One Thousand and One Nights

by Richard Burton

  “Within my heart is fire * Whichever flameth higher;

  Within my frame are pains * For skill of leach too dire.

  Live coals in vitals burn * And sparks from coal up spire:

  Tears flood mine eyes and down * Coursing my cheek ne’er tire:

  Only God’s aid and thine * I crave for my desire!”

  Then he was convulsed,147 and his teeth chattered and he fell down in a fit, squirming like a scotched snake. When Mu’awiyah heard his story and his verse, he said, “Marwan bin al- Hakam hath transgressed against the laws of the Faith and hath violated the Harim of True Believers!” — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

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

  She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Caliph Mu’awiyah heard the wild Arab’s words, he said, “The son of Al-Hakam hath indeed transgressed against the laws of the Faith and hath violated the Harim of True Believers,” presently adding, “O Arab, thou comest to me with a story, the like whereof I never heard!” Then he called for inkcase and paper and wrote to Marwan as follows, “Verily it hath reached me that thou transgresseth the laws of the Faith with regard to thy lieges. Now it behoveth the Wali who governeth the folk to keep his eyes from their lusts and stay his flesh from its delights.” And after he wrote many words, which (quoth he who told me the tale) I omit, for brevity’s sake, and amongst them these couplets,

  “Thou wast invested (woe to thee!)148 with rule for thee

  unfit; * Crave thou of Allah pardon for thy foul adultery.

  Th’ unhappy youth to us is come complaining ‘mid his groans * And

  asks for redress for parting-grief and saddened me through

  thee.

  An oath have I to Allah sworn shall never be forsworn; * Nay,

  for I’ll do what Faith and Creed command me to decree.

  An thou dare cross me in whate’er to thee I now indite * I of

  thy flesh assuredly will make the vulture free.

  Divorce Su’ad, equip her well, and in the hottest haste * With

  Al-Kumayt and Ziban’s son, hight Nasr, send to me.”

  Then he folded the letter and, sealing it with his seal, delivered it to Al-Kumayt149 and Nasr bin Zibán (whom he was wont to employ on weighty matters, because of their trustiness) who took the missive and carried it to Al-Medinah, where they went in to Marwan and saluting him delivered to him the writ and told him how the case stood. He read the letter and fell a-weeping; but he went in to Su’ad (as ’twas not in his power to refuse obedience to the Caliph) and, acquainting her with the case, divorced her in the presence of Al-Kumayt and Nasr; after which he equipped her and delivered her to them, together with a letter to the Caliph wherein he versified as follows,

  “Hurry not, Prince of Faithful Men! with best of grace thy vow

  * I will accomplish as ’twas vowed and with the gladdest

  gree.

  I sinned not adulterous sin when loved her I, then how * Canst

  charge me with advowtrous deed or any villainy?

  Soon comes to thee that splendid sun which hath no living peer

  * On earth, nor aught in mortal men or Jinns her like

  shalt see.”

  This he sealed with his own signet and gave to the messengers who returned with Su’ad to Damascus and delivered to Mu’awiyah the letter, and when he had read it he cried, “Verily, he hath obeyed handsomely, but he exceedeth in his praise of the woman.” Then he called for her and saw beauty such as he had never seen, for comeliness and loveliness, stature and symmetrical grace; moreover, he talked with her and found her fluent of speech and choice in words. Quoth he, “Bring me the Arab.” So they fetched the man, who came, sore disordered for shifts and changes of fortune, and Mu’awiyah said to him, “O Arab, an thou wilt freely give her up to me, I will bestow upon thee in her stead three slave girls, high-bosomed maids like moons, with each a thousand dinars; and I will assign thee on the Treasury such an annual sum as shall content thee and enrich thee.” When the Arab heard this, he groaned one groan and swooned away, so that Mu’awiyah thought he was dead; and, as soon as he revived, the Caliph said to him, “What aileth thee?” The Arab answered, “With heavy heart and in sore need have I appealed to thee from the injustice of Marwan bin al-Hakam; but to whom shall I appeal from thine injustice?” And he versified in these couplets,

