One Thousand and One Nights

by Richard Burton

  “Ply me and also my mate be plied * With pure wine prest in the

  olden tide.303

  Daughter of nobles304 they lead her forth305 * In

  raiment of goblets beautified.

  They belt her round with the brightest gems, * And pearls and

  unions, the Ocean’s pride;

  So I by these signs and signets know * Wherefore the Wine is

  entitled ‘Bride.’306 “

  And round about these vessels were confections and flowers, such as may not be surpassed. When Al-Rashid saw this from Khalif, he inclined to him and smiled upon him and invested him with an office; so Khalif wished him continuance of honour and endurance of days and said, “Will the Commander of the Faithful deign give me leave to bring him a singer, a lute-player her like was never heard among mortals ever?” Quoth the Caliph, “Thou art permitted!” So he kissed ground before him and going to a secret closet, called Kut al-Kulub, who came after she had disguised and falsed and veiled herself, tripping in her robes and trinkets; and she kissed ground before the Commander of the Faithful. Then she sat down and tuning the lute, touched its strings and played upon it, till all present were like to faint for excess of delight; after which she improvised these verses,

  “Would Heaven I wot, will ever Time bring our beloveds back

  again? * And, ah! will Union and its bliss to bless two

  lovers deign?

  Will Time assure to us united days and joinčd joy, * While from

  the storms and stowres of life in safety we remain?

  Then O Who bade this pleasure be, our parting past and gone, *

  And made one house our meeting-stead throughout the Nights

  contain;

  By him, draw near me, love, and closest cling to side of me *

  Else were my wearied wasted life, a vanity, a bane.”

  When the Caliph heard this, he could not master himself, but rent his raiment and fell down a-swoon; whereupon all who were present hastened to doff their dress and throw it over him, whilst Kut al-Kulub signed to Khalif and said to him, “Hie to yonder chest and bring us what is therein;” for she had made ready therein a suit of the Caliph’s wear against the like of such hour as this. So Khalif brought it to her and she threw it over the Commander of the Faithful, who came to himself and knowing her for Kut al- Kulub, said, “Is this the Day of Resurrection and hath Allah quickened those who are in the tombs; or am I asleep and is this an imbroglio of dreams?” Quoth Kut al-Kulub, “We are on wake, not on sleep, and I am alive, nor have I drained the cup of death.” Then she told him all that had befallen her, and indeed, since he lost her, life had not been light to him nor had sleep been sweet, and he abode now wondering, then weeping and anon afire for longing. When she had made an end of her story, the Caliph rose and took her by the hand, intending for her palace, after he had kissed her inner lips, and had strained her to his bosom; whereupon Khalif rose and said, “By Allah, O Commander of the Faithful! Thou hast already wronged me once, and now thou wrongest me again.” Quoth Al-Rashid, “Indeed thou speakest sooth, O Khalif,” and bade the Wazir Ja’afar give him what should satisfy him. So he straightway gifted him with all for which he wished and assigned him a village, the yearly revenues whereof were twenty thousand dinars. Moreover Kut al-Kulub generously presented him the house and all that was therein of furniture and hangings and white slaves and slave-girls and eunuchs great and small. So Khalif became possessed of this passing affluence and exceeding wealth and took him a wife, and prosperity taught him gravity and dignity, and good fortune overwhelmed him. The Caliph enrolled him among his equerries and he abode in all solace of life and its delights till he deceased and was admitted to the mercy of Allah. Furthermore they relate a tale anent307

  Richard Francis Burton’s translation: detailed table of contents

  MASRUR AND ZAYN AL-MAWASIF.308

  There was once in days of yore and in ages and times long gone before a man and a merchant Masrúr hight, who was of the comeliest of the folk of his tide, a wight of wealth galore and in easiest case; but he loved to take his pleasure in vergiers and flower-gardens and to divert himself with the love of the fair. Now it fortuned one night, as he lay asleep, he dreamt that he was in a garth of the loveliest, wherein were four birds, and amongst them a dove, white as polished silver. That dove pleased him and for her grew up in his heart an exceeding love. Presently, he beheld a great bird swoop down on him and snatch the dove from his hand, and this was grievous to him. After which he awoke and not finding the bird strave with his yearnings till morning, when he said in himself, “There is no help but that I go to-day to some one who will expound to me this vision.” — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

  When it was the Eight Hundred and Forty-sixth Night,

  She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the merchant awoke, he strave with his yearnings till morning when he said to himself, “There is no help but that I go this day to some one who will expound to me this vision.” So he went forth and walked right and left, till he was far from his dwelling-place, but found none to interpret the dream to him. Then he would have returned, but on his way behold, the fancy took him to turn aside to the house of a certain trader, a man of the wealthiest, and when he drew near to it, suddenly he heard from within a plaintive voice from a sorrowful heart reciting these couplets,

  “The breeze o’ Morn blows uswards from her trace * Fragrant, and

  heals the love-sick lover’s case.

  I stand like captive on the mounds and ask * While tears make

  answer for the ruined place:

  Quoth I, ‘By Allah, Breeze o’ Morning, say * Shall Time and

  Fortune aye this stead regrace?

  Shall I enjoy a fawn whose form bewitched * And langourous

  eyelids wasted frame and face?’”

  When Masrur heard this, he looked in through the doorway and saw a garden of the goodliest of gardens, and at its farther end a curtain of red brocade, purfled with pearls and gems, behind which sat four damsels, and amongst them a young lady over four feet and under five in height, as she were the rondure of the lune and the full moon shining boon: she had eyes Kohl’d with nature’s dye and joined eyebrows, a mouth as it were Solomon’s seal and lips and teeth bright with pearls and coral’s light; and indeed she ravished all wits with her beauty and loveliness and symmetry and perfect grace. When Masrur espied her, he entered the porch and went on entering till he came to the curtain: whereupon she raised her head and glanced at him. So he saluted her and she returned his salam with sweetest speech; and, when he considered her more straitly, his reason was dazed and his heart amazed. Then he looked at the garden and saw that it was full of jessamine and gilly flowers and violets and roses and orange blossoms and all manner sweet-scented blooms and herbs. Every tree was girt about with fruits and there coursed down water from four daďses, which faced one another and occupied the four corners of the garden. He looked at the first Líwán and found written around it with vermilion these two couplets,

  “Ho thou the House! Grief never home in thee; * Nor Time work

  treason on thine owner’s head:

  All good betide the House which every guest * Harbours, when sore

  distrest for way and stead!”

  Then he looked at the second daďs and found written thereon in red gold these couplets,

  “Robe thee, O House, in richest raiment Time, * Long as the

  birdies on the branchlets chime!

  And sweetest perfumes breathe within thy walls * And lover meet

  beloved in bliss sublime.

  And dwell thy dwellers all in joy and pride * Long as the

  wandering stars Heaven-hill shall climb.”

  Then he looked at the third, whereon he found written in ultramarine these two couplets,

  “Ever thy pomp and pride, O House! display * While starkeneth

  Night and shineth sheeny Day!

  Bo
on Fortune bless all entering thy walls, * And whomso dwell in

  thee, for ever and aye!”

  Then he looked at the fourth and saw painted in yellow characters this couplet,

  “This garden and this lake in truth * Are fair sitting-steads, by