One Thousand and One Nights

by Richard Burton

  Passion homes in our inmost, nor will be quenched * The fire of

  yearning in vitals li’en:

  Your love has housčd in heart of me * And of issue but you see I

  ne’er a sign:

  Then haply you’ll pity this hapless wight * Thy sad lover and

  then — O the Morn divine!”

  When Zayn al-Mawasif heard his verses, she cast at him a glance of eyes, that bequeathed him a thousand regrets and sighs and his wits and soul were ravished in such wise, and answered him with these couplets321 ,

  “Think not from her, of whom thou art enamoured aye * To win

  delight; so put desire from thee away.

  Leave that thou hop’st, for ‘gainst her rigours whom thou lov’st

  * Among the fair, in vain is all thou canst essay.

  My looks to lovers bring discomfiture and woe: Indeed, * I make

  no count of that which thou dost say.”

  When Masrur heard this, he hardened his heart and took patience concealing his case and saying in himself, “There is nothing for it against calamity save long-suffering;” and after this fashion they abode till nightfall when Zayn al-Mawasif called for food and they set before her a tray wherein were all manner of dishes, quails and pigeons and mutton and so forth, whereof they ate their sufficiency. Then she bade take away the tables and they did so and fetched the lavatory gear; and they washed their hands, after which she ordered her women to bring the candlesticks, and they set on candelabra and candles therein of camphorated wax. Thereupon quoth Zayn al-Mawasif, “By Allah, my breast is straitened this night and I am afevered;” and quoth Masrur, “Allah broaden thy breast and banish thy bane!” Then she said, “O Masrur, I am used to play at chess: say me, knowest aught of the game?” He replied, “Yes; I am skilled therein;” whereupon she commanded her handmaid Hubub fetch her the chessboard. So she went away and presently returning with the board, set it before her, and behold, it was of ivory-marquetried ebony with squares marked in glittering gold, and its pieces of pearl and ruby. — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

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

  She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Zayn al-Mawasif bade the chessboard be brought, they set it between her hands; and Masrur was amazed at this, when she turned to him and said, “Wilt have red or white?” He replied, “O Princess of the fair and adornment of morning air, do thou take the red for they formous are and fitter for the like of thee to bear and leave the white to my care.” Answered she, “So be it;” and, taking the red pieces, ranged them opposite the white, then put out her hand to a piece purposing the first pass into the battle-plain. Masrur considered her fingers, which were white as paste, and was confounded at their beauty and shapely shape; whereupon she turned to him and said, “O Masrur, be not bedazed, but take patience and calm thyself.” He rejoined, “O thou whose beauty shameth the moon, how shall a lover look on thee and have patience-boon?” And while this was doing she cried, “Checkmate322 !” and beat him; wherefore she knew that he was Jinn-mad for love of her and said to him, “O Masrur, I will not play with thee save for a set stake.” He replied, “I hear and obey,” and she rejoined, “Swear to me and I will swear to thee that neither of us will cheat323 the adversary.” So both sware this and she said, “O Masrur, an I beat thee, I will have ten dinars of thee, but an thou beat me, I will give thee a mere nothing.” He expected to win, so he said, “O my lady, be not false to thine oath, for I see thou art an overmatch for me at this game!” “Agreed,” said she and they ranged their men and fell again to playing and pushing on their pawns and catching them up with the queens and aligning and matching them with the castles and solacing them with the onslaught of the knights. Now the “Adornment of Qualities” wore on head a kerchief of blue brocade so she loosed it off and tucking up her sleeve, showed a wrist like a shaft of light and passed her palm over the red pieces, saying to him, “Look to thyself.” But he was dazzled at her beauty, and the sight of her graces bereft him of reason, so that he became dazed and amazed and put out his hand to the white men, but it alit upon the red. Said she, “O Masrur, where be thy wits? The red are mine and the white thine;” and he replied, “Whoso looketh at thee perforce loseth all his senses.” Then, seeing how it was with him, she took the white from him and gave him the red, and they played and she beat him. He ceased not to play with her and she to beat him, whilst he paid her each time ten dinars, till, knowing him to be distraught for love of her, she said, “O Masrur, thou wilt never win to thy wish, except thou beat me, for such was our understanding; and henceforth, I will not play with thee save for a stake of an hundred dinars a game.” “With love and gladness,” answered he and she went on playing and ever beating him and he paid her an hundred dinars each time; and on this wise they abode till the morning, without his having won a single game, when he suddenly sprang to his feet. Quoth she, “What wilt thou do, O Masrur?”; and quoth he, “I mean to go to my lodging and fetch somewhat of money: it may be I shall come to my desire.” “Do whatso seemeth good to thee,” said she; so he went home and taking all the money he had, returned to her improvising these two couplets,

  “In dream I saw a bird o’er speed (meseem’d), * Love’s garden

  decked with blooms that smiled and gleamed:

  But I shall ken, when won my wish and will * Of thee, the

  truthful sense of what I dreamed.”

  Now when Masrur returned to her with all his monies they fell a-playing again; but she still beat him and he could not beat her once; and in such case they abode three days, till she had gotten of him the whole of his coin; whereupon said she, “O Masrur, what wilt thou do now?”; and he replied, “I will stake thee a druggist’s shop.” “What is its worth?” asked she; and he answered, “Five hundred dinars.” So they played five bouts and she won the shop of him. Then he betted his slave-girls, lands, houses, gardens, and she won the whole of them, till she had gotten of him all he had; whereupon she turned to him and said, “Hast thou aught left to lay down?” Cried he, “By Him who made me fall into the snare of thy love, I have neither money to touch nor aught else left, little or much!” She rejoined, “O Masrur, the end of whatso began in content shall not drive man to repent; wherefore, an thou regret aught, take back thy good and begone from us about thy business and I will hold thee quit towards me.” Masrur rejoined, “By Him who decreed these things to us, though thou sought to take my life ‘twere a wee thing to stake for thine approof, because I love none but thee!” Then said she, “O Masrur, fare forthright and fetch the Kazi and the witnesses and make over to me by deed all thy lands and possessions.” “Willingly,” replied he and, going forth without stay or delay, brought the Kazi and the witnesses and set them before her. When the judge saw her, his wits fled and his mind was amazed and his reason was dazed for the beauty of her fingers, and he said to her, “O my lady, I will not write out the writ of conveyance, save upon condition that thou buy the lands and mansions and slave-girls and that they all pass under thy control and into thy possession.” She rejoined, “We’re agreed upon that. Write me a deed, whereby all Masrur’s houses and lands and slave-girls and whatso his right hand possesseth shall pass to Zayn al-Mawasif and become her property at such a price.” So the Kazi wrote out the writ and the witnesses set hands thereto; whereupon she took it. — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

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

  She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Zayn al-Mawasif took from the Kazi the deed which made over her lover’s property to her, she said to him, “O Masrur, now gang thy gait.” But her slave-girl Hubub turned to him and said, “Recite us some verses.” So he improvised upon that game of chess these couplets,

  “Of Time and what befel me I complain, * Mourning my loss by

  chess and eyes of bane.

  For love of gentlest
, softest-sided fair * Whose like is not of

  maids or mortal strain:

  The shafts of glances from those eyne who shot * And led her

  conquering host to battle-plain

  Red men and white men and the clashing Knights * And, crying

  ‘Look to thee!’ came forth amain:

  And, when down charging, finger-tips she showed * That gloomed

  like blackest night for sable stain,

  The Whites I could not rescue, could not save * While ecstasy

  made tear-floods rail and rain:

  The Pawns and Castles with their Queens fell low * And fled the

  Whites nor could the brunt sustain:

  Yea, with her shaft of glance at me she shot * And soon that

  shaft had pierced my heart and brain:

  She gave me choice between her hosts, and I * The Whites like

  moonlight first to choose was fain,

  Saying, ‘This argent folk best fitteth me * I love them, but the

  Red by thee be ta’en!’

