One Thousand and One Nights

by Richard Burton

  When it was the Eight Hundred and Fifty-third Night,

  She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Zayn al-Mawasif’s husband said to Masrur, “Excuse me awhile, till I fetch my cousins to witness the brother-bond between me and thee.” Then he went forth and, privily returning behind the sitting-room, there took his station hard by a window which gave upon the saloon and whence he could watch them without their seeing him. Suddenly quoth Zayn al-Mawasif to her maid Sukub, “Whither is thy master gone?”; and quoth she, “He is gone without the house.” Cried the mistress, “Lock the door and bar it with iron and open thou not till he knock, after thou hast told me.” Answered Sukub, “So shall it be done.” Then, while her husband watched them, she rose and filling a cup with wine, flavoured with powdered musk and rose-water, went close to Masrur, who sprang up to meet her, saying, “By Allah, the water of thy mouth is sweeter than this wine!” “Here it is for thee,” said she and filling her mouth with wine, gave him to drink thereof, whilst he gave her the like to drink; after which she sprinkled him with rose-water from front to foot, till the perfume scented the whole place. All this while, the Jew was looking on and marvelling at the stress of love that was between them, and his heart was filled with fury for what he saw and he was not only wroth, but jealous with exceeding jealousy. Then he went out again and coming to the door found it locked and knocked a loud knock of the excess of his rage; whereupon quoth Sukub, “O my lady, here is my master;” and quoth Zayn al-Mawasif, “Open to him; would that Allah had not brought him back in safety!” So Sukub went and opened the door to the Jew, who said to her, “What ailed thee to lock the door?” Quoth she, “It hath never ceased to be locked thus during thine absence; nor hath it been opened night nor day;” and cried he, “Thou hast done well; this pleaseth me.” Then he went in to Masrur, laughing and dissembling his chagrin, and said to him, “O Masrur, let us put off the conclusion of our pact of brotherhood this day and defer it to another.” Replied Masrur, “As thou wilt,” and hied him home, leaving the Jew pondering his case and knowing not what to do; for his heart was sore troubled and he said in himself, “Even the mocking-bird disowneth me and the slave-girls shut the door in my face and favour another.” And of his exceeding chagrin, he fell to reciting these couplets,

  “Masrur joys life made fair by all delight of days, * Fulfilled

  of boons, while mine the sorest grief displays.

  The Days have falsed me in the breast of her I love * And in my

  heart are fires which all-consuming blaze:

  Yea, Time was clear for thee, but now ’tis past and gone * While

  yet her lovely charms thy wit and senses daze:

  Espied these eyes of mine her gifts of loveliness: * Oh, hard my

  case and sore my woe on spirit weighs!

  I saw the maiden of the tribe deal rich old wine * Of lips like

  Salsabíl to friend my love betrays:

  E’en so, O mocking-bird, thou dost betray my breast * And to a

  rival teachest Love and lover-ways:

  Strange things indeed and wondrous saw these eyne of me * Which

  were they sleep-drowned still from Sleep’s abyss would raise:

  I see my best belovčd hath forsworn my love * And eke like my

  mocking-bird fro’ me a-startled strays.

  By truth of Allah, Lord of Worlds who, whatso wills * His Fate,

  for creatures works and none His hest gainsays,

  Forsure I’ll deal to that ungodly wight his due * Who but to sate

  his wicked will her heart withdrew!”

  When Zayn al-Mawasif heard this, her side-muscles trembled and quoth she to her handmaid, “Heardest thou those lines?”; whereupon quoth the girl, “I never heard him in my born days recite the like of these verses; but let him say what he will.” Then having assured himself of the truth of his suspicions, the Jew began to sell all his property, saying to himself, “Unless I part them by removing her from her mother land the twain will not turn back from this that they are engaged in, no, never!” So, when he had converted all his possessions into coin, he forged a letter and read it to Zayn al-Mawasif, declaring that it had come from his kinsmen, who invited him to visit them, him and his wife. She asked, “How long shall we tarry with them?” and he answered, “Twelve days.” Accordingly she consented to this and said, “Shall I take any of my maids with me?”; whereto he replied, “Take Hubub and Sukub and leave Khutub here.” Then he made ready a handsome camel-litter349 for his spouse and her women and prepared to set out with them; whilst she sent to her leman, telling him what had betided her and saying, “O Masrur, an the trysting-time350 that is between us pass and I come not back, know that he hath cheated and cozened us and planned a plot to separate us each from other, so forget thou not the plighted faith betwixt us, for I fear that he hath found out our love and I dread his craft and perfidy.” Then, whilst her man was busy about his march she fell a-weeping and lamenting and no peace was left her, night or day. Her husband saw this, but took no note thereof; and when she saw there was scant help for it, she gathered together her clothes and gear and deposited them with her sister, telling her what had befallen her. Then she farewelled her and going out from her, drowned in tears, returned to her own house, where she found her husband had brought the camels and was busy loading them, having set apart the handsomest dromedary for her riding, and when she saw this and knew that needs must she be separated from Masrur, she waxt clean distraught. Presently it chanced that the Jew went out on some business of his; so she fared forth to the first or outer door and wrote thereon these couplets, — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

  When it was the Eight Hundred and Fifty-fourth Night,

  She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Zayn al-Mawasif saw her spouse summon the camels and knew that the march needs must be, she waxt clean distraught. Presently it chanced that the Jew went out on some business so she fared forth to the first door and wrote thereon these couplets,

  “Bear our salams, O Dove, from this our stead * From lover to

  beloved far severčd!

  Bid him fro’ me ne’er cease to yearn and mourn * O’er happy days

  and hours for ever fled:

  Eke I in grief shall ever mourn and yearn, * