One Thousand and One Nights

by Richard Burton

  When it was the Six Hundred and Sixtieth Night,

  She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Gharib had bidden Kaylajan go and learn news of his people, the Jinn fared forth and presently returning said, “Verily around thy city is a mighty host!” Now the cause of its coming was that Ajib, having fled the field after Ya’arub’s army had been put to the rout, said to his people, “O folk, if we return to Ya’arub bin Kahtan, he will say to us, ‘But for you, my son and my people had not been slain; and he will put us to death, even to the last man.’ Wherefore, methinks we were better go to Tarkanán, King of Hind, and beseech him to avenge us.” Replied they, “Come, let us go thither; and the blessing of the Fire be upon thee!” So they fared days and nights till they reached King Tarkanan’s capital city and, after asking and obtaining permission to present himself, Ajib went in to him and kissed ground before him. Then he wished him what men use to wish to monarchy and said to him, “O King, protect me, so may protect thee the sparkling Fire and the Night with its thick darkness!” Tarkanan looked at Ajib and asked, “Who art thou and what dost thou want?”; to which the other answered, “I am Ajib King of Al-Irak; my brother hath wronged me and gotten the mastery of the land and the subjects have submitted themselves to him. Moreover, he hath embraced the faith of Al-Islam and he ceaseth not to chase me from country to country; and behold, I am come to seek protection of thee and thy power.” When Tarkanan heard Ajib’s words, he rose and sat down and cried, “By the virtue of the Fire, I will assuredly avenge thee and will let none serve other than my goddess the Fire!” And he called aloud to his son, saying, “O my son, make ready to go to Al-Irak and lay it waste and bind all who serve aught but the Fire and torment them and make example of them; yet slay them not, but bring them to me, that I may ply them with various tortures and make them taste the bitterness of humiliation and leave them a warning to whoso will be warned in this our while.” Then he chose out to accompany him eighty thousand fighting men on horseback and the like number on giraffes,47 besides ten thousand elephants, bearing on their backs seats48 of sandal-wood, latticed with golden rods, plated and studded with gold and silver and shielded with pavoises of gold and emerald; moreover he sent good store of war-chariots, in each eight men fighting with all kinds of weapons. Now the Prince’s name was Ra’ad Sháh,49 and he was the champion of his time, for prowess having no peer. So he and his army equipped them in ten days’ time, then set out, as they were a bank of clouds, and fared on two months’ journey, till they came upon Oman city and encompassed it, to the joy of Ajib, who thought himself assured of victory. Jamrkan and Sa’adan and all their fighting-men sallied forth into the field of fight whilst the kettle-drums beat to battle and the horses neighed. At this moment up came King Gharib, who, as we have said, had been warned by Kaylajan; and he urged on his destrier and entered among the Infidels waiting to see who should come forth and open the chapter of war. Then out rushed Sa’adan the Ghul and offered combat, whereupon there issued forth to him one of the champions of Hind; but Sa’adan scarce let him take stand in front ere he smote him with his mace and crushed his bones and stretched him on the ground; and so did he with a second and a third, till he had slain thirty fighting-men. Then there dashed out at him an Indian cavalier, by name Battásh al- Akrán,50 uncle to King Tarkanan and of his day the doughtiest man, reckoned worth five thousand horse in battle-plain and cried out to Sa’adan, saying, “O thief of the Arabs, hath thy daring reached that degree that thou shouldst slay the Kings of Hind and their champions and capture their horsemen? But this day is the last of thy worldly days.” When Sa’adan heard these words, his eyes waxed blood-red and he drave at Battash and aimed a stroke at him with his club; but he evaded it and the force of the blow bore Sa’adan to the ground; and before he could recover himself, the Indians pinioned him and haled him off to their tents. Now when Jamrkan saw his comrade a prisoner, he cried out, saying, “Ho for the Faith of Abraham the Friend!” and clapping heel to his horse, ran at Battash. They wheeled about awhile, till Battash charged Jamrkan and catching him by his jerkin51 tare him from his saddle and cast him to the ground; whereupon the Indians bound him and dragged him away to their tents. And Battash ceased not to overcome all who came out to him, Captain after Captain till he had made prisoners of four-and-twenty Chiefs of the Moslems, whereat the True Believers were sore dismayed. When Gharib saw what had befallen his braves, he drew from beneath his knee52 a mace of gold weighing six-score pounds which had belonged to Barkan King of the Jann — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

  When it was the Six Hundred and Sixty-first Night,

  She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Gharib beheld what had befallen his braves he drew forth a golden mace which had belonged to Barkan King of the Jann and clapped heel to his sea-horse, which bore him like the wind-gust into mid-field. Then he let drive at Battash, crying out, “God is Most Great! He giveth aid and victory and He abaseth whoso reject the Faith of Abraham the Friend!” and smote him with the mace, whereupon he fell to the ground and Gharib, turning to the Moslems, saw his brother Sahim and said to him, “Pinion me this hound.” When Sahim heard his brother’s words, he ran to Battash and bound him hard and fast and bore him off, whilst the Moslem braves wondered who this knight could be and the Indians said one to other, “Who is this horseman which came out from among them and hath taken our Chief prisoner?” Meanwhile Gharib continued to offer battle and there issued forth to him a captain of the Hindís whom he felled to earth with his mace, and Kaylajan and Kurajan pinioned him and delivered him over to Sahim; nor did Gharib leave to do thus, till he had taken prisoner two-and-fifty of the doughtiest Captains of the army of Hind. Then the day came to an end and the kettle-drums beat the retreat; whereupon Gharib left the field and rode towards the Moslem camp. The first to meet him was Sahim, who kissed his feet in the stirrups and said, “May thy hand never wither, O champion of the age! Tell us who thou art among the braves.” So Gharib raised his vizor of mail and Sahim knew him and cried out, saying, “This is your King and your lord Gharib, who is come back from the land of the Jann!” When the Moslems heard Gharib’s name, they threw themselves off their horses’ backs, and, crowding about him, kissed his feet in the stirrups and saluted him, rejoicing in his safe return. Then they carried him into the city of Oman, where he entered his palace and sat down on the throne of his kingship, whilst his officers stood around him in the utmost joy. Food was set on and they ate, after which Gharib related to them all that had betided him with the Jinn in Mount Kaf, and they marvelled thereat with exceeding marvel and praised Allah for his safety. Then he dismissed them to their sleeping places; so they withdrew to their several lodgings, and when none abode with him but Kaylajan and Kurajan, who never left him, he said to them, “Can ye carry me to Cufa that I may take my pleasure in my Harim, and bring me back before the end of the night?” They replied, “O our lord, this thou askest is easy.” Now the distance between Cufa and Oman is sixty days’ journey for a diligent horseman, and Kaylajan said to Kurajan, “I will carry him going and thou coming back.” So he took up Gharib and flew off with him, in company with Kurajan; nor was an hour past before they set him down at the gate of his palace, in Cufa. He went in to his uncle Al- Damigh, who rose to him and saluted him; after which quoth Gharib, “How is it with my wives Fakhr Taj53 and Mahdiyah?” Al-Damigh answered, “They are both well and in good case.” Then the eunuch went in and acquainted the women of the Harim with Gharib’s coming, whereat they rejoiced and raised the trill of joy and gave him the reward for good news. Presently in came King Gharib, and they rose and saluting him, conversed with him, till Al- Damigh entered, when Gharib related to them all that had befallen him in the land of the Jinn, whereat they all marvelled. Then he lay with Fakhr Taj till near daybreak, when he took leave of his wives and his uncle and mounted Kurajan’s back, nor was the darkness dispelled before the two Marids set him down in the city of Oman. Then he
and his men armed and he bade open the gates when, behold, up came a horseman from the host of the Indians, with Jamrkan and Sa’adan and the rest of the captive captains whom he had delivered, and committed them to Gharib. The Moslems, rejoicing in their safety, donned their mails and took horse, while the kettle-drums beat a point of war; and the Miscreants also drew up in line. — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

  When it was the Six Hundred and Sixty-second Night,

  She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Moslem host mounted and rode to the plain of cut and thrust, the first to open the door of war was King Gharib who, drawing his sword Al-Mahik, drove his charger between the two ranks and cried out, saying, “Whoso knoweth me hath enough of my mischief and whoso unknoweth me, to him I will make myself known. I am Gharib, King of Al-Irak and Al-Yaman, brother of Ajib.” When Ra’ad Shah, son of the King of Hind, heard this, he shouted to his captains, “Bring me Ajib.” So they brought him and Ra’ad Shah said to him, “Thou wottest that this quarrel is thy quarrel and thou art the cause of all this slaughter. Now yonder standeth thy brother Gharib amiddle-most the fightfield and stead where sword and spear we shall wield; go thou to him and bring him to me a prisoner, that I may set him on a camel arsy-versy, and make a show of him and carry him to the land of Hind.” Answered Ajib, “O King, send out to him other than I, for I am in ill-health this morning.” But Ra’ad Shah snarked and snorted and cried, “By the virtue of the sparkling Fire and the light and the shade and the heat, unless thou fare forth to thy brother and bring him to me in haste, I will cut off thy head and make an end of thee.” So Ajib took heart and urging his horse up to his brother in mid-field, said to him, “O dog of the Arabs and vilest of all who hammer down tent pegs, wilt thou contend with Kings? Take what to thee cometh and receive the glad tidings of thy death.” When Gharib heard this, he said to him, “Who art thou among the Kings? And Ajib answered, saying, “I am thy brother, and this day is the last of thy worldly days.” Now when Gharib was assured that he was indeed his brother Ajib, he cried out and said, “Ho, to avenge my father and mother!” Then giving his sword to Kaylajan,54 he drave at Ajib and smote him with his mace a smashing blow and a swashing, that went nigh to beat in his ribs, and seizing him by the mail gorges tore him from the saddle and cast him to the ground; whereupon the two Marids pounced upon him and binding him fast, dragged him off dejected and abject; whilst Gharib rejoiced in the capture of his enemy and repeated these couplets of the poet,