  She playčd me for free accepted stake * Yet amorous mercy I could

  ne’er obtain:

  O fire of heart, O pine and woe of me, * Wooing a fair like moon

  mid starry train:

  Burns not my heart O no! nor aught regrets * Of good or land, but

  ah! her eyes’ disdain!

  Amazed I’m grown and dazed for drearihead * And blame I Time who

  brought such pine and pain.

  Quoth she, ‘Why art thou so bedazed!’ quoth I * ‘Wine-drunken

  wight shall more of wine assain?’

  That mortal stole my sense by silk-soft shape, * Which doth for

  heart-core hardest rock contain.

  I nervčd self and cried, ‘This day she’s mine’ * By bet, nor fear

  I prove she unhumŕne:

  My heart ne’er ceased to seek possession, till * Beggared I found

  me for conditions twain:

  Will youth you loveth shun the Love-dealt blow, * Tho’ were he

  whelmed in Love’s high-surging main?

  So woke the slave sans e’en a coin to turn, * Thralled to repine

  for what he ne’er shall gain!”

  Zayn al-Mawasif hearing these words marvelled at the eloquence of his tongue and said to him, “O Masrur, leave this madness and return to thy right reason and wend thy ways; for thou hast wasted all thy moveables and immoveables at the chess-game, yet hast not won thy wish, nor hast thou any resource or device whereby thou mayst attain to it.” But he turned to her and said, “O my lady, ask of me whatso thou wilt and thou shalt have it; for I will bring it to thee and lay it at thy feet.” Answered she, “O Masrur, thou hast no money left.” “O goal of all hopes, if I have no money, the folk will help me.” “Shall the giver turn asker?” “I have friends and kinsfolk, and whatsoever I seek of them, they will give me.” “O Masrur, I will have of thee four pods of musk and four vases of civet324 and four pounds of ambergris and four thousand dinars and four hundred pieces of royal brocade, purfled with gold. An thou bring me these things, O Masrur, I will grant thee my favours.” “This is a light matter to me, O thou that puttest the moons to shame,” replied he and went forth to fetch her what she sought. She sent her maid Hubub after him, to see what worth he had with the folk of whom he had spoken to her; but, as he walked along the highways he turned and seeing her afar off, waited till she came up to him and said to her, “Whither away, O Hubub?” So she said to him, “My mistress sent me to follow for this and that,” and he replied, “By Allah, O Hubub, I have nothing to hand!” She asked, “Then why didst thou promise her?”; and he answered, “How many a promise made is unkept of its maker! Fine words in love-matters needs must be.” When she heard this from him, she said, “O Masrur, be of good cheer and eyes clear for, by Allah, most assuredly I will be the means of thy coming to enjoy her!” Then she left him nor ceased walking till she stood before her mistress weeping with sore weeping, and said, “O my lady, indeed he is a man of great consideration, and good repute among the folk.” Quoth Zayn al-Mawasif, “There is no device against the destiny of Almighty Allah! Verily, this man found not in me a pitiful heart, for that I despoiled him of his substance and he got of me neither affection nor complaisance in granting him amorous joy; but, if I incline to his inclination, I fear lest the thing be bruited abroad.” Quoth Hubub, “O my lady, verily, grievous upon us is his present plight and the loss of his good and thou hast with thee none save thyself and thy slave-girl Sukub; so which of us two would dare prate of thee, and we thy handmaids?” With this, she bowed her head for a while ground-wards and the damsels said to her, “O my lady, it is our rede that thou send after him and show him grace and suffer him not ask of the sordid; for how bitter is such begging!” So she accepted their counsel and calling for inkcase and paper, wrote him these couplets,

  “Joy is nigh, O Masrúr, so rejoice in true rede; * Whenas night

  shall fall thou shalt do kind-deed:

  Crave not of the sordid a loan, fair youth, * Wine stole my wits

  but they now take heed:

  All thy good I reft shall return to thee, * O Masrúr, and I’ll

  add to them amorous meed;

  For indeed th’ art patient, and sweet of soul * When wronged by

  thy lover’s tyrannic greed.

  So haste to enjoy us and luck to thee! * Lest my folk come

  between us speed, love, all speed!

