee, that art but slender bough?

  A Nature Kohl’d252 eye thou hast that witcheth far and wide;

  From pure platonic love253 of it deliverance none I trow!

  Those glances, fell as plundering Turk, to heart such havoc deal

  As never havocked scymitar made keenest at the curve.

  On me thou layest load of love the heaviest while I feel

  So feeble grown that under weight of chemisette I swerve.

  My love for thee as wottest well is habit, and my lowe

  Is nature; to all others false is all the love I tender:

  Now were my heart but like to shine I never would say No;

  Only my wasted form is like thy waist so gracious slender:

  Out on him who in Beauty’s robe for moon like charms hath fame,

  And who is claimed by mouth of men as marvel of his tribe!

  ‘Of man what manner may he be’ (ask they who flyte and blame)

  ‘For whom thy heart is so distressed?’ I only cry ‘Describe!’

  Oh stone-entempered heart of him! learn of his yielding grace

  And bending form to show me grace and yielding to consent.

  Oh my Prince Beautiful, thou hast an Overseer in place254

  Who irketh me, and eke a Groom whose wrong cloth ne’er relent.

  Indeed he lieth who hath said that all of loveliness

  Was pent in Joseph: in thy charms there’s many and many a Joe!

  The Genii dread me when I stand and face to face address;

  But meeting thee my fluttering heart its shame and terror show.

  I take aversion semblance and I turn from thee in fright,

  But more aversion I assume, more love from me dost claim;

  That hair of jetty black! That brow e’er raying radiant light! Those eyne wherein white jostles black!255 That dearling dainty frame!”

  When Dahnash heard the poesy which Maymunah spake in praise of her beloved, he joyed with exceeding joy and marvelled with excessive wonderment. — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say

  When it was the One Hundred and Eighty-second Night,

  She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Ifrit Dahnash heard the poesy which Maymunah spake in praise of her beloved, he shook for exceeding joy and said, “Thou hast celebrated thy beloved in song and thou hast indeed done well in praise of him whom thou lovest! And there is no help for it but that I also in my turn do my best to enfame my mistress, and recite somewhat in her honour.” Then the Ifrit went up to the Lady Budur; and’ kissing her between the eyes, looked at Maymunah and at his beloved Princess and recited the following verses, albeit he had no skill in poesy,

  “Love for my fair they chide in angry way; *

  Unjust for ignorance, yea unjustest they!

  Ah lavish favours on the love mad, whom *

  Taste of thy wrath and parting woe shall slay:

  In sooth for love I’m wet with railing tears, *

  That rail mine eyelids blood thou mightest say:

  No marvel what I bear for love, ’tis marvel *

  That any know my “me” while thou’
rt away:

  Unlawful were our union did I doubt *

  Thy love, or heart incline to other May.”

  And eke these words: —

  “I feed eyes on their stead by the valley’s side, *

  And I’m slain and my slaver256 aside hath tried:

  Grief-wine have I drunken, and down my cheeks *

  Dance tears to the song of the camel-guide:

  For union-blessing I strive though sure, *

  In Budur and Su’ad all my bliss shall bide:257

  Wot I not which of three gave me most to ‘plain, *

  So hear them numbered ere thou decide:

  Those Sworders her eyne, that Lancer her fig- *

  -ure, or ring-mail’d Locks which her forehead hide.

  Quoth she (and I ask of her what so wights *

  Or abide in towns or in desert ride258 )

  To me, ‘In thy heart I dwell, look there!’ *

  Quoth I, ‘Where’s my heart ah where? ah where?’”

  When Maymunah heard these lines from the Ifrit, she said, “Thou hast done well, O Dahnash! But say thou which of the two is the handsomer?” And he answered, “My mistress Budur is handsomer than thy beloved!” Cried Maymunah, “Thou liest, O accursed. Nay, my beloved is more beautiful than shine!” But Dahnash persisted, “Mine is the fairer.” And they ceased not to wrangle and challenge each other’s words till Maymunah cried out at Dahnash and would have laid violent hands on him, but he humbled himself to her and, softening his speech, said, “Let not the truth be a grief to thee, and cease we this talk, for all we say is to testify in favour of our lovers; rather let each of us withdraw the claim and seek we one who shall judge fairly between us which of the two be fairer; and by his sentence we will abide.” “I agree to this,” answered she and smote the earth with her foot, whereupon there came out of it an Ifrit blind of an eye, humpbacked and scurvy-skinned, with eye-orbits slit up and down his face.259 On his head were seven horns and four locks of hair fell to his heels; his hands were pitchfork-like and his legs mast-like and he had nails as the claws of a lion, and feet as the hoofs of the wild ass.260 When that If rit rose out of the earth and sighted Maymunah, he kissed the ground before her and, standing with his hands clasped behind him, said, “What is thy will, O my mistress, O daughter of my King?”261 She replied, “O Kashkash, I would have thee judge between me and this accursed Dahnash.” And she made known to him the matter, from first to last, whereupon the Ifrit Kashkash looked at the face of the youth and then at the face of the girl; and saw them lying asleep, embraced, each with an arm under the other’s neck, alike in beauty and loveliness and equal in grace and goodliness. The Marid gazed long upon them, marvelling at their seemlihead; and, after carefully observing the twain, he turned to Maymunah and Dahnash, and reseated these couplets.