One Thousand and One Nights

by Richard Burton

  When it was the Four Hundred and Twenty-ninth Night,

  She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the house-owner’s black slave returned and knocked at the door, Ali the Cairene, son of the merchant Hasan, opened it to him and the negro, seeing him comfortably sitting, returned in haste to his master with the good tidings, saying, “O my Lord, the merchant, who is lodged in the house inhabited by the Jinn,272 is alive and well and sitteth on the bench behind the door.” Then the merchant rose joyfully and went to the house, taking breakfast with him; and, when he saw Ali, he embraced him and kissed him between the eyes, asking, “How hath Allah dealt with thee?”; and Ali answered, “Right well, I slept upstairs in the marble saloon.” Quoth the merchant, “Did aught come to thee or didst thou see any thing?” and quoth Ali “No, I recited some little of the Sublime Koran and slept till morning, when I arose and, after making the minor ablution and praying, seated myself on the bench behind the door.” “Praised be Allah for safety!” exclaimed the merchant, then left him and presently sent him black slaves and white Mamelukes and handmaidens with household gear. They swept the house from top to bottom and furnished it with magnificent furniture; after which three white slaves and three blacks and four slave-girls remained with him, to serve him, while the rest returned to their master’s house. Now when the merchants heard of him, they sent him presents of all manner things of price, even to food and drink and clothes, and took him with them to the market, asking, “When will thy baggage arrive?” And he answered, “After three days it will surely come.” When the term had elapsed, the servant of the first hoard, the golden rain, came to him and said, “Go forth and meet the treasure I have brought thee from Al-Yaman together with thy Harim; for I bring part of the wealth in the semblance of costly merchandise; but the eunuchs and Mamelukes and the mules and horses and camels are all of the Jann.” Now the Jinni, when he betook himself to Cairo, found Ali’s wife and children in sore misery, naked and hungry; so he carried them out of the city in a travelling-litter and clad them in sumptuous raiment of the stuffs which were in the treasure of Al-Yaman. So when Ali heard this, he arose and repairing to the merchants, said to them, “Rise and go forth with us from the city, to meet the caravan bringing my merchandise, and honour us with the presence of your Harims, to meet my Harim.” “Hearkening and obedience,” answered they and, sending for their Harims, went forth all together and took seat in one of the city-gardens; and as they sat talking, behold, a dust-cloud arose out of the heart of the desert, and they flocked forth to see what it was. Presently it lifted and discovered mules and muleteers, tent-pitchers and linkmen, who came on, singing and dancing, till they reached the garden, when the chief of the muleteers walked up to Ali and kissing his hand, said to him, “O my master, we have been long on the way, for we purposed entering yesterday; but we were in fear of the bandits, so abode in our station four days, till Almighty Allah rid us of them.” Thereupon the merchants mounted their mules and rode forward with the caravan, the Harims waiting behind, till Ali’s wife and children mounted with them; and they all entered in splendid train. The merchants marvelled at the number of mules laden with chests, whilst the women of the merchants wondered at the richness of the apparel of his wife and the fine raiment of her children; and kept saying each to other, “Verily, the King of Baghdad hath no such gear; no, nor any other of the kings or lords or merchants!” So they ceased not to fare forwards in high great state, the men with Ali of Cairo and the Harims with his Harim, till they came to the mansion, — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