  Hurry uswards thou, nor delay, and while * My mate is far, on

  Love’s fruit come feed.”

  Then she folded the paper and gave it to Hubub the handmaid, who carried it to Masrur and found him weeping and reciting in a transport of passion and love-longing these lines,

  “A breeze of love on my soul did blow * That consumed my liver

  for stress of lowe;

  When my sweetheart went all my longings grew; * And with tears in

  torrent mine eyelids flow:

  Such my doubt and fears, did I tell their tale * To deaf rocks

  and pebbles they’d melt for woe.

  Would Heaven I wot shall I sight delight, * And shall win my wish

  and my friend shall know!

  Shall be folded up nights that doomed us part * And I be healed

  of what harms my heart?”

  — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

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

  She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that while Masrur, transported by passion and love-longing, was repeating his couplets in sing-song tone Hubub knocked at his door; so he rose and opened to her, and she entered and gave him the letter. He read it and said to her, “O Hubub, what is behind thee of thy lady’s news325 ?” She answered, “O my lord, verily, in this letter is that dispenseth me from reply, for thou art of those who readily descry!” Thereat he rejoiced with joy exceeding and repeated these two couplets,

  “Came the writ whose contents a new joy revealed, * Which in

  vitals mine I would keep ensealed:

  And my longings grew when I kissed that writ, * As were pearl of

  passion therein concealed.”

  Then he wrote a letter answering hers and gave it to Hubub, who took it and returned with it to her mistress and forthright fell to extolling his charms to her and expiating on his good gifts and generosity; for she was become a helper to him, to bring about his union with her lady. Quoth Zayn al-Mawasif, “O Hubub, indeed he tarrieth to come to us;” and quoth Hubub, “He will certainly come soon.” Hardly had she made an end of speaking when behold, he knocked at the door, and she opened to him and brought him in to her mistress, who saluted him with the salam326 and welcomed him and seated him by her side. Then she said to Hubub, “Bring me a suit of brocade;” so she brought a robe broidered with gold and Zayn al-Mawasif threw it over him, whilst she herself donned one of the richest dresses and crowned her head with a net of pearls of
the freshest water. About this she bound a fillet of brocade, purfled with pearls, jacinths and other jewels, from beneath which she let down two tresses327 each looped with a pendant of ruby, charactered with glittering gold, and she loosed her hair, as it were the sombrest night; and lastly she incensed herself with aloes-wood and scented herself with musk and ambergris, and Hubub said to her, “Allah save thee from the evil eye!” Then she began to walk, swaying from side to side with gracefullest gait, whilst Hubub who excelled in verse-making, recited in her honour these couplets,

  “Shamed is the bough of Bán by pace of her; * And harmed are

  lovers by the gaze of her.

  A moon she rose from murks, the hair of her, * A sun from locks

  the brow encase of her:

  Blest he she nights with by the grace of her, * Who dies in her

  with oath by days of her!”

  So Zayn al-Mawasif thanked her and went up to Masrur, as she were full moon displayed. But when he saw her, he rose to his feet and exclaimed, “An my thought deceive me not, she is no human, but one of the brides of Heaven!” Then she called for food and they brought a table, about whose marge were written these couplets,328

  “Dip thou with spoons in saucers four and gladden heart and eye *

  With many a various kind of stew and fricassee and fry.

  Thereon fat quails (ne’er shall I cease to love and tender them)

  * And rails and fowls and dainty birds of all the kinds that

  fly.

  Glory to God for the Kabobs, for redness all aglow, * And

  potherbs, steeped in vinegar, in porringers thereby!

  Fair fall the rice with sweet milk dressed, wherein the hands did

  plunge * And eke the forearms of the fair were buried,

  bracelet-high!

  How my heart yearneth with regret over two plates of fish * That

  by two manchet-cakes of bread of Tewarij329 did lie!”

  Then they ate and drank and made mirth and merriment, after which the servants removed the table of food and set on the wine service; so cup and tasse330 passed round between them and they were gladdened in soul. Then Masrur filled the cup and saying, “O whose thrall am I and who is my mistress!”331 chanted these improvised couplets,