  “Make me not (Allah save the Caliph!) one of the betrayed *

  Who from the fiery sands to fire must sue for help and

  aid:

  Deign thou restore Su’ád to this afflicted heart distraught, *

  Which every morn and eve by sorest sorrow is waylaid:

  Loose thou my bonds and grudge me not and give her back to me;

  * And if thou do so ne’er thou shalt for lack of thanks

  upbraid!”

  Then said he, “By Allah, O Commander of the Faithful, wert thou to give me all the riches contained in the Caliphate, yet would I not take them without Su’ad.” And he recited this couplet,

  “I love Su’ád and unto all but hers my love is dead, * Each morn I feel her love to me is drink and daily bread.”

  Quoth the Caliph, “Thou confessest to having divorced her and Marwan owned the like; so now we will give her free choice. An she choose other than thee, we will marry her to him, and if she choose thee, we will restore her to thee.” Replied the Arab, “Do so.” So Mu’awiyah said to her, “What sayest thou, O Su’ad? Which dost thou choose; the Commander of the Faithful, with his honour and glory and dominion and palaces and treasures and all else thou seest at this command, or Marwin bin al-Hakam with his violence and tyranny, or this Arab, with his hunger and poverty?” So she improvised these couplets,

  “This one, whom hunger plagues, and rags unfold, * Dearer than

  tribe and kith and kin I hold;

  Than crownèd head, or deputy Marwán, * Or all who boast of

  silver coins and gold.”

  Then said she, “By Allah, O Commander of the Faithful, I will not forsake him for the shifts of Fortune or the perfidies of Fate, there being between us old companionship we may not forget, and love beyond stay and let; and indeed ’tis but just that I bear with him in his adversity, even as I shared with him in prosperity.” The Caliph marvelled at her wit and love and constancy and, ordering her ten thousand dirhams, delivered her to the Arab, who took his wife and went away.150 And they likewise tell a tale of

  Richard Francis Burton’s translation: detailed table of contents

  THE LOVERS OF BASSORAH.

  The Caliph Harun al-Rashid was sleepless one night; so he sent for Al-Asma’i and Husayn al-Khalí‘a151 and said to them, “Tell me a story you twain and do thou begin, O Husayn.” He said, “’Tis well, O Commander of the Faithful;” and thus began: Some years ago, I dropped down stream to Bassorah, to present to Mohammed bin Sulayman al-Rabí‘í152 a Kasidah or elegy I had composed in his praise; and he accepted it and bade me abide with him. One day, I went out to Al-Mirbad,153 by way of Al-Muháliyah;154 and, being oppressed by the excessive heat, went up to a great door, to ask for drink, when I was suddenly aware of a damsel, as she were a branch swaying, with eyes languishing, eye brows arched and finely pencilled and smooth cheeks rounded clad in a shift the colour of a pomegranate flower, and a mantilla of Sana’á155 work; but the perfect whiteness of her body overcame the redness of her shift, through which glittered two breasts like twin granadoes and a waist, as it were a roll of fine Coptic linen, with creases like scrolls of pure white paper stuffed with musk 156 Moreover, O Prince of True Believers, round her neck was slung an amulet of red gold that fell down between her breasts, and on the plain of her forehead were browlocks like jet.157 Her eyebrows joined and her eyes were like lakes; she had an aquiline nose and thereunder shell-like lips showing teeth like pearls. Pleasantness prevailed in every part of her; but she seemed dejected, disturbed, distracted and in the vestibule came and went, w
alking upon the hearts of her lovers, whilst her legs158 made mute the voices of their ankle-rings; and indeed she was as saith the poet,

  “Each portion of her charms we see * Seems of the whole a simile”