  When it was the Four Hundred and Thirtieth Night,

  She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that they ceased not to fare forwards in high state, the men with Ali’s men and the women with his wife, till they came to the mansion, where they alighted and brought the mules and their burdens into the midst of the courtyard. Then they unloaded them and warehoused the goods whilst the merchants’ wives went up with Ali’s family to the saloon, which they found as it were a luxuriant garden, spread with magnificent furniture. They sat in mirth and good cheer till noon, when they brought them up the midday meal, all manner meats and sweetmeats of the very best; and they ate and drank costly sherbets and perfumed themselves thereafter with rose-water and scented woods. Then they took leave and went home, men and women; and, when the merchants returned to their places, they sent presents to the husband according to their conditions; and their wives likewise sent presents to the wife, so that there came to them great store of handmaids and negroes and Mamelukes; and all kinds of goods, such as grain, sugar and so forth, in abundance beyond account. As for the Baghdad merchant, the landlord of the house, he abode with Ali and quitted him not, but said to him, “Let the black slaves and servants take the mules and the common cattle into one of my other houses, to rest.” Quoth Ali, “They set out again to-night for such a place.” Then he gave them leave to go forth and camp outside the city, that they might start on their journey at night-come; whereupon, hardly believing that they were dismissed, they took leave of him and departing to the outliers of the city, flew off through the air to their several abodes. So Ali and his house-owner sat together till a third of the night was past, when their colloquy ended and the merchant returned to his own house and Ali went up to his wife and children and after saluting them, said, “What hath befallen you in my absence all this time?” So she told him what they had suffered of hunger and nakedness and travail, and he said, “Praised be Allah for safety! How did ye come?” Answered she, “O my lord, I was asleep with my children yesternight, when suddenly and unexpectedly one raised us from the ground and flew with us through the firmament without doing us any hurt, nor did he leave flying with us, till he set us down in a place as it were an Arab camping-ground, where we saw laden mules and a travelling litter borne upon two great mules, and around it servants, all boys and men. So I asked them, ‘Who are ye and what are these loads and where are we?;’ and they answered, ‘We are the servants of the merchant Ali of Cairo, son of the merchant- jeweller, who hath sent us to fetch you to him at Baghdad.’ Quoth I, ‘Tell me, is it far or near, hence to Baghdad?’ They replied, ‘Near: there lieth between us and the city but the darkness of the night.’ Then they mounted us in the litter and, when the morrow dawned, we found ourselves with thee, without having suffered any hurt whatever.” Quoth he, “Who gave you these dresses?;” and quoth she, “The chief of the caravan opened one of the boxes on the mules and taking out thereof these clothes, clad me and thy children each in a suit; after which he locked the case and gave me the key, saying, ‘Take care of it, till thou give it to thy husband.’ And here it is safe by me.” So saying, she gave him the key, and he said, “Dost thou know the chest?” Said she, “Yes, I know it.” So he took her down to the magazine and showed her the boxes, when she cried, “This is the one whence the dresses were taken;” upon which he put the key in the lock and opened the chest, wherein he found much raiment and the keys of all the other cases. So he took them and fell to opening them, one after another, and feasting his eyes upon the gems and precious ores they contained, whose like was not found with any of the kings; after which he locked them again, took the keys, and returned to the saloon, saying to his wife, “This is of the bounty of Almighty Allah!” Then bringing her to the secret slab he turned the pin and opened the door of the closet, into which he entered with her and showed her the gold he had laid up therein. Quoth she, “Whence came all this to thee?” “It came to me by the grace of my Lord,” answered he: — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

  When it was the Four Hundred and Thirty-first Night,

  She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Ali’s wife had looked upon the gold she said to him, “Whence came all this to thee?” “It came to me by the grace of my Lord,” answered he: “When I left thee in my trouble, I shipped at Bulak for Damietta and met a friend there who forwarded me to Dama
scus”: in brief he told her all that had befallen him, from first to last. Said she, “O my lord, all this cometh by boon of thy father’s blessing and orisons when he prayed for thee, before his death, saying, ‘I beseech Allah to cast thee into no straits except He grant thee ready relief!’ So praised be Allah Almighty for that He hath brought thee deliverance and hath requited thee with more than went from thee! But Allah upon thee, O my lord, return not to thy practice of associating with doubtful folk; but look thou fear Allah (whose name be exalted!) both in private and in public.” And as she went on to admonish him, he said, “I accept thine admonition and beg the Almighty to remove the froward from amongst us and stablish us in His obedience and in the observance of the law and practice of His Prophet, on whom be blessings and peace!” After that Ali and his wife and children were in all solace of life and gladness; and he opened him a shop in the merchants’ bazar and, stocking it with a somewhat of jewels and bullion, sat therein with his children and white servants. Presently he became the most considerable of the merchants of Baghdad, and his report reached the King of that city,273 who sent a messenger to command his attendance, saying, “Answer the summons of the King who requireth thee.” He replied, “I hear and obey,” and straightway prepared his present and he took four trays of red gold and, filling them with jewels and precious metals, such as no King possessed, went up to the palace and presenting himself before the presence, kissed the ground between his hands and wished him endurance of goods and glory in the finest language he could command. Said the King, “O merchant, thou cheerest our city with thy presence!” and Ali rejoined, “O King of the age, thy slave hath brought thee a gift and hopeth for acceptance thereof from thy favour.” Then he laid the four trays before the King, who uncovered them and seeing that they contained gems, whose fellows he possessed not and whose worth equalled treasuries of money, said, “Thy present is accepted, O merchant, and Inshallah! we will requite thee with its like.” And Ali kissed his hands and went away; whereupon the King called his grandees and said to them, “How many of the Kings have sought my daughter in marriage?” “Many,” answered they; and he asked, “Hath any of them given me the like of this gift?”; whereto they replied, “Not one, for that none of them hath its like;” and he said, “I have consulted Allah Almighty by lot as to marrying my daughter to this merchant. What say ye?” “Be it as thou reckest,” answered they. Then he bade the eunuch carry the four trays into his serraglio and going in to his wife, laid them before her. She uncovered them and seeing therein that whose like she possessed not; no, nor a fraction thereof, said to him, “From which of the Kings hadst thou these?: perchance of one of the royalties that seek thy daughter in marriage?” Said he, “Not so, I had them of an Egyptian merchant, who is lately come to this our city. Now when I heard of his coming I sent to command him to us, thinking to make his acquaintance, so haply we might find with him somewhat of jewels and buy them of him for our daughter’s trousseau. He obeyed our summons and brought us these four trays, as a present, and I saw him to be a handsome youth of dignified aspect and intelligent as elegant, almost such as should be the sons of Kings. Wherefore my heart inclined to him at sight, and my heart rejoiced in him and I thought good to marry my daughter to him. So I showed the gift to my grandees, who agreed with me that none of the Kings hath the like of these and I told them my project. But what sayst thou?” — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