  “I have won my wish and my need have scored * Unto Thee be the praise and the thanks, O our

  Lord!

  I grew up dejected and abject; poor, * But Allah vouchsafed me all boons implored:

  I have conquered countries and mastered men * But for Thee were I naught, O thou Lord

  adored!”

  When Ra’ad Shah saw how evilly Ajib fared with his brother, he called for his charger and donning his harness and habergeon, mounted and dashed out a field. As soon as he drew near King Gharib, he cried out at him, saying, “O basest of Arabs and bearer of scrubs,55 who art thou, that thou shouldest capture Kings and braves? Down from thy horse and put elbows behind back and kiss my feet and set my warriors free and go with me in bond of chains to my reign that I may pardon thee and make thee a Shaykh in our own land, so mayst thou eat there a bittock of bread.” When Gharib heard these words he laughed till he fell backwards and answered, saying, “O mad hound and mangy wolf, soon shalt thou see against whom the shifts of Fortune will turn!” Then he cried out to Sahim, saying, “Bring me the prisoners;” so he brought them, and Gharib smote off their heads; whereupon Ra’ad Shah drave at him, with the driving of a lordly champion and the onslaught of a fierce slaughterer and they falsed and feinted and fought till nightfall, when the kettle-drums beat the retreat. — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

  When it was the Six Hundred and Sixty-third Night,

  She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the kettledrums beat the retreat, the two Kings parted and returned, each to his own place where his people gave him joy of his safety. And the Moslems said to Gharib, “ ’Tis not thy wont O King, to prolong a fight;” and he replied, “O folk, I have done battle with many royalties56 and champions; but never saw I a harder hitter than this one. Had I chosen to draw Al-Mahik upon him, I had mashed his bones and made an end of his days: but I delayed with him, thinking to take him prisoner and give him part enjoyment in Al-Islam.” Thus far concerning Gharib; but as regards Ra’ad Shah, he returned to his marquee and sat upon his throne, when his Chiefs came in to him and asked him of his adversary, and he answered, “By the truth of the sparkling Fire, never in my life saw I the like of yonder brave! But to-morrow I will take him prisoner and lead him away dejected and abject.” Then they slept till daybreak, when the battle-drums beat to fight and the swords in baldric were dight; and war-cries were cried amain and all mounted their horses of generous strain and drew out into the field, filling every wide place and hill and plain. The first to open the door of war was the rider outrageous and the lion rageous, King Gharib, who drave his steed between the two hosts and wheeled and careered over the field, crying, “Who is for fray, who is for fight? Let no sluggard come out to me this day nor dullard!” Before he had made an end of speaking, out rushed Ra’ad Shah, riding on an elephant, as he were a vast tower, in a seat girthed with silken bands; and between the elephant’s ears sat the driver, bearing in hand a hook, wherewith he goaded the beast and directed him right and left. When the elephant drew near Gharib’s horse, and the steed saw a creature it had never before set eyes on, it took fright;57 wherefore Gharib dismounted and gave the horse to Kaylajan. Then he drew Al-Mahik and advanced to meet Ra’ad Shah a-foot, walking on till he faced the elephant. Now it was Ra’ad Shah’s wont, when he found himself overmatched by any brave, to mount an elephant, taking with him an implement called the lasso,58 which was in the shape of a net, wide at base and narrow at top with a running cord of silk passed through rings along its edges. With this he would attack horsemen and casting the meshes over them, draw the running noose and drag the rider off his horse and make him prisoner; and thus had he conquered many cavaliers. So, as Gharib came up to him, he raised his hand and, despreading the net over him, pulled him on to the back of the elephant and cried out to the beast to return to the Indian camp. But Kaylajan and Kurajan had not left Gharib and, when they beheld what had befallen their lord, they laid hold of the elephant, whilst Gharib strove with the net, till he rent it in sunder. Upon this the two Marids seized Ra’ad Shah and bound him with a cord of palm fibre. Then the two armies drove each at other and met with a shock like two seas crashing or two mountains together dashing, whilst the dust rose to the confines of the sky and blinded was every eye. The battle waxed fierce and fell, the blood ran in rills, nor did they cease to wage war with lunge of lance and sway of sword in lustiest way, till the day darkened and the night starkened, when the drums beat the retreat and the two hosts drew asunder.59 Now the Moslems were evilly entreated that day by reason of the riders on elephants and giraffes,60 and many of them were killed and most of the rest were wounded. This was grievous to Gharib who commanded the hurt to be medicined and turning to his Chief Officers, asked them what they counselled. Answered they, “O King, ’tis only the elephants and giraffes that irk us; were we but quit of them, we should overcome the enemy.” Quoth Kaylajan and Kurajan, “We twain will unsheath our swords and fall on them and slay the most part of them.” But there came forward a man of Oman, who had been privy counsellor to Jaland and said, “O King, I will be surety for the host, an thou wilt but hearken to me and follow my counsel.” Gharib turned to his Captains and said to them, “Whatsoever this wise man shall say to you that do.” — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