  I was overawed by her, O Commander of the Faithful, and drew near her to greet her, and behold, the house and vestibule and highways breathed fragrant with musk. So I saluted her and she returned my salaam with a voice dejected and heart depressed and with the ardour of passion consumed. Then said I to her, “O my lady, I am an old man and a stranger and sore troubled by thirst. Wilt thou order me a draught of water, and win reward in heaven?” She cried, “Away, O Shaykh, from me! I am distracted from all thought of meat and drink.” — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

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

  She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the damsel said, “O Shaykh, I am distracted from all thought of meat and drink.” Quoth I (continued Husayn), “By what ailment, O my lady?” and quoth she, “I love one who dealeth not justly by me and I desire one who of me will none. Wherefore I am afflicted with the wakefulness of those who wake star-gazing.” I asked, “O my lady, is there on the wide expanse of earth one to whom thou hast a mind and who to thee hath no mind?” Answered she, “Yes; and this for the perfection of beauty and loveliness and goodliness wherewith he is endowed.” “And why standeth thou in this porch?” enquired I. “This is his road,” replied she, “and the hour of his passing by.” I said, “O my lady, have ye ever foregathered and had such commerce and converse as might cause this passion?” At this she heaved a deep sigh; the tears rained down her cheeks, as they were dew falling upon roses, and she versified with these couplets,

  “We were like willow-boughs in garden shining * And scented

  joys in happiest life combining;

  Whenas one bough from other self would rend * And oh! thou

  seest this for that repining!”

  Quoth I, “O maid, and what betideth thee of thy love for this man?”; and quoth she, “I see the sun upon the walls of his folk and I think the sun is he; or haply I catch sight of him unexpectedly and am confounded and the blood and the life fly my body and I abide in unreasoning plight a week or e’en a se’nnight.” Said I, “Excuse me, for I also have suffered that which is upon thee of love-longing and distraction of soul and wasting of frame and loss of strength; and I see in thee pallor of complexion and emaciation, such as testify of the fever-fits of desire. But how shouldst thou be unsmitten of passion and thou a sojourner in the land of Bassorah?” Said she, “By Allah, before I fell in love of this youth, I was perfect in beauty and loveliness and amorous grace which ravished all the Princes of Bassorah, till he fell in love with me.” I asked, “O maid, and who parted you?”; and she answered, “The vicissitudes of fortune, but the manner of our separation was strange; and ’twas on this wise. One New Year’s day I had invited the damsels of Bassorah and amongst them a girl belonging to Siran, who had bought her out of Oman for four score thousand dirhams. She loved me and loved me to madness and when she entered she threw herself upon me and well nigh tore me in pieces with bites and pinches.159 Then we withdrew apart, to drink wine at our ease, till our meat was ready160 and our delight was complete, and she toyed with me and I with her, and now I was upon her and now she was upon me. Presently, the fumes of the wine moved her to strike her hand on the inkle of my petticoat-trousers, whereby it became loosed, unknown of either of us, and my trousers fell down in our play. At this moment he came in unobserved and, seeing me thus, was wroth at the sight and made off, as the Arab filly hearing the tinkle of her bridle.” — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