  When it was the Four Hundred and Thirty-second Night,

  She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the King of Baghdad, after showing the presents to his wife and highly praising Ali, the merchant-jeweller, and informing her of the proposed marriage, asked, “But what sayst thou?” She replied, “O King of the age, the ordering this affair is in Allah’s hand, and thine, and whatso Allah willeth shall come to pass.” Rejoined the King, “If it be His will, I will marry her to none other than this young man.” He slept on this resolve and on the morrow, he went out to his Divan and summoned Ali and the rest of the merchants of Baghdad, and when all came bade them be seated. Then said he, “Bring me the Kazi of the Divan” and they brought him; whereupon the King said to him, “O Kazi, write the contract of marriage between my daughter and the merchant Ali the Cairene.” But Ali said, “Thy pardon, O our lord the Sultan! It befitteth not that a trader such as I, be the King’s son-in-law.” Quoth the King, “It is my will to bestow this favour upon thee, as well as the Wazirate;” and he invested him forthwith in the Wazir’s office and ministerial robes. Then Ali sat down in the chair of the Wazirate and said, “O King of the age, thou hast bestowed on me this; and indeed I am honoured by thy bounties; but hear one word I have to say to thee!” He replied, “Say on, and fear not.” Quoth Ali, “Since it is thine august resolution to marry thy daughter, thou wouldst do better to marry her to my son. Quoth the King, “Hast thou then a son?”; and Ali replied, “Yes.” “Send for him forthwith,” said the King. Thereupon answered Ali “Hearkening and obedience!”, and despatched a servant to fetch his son, who came and kissing the ground before the King, stood in an attitude of respect. The King looked at him and seeing him to be yet comelier than his daughter and goodlier than she in stature and proportion and brightness and perfection, said to him, “What is thy name, O my son?” “My name is Hasan, O our lord the Sultan,” replied the young man, who was then fourteen years old. Then the Sultan said to the Kazi, “Write the contract of marriage between my daughter Husn al-Wujdd and Hasan, son of the merchant Ali the Cairene.” So he wrote the marriage-contract between them, and the affair was ended in the goodliest fashion; after which all in the Divan went their ways and the merchants followed the Wazir Ali, escorting him to his house, where they gave him joy of his advancement and departed. Then he went in to his wife, who seeing him clad in the Wazir’s habit, exclaimed, “What is this?”; when he told her all that had passed from first to last and she joyed therein with exceeding joy. So sped the night and on the morrow, he went up to the Divan, where the King received him with especial favour and seating him close by his side, said, “O Wazir, we purpose to begin the wedding festivities and bring thy son in to our daughter.” Replied Ali, “O our lord the Sultan, whatso thou deemest good is good.” So the Sultan gave orders to celebrate the festivities, and they decorated the city and held high festival for thirty days, in all joy and gladness; at the end of which time, Hasan, son of the Wazir Ali, went in to the Princess and enjoyed her beauty and loveliness. When the Queen saw her daughter’s husband, she conceived a warm affection for him, and in like manner she rejoiced greatly in his mother. Then the King bade build for his son-in-law Hasan Ali-son a palace beside his own; so they built him with all speed a splendid palace in which he took up his abode; and his mother used to tarry with him some days and then go down to her own house. After awhile the Queen said to her husband, “O King of the age, Hasan’s lady-mother cannot take up her abode with her son and leave the Wazir; neither can she tarry with the Wazir and leave her son.” “Thou sayest sooth,” replied the King, and bade edify a third palace beside that of Hasan, which being done in a few days he caused remove thither the goods of the Wazir, and the Minister and his wife took up their abode there. Now the three palaces communicated with one another, so that when the King had a mind to speak with the Wazir by night, he would go to him or send to fetch him; and so with Hasan and his father and mother. On this wise they dwelt in all solace and in the greatest happiness — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.