  When it was the Six Hundred and Sixty-fourth Night,

  She pursued, It hath reache
d me, O auspicious King, that when Gharib said to his Captains, “Whatsoever this wise man shall say to you, that do”; they replied, “Hearing and obeying!” So the Omani chose out ten captains and asked them, “How many braves have ye under your hands?”; and they answered, “Ten thousand fighting-men.” Then he carried them into the armoury and armed five thousand of them with harquebuses and other five thousand with cross bows and taught them to shoot with these new weapons.61 Now as soon as it was day, the Indians came out to the field, armed cap-à-pie, with the elephants, giraffes and champions in their van; whereupon Gharib and his men mounted and both hosts drew out and the big drums beat to battle. Then the man of Oman cried out to the archers and harquebusiers to shoot, and they plied the elephants and giraffes with shafts and leaden bullets, which entered the beasts’ flanks, whereat they roared out and turning upon their own ranks, trod them down with their hoofs. Presently the Moslems charged the Misbelievers and outflanked them right and left, whilst the elephants and giraffes trampled them and drove them into the hills and words, whither the Moslems followed hard upon them with the keen-edged sword and but few of the giraffes and elephants escaped. Then King Gharib and his folk returned, rejoicing in their victory; and on the morrow they divided the loot and rested five days; after which King Gharib sat down on the throne of his kingship and sending for his brother Ajib, said to him, “O dog, why hast thou assembled the Kings against us? But He who hath power over all things hath given us the victory over thee. So embrace the Saving Faith and thou shalt be saved, and I will forbear to avenge my father and mother on thee therefor, and I will make thee King again as thou wast, placing myself under thy hand.” But Ajib said, “I will not leave my faith.” So Gharib bade lay him in irons and appointed an hundred stalwart slaves to guard him; after which he turned to Ra’ad Shah and said to him, “How sayst thou of the faith of Al-Islam?” Replied he, “O my lord, I will enter thy faith; for, were it not a true Faith and a goodly, thou hadst not conquered us. Put forth thy hand and I will testify that there is no god but the God and that Abraham the Friend is the Apostle of God.” At this Gharib rejoiced and said to him, “Is thy heart indeed stablished in the sweetness of this Belief?” And he answered, saying, “Yes, O my lord!” Then quoth Gharib, “O Ra’ad Shah, wilt thou go to thy country and thy kingdom?” and quoth he, “O. my lord, my father will put me to death, for that I have left his faith.” Gharib rejoined, “I will go with thee and make thee king of the country and constrain the folk to obey thee, by the help of Allah the Bountiful, the Beneficent.” And Ra’ad Shah kissed his hands and feet. Then Gharib rewarded the counsellor who had caused the rout of the foe and gave him great wealth; after which he turned to Kaylajan and Kurajan, and said to them, “Harkye, Chiefs of the Jinn, ’tis my will that ye carry me, together with Ra’ad Shah and Jamrkan and Sa’adan to the land of Hind.” “We hear and we obey,” answered they. So Kurajan took up Jamrkan and Sa’adan, whilst Kaylajan took Gharib and Ra’ad Shah and made for the land of Hind. — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.