  When it was the Six Hundred and Ninety-fifth Night,

  She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the maiden said to Husayn al-Khali’a, “When my lover saw me playing, as I described to thee, with Siran’s girl, he went forth in anger. And ’tis now, O Shaykh, three years ago, and since then I have never ceased to excuse myself to him and coax him and crave his indulgence, but he will neither cast a look at me from the corner of his eye, nor write me a word nor speak to me by messenger nor hear from me aught.” Quoth I, “Harkye maid, is he an Arab or an Ajam?”; and quoth she, “Out on thee! He is of the Princes of Bassorah.” “Is he old or young?” asked I; and she looked at me laughingly and answered, “Thou art certainly a simpleton! He is like the moon on the night of its full, smooth-cheeked and beardless, nor is there any defect in him except his aversion to me.” Then I put the question, “What is his name?” and she replied, “What wilt thou do with him?” I rejoined, “I will do my best to come at him, that I may bring about reunion between you.” Said she, “I will tell thee on condition that thou carry him a note;” and I said “I have no objection to that.” Then quoth she, “His name is Zamrah bin al-Mughayrah, hight Abú al-Sakhá,161 and his palace is in the Mirbad.” Therewith she called to those within for inkcase and paper and tucking up162 her sleeves, showed two wrists like broad rings of silver. She then wrote after the Basmalah as follows, “My lord, the omission of blessings163 at the head of this my letter shows mine insufficiency, and know that had my prayer been answered, thou hadst never left me; for how often have I prayed that thou shouldest not leave me, and yet thou didst leave me! Were it not that distress with me exceedeth the bounds of restraint, that which thy servant hath forced herself to do in writing this writ were an aidance to her, despite her despair of thee, because of her knowledge of thee that thou wilt fail to answer. Do thou fulfil her desire, my lord, of a sight of thee from the porch, as thou passest in the street, wherewith thou wilt quicken the dead soul in her. Or, far better for her still than this, do thou write her a letter with thine own hand (Allah endow it with all excellence!), and appoint it in requital of the intimacy that was between us in the nights of time past, whereof thou must preserve the memory. My lord, was I not to thee a lover sick with passion? An thou answer my prayer, I will give to thee thanks and to Allah praise; and so The Peace!”164 Then she gave me the letter and I went away. Next morning I repaired to the door of the Viceroy Mohammed bin Sulayman, where I found an assembly of the notables of Bassorah, and amongst them a youth who adorned the gathering and surpassed in beauty and brightness all who were there; and indeed the Emir Mohammed set him above himself. I asked who he was and behold, it was Zamrah himself: so I said in my mind, “Verily, there hath befallen yonder unhappy one that which hath befallen her165 !” Then I betook myself to the Mirbad and stood waiting at the door of his house, till he came riding up in state, when I accosted him and invoking more than usual blessings on him, handed him the missive. When he read it and understood it he said to me, “O Shaykh, we have taken other in her stead. Say me, wilt thou see the substitute?” I answered, “Yes.” Whereupon he called out a woman’s name, and there came forth a damsel who shamed the two greater lights; swelling-breasted, walking the gait of one who hasteneth without fear, to whom he gave the note, saying, “Do thou answer it.” When she read it, she turned pale at the contents and said to me, “ O old man, crave pardon of Allah for this that thou hast brought.” So I went out, O Commander of the Faithful, dragging my feet and returning to her asked leave to enter. When she saw me, she asked, “What is behind thee?”; and I answered, “Evil and despair.” Quoth she, “Have thou no concern of him. Where are Allah and His power?”166 Then she ordered me five hundred dinars and I took them and went away. Some days after I passed by the place and saw there horsemen and footmen. So I went in and lo! these were the companions of Zamrah, who were begging her to return to him; but she said, “No, by Allah, I will not look him in the face!” And she prostrated herself in gratitude to Allah and exultation over Zamrah’s defeat. Then I drew near her, and she pulled out to me a letter, wherein was written, after the Bismillah, “My lady, but for my forbearance towards thee (whose life Allah lengthen!) I would relate somewhat of what betided from thee and set
out my excuse, in that thou transgressedst against me, whenas thou wast manifestly a sinner against thyself and myself in breach of vows and lack of constancy and preference of another over us; for, by Allah, on whom we call for help against that which was of thy free will, thou didst transgress against the love of me; and so The Peace!” Then she showed me the presents and rarities he had sent her, which were of the value of thirty thousand dinars. I saw her again after this, and Zamrah had married her. Quoth Al-Rashid, “Had not Zamrah been beforehand with us, I should certainly have had to do with her myself.”167 And men tell the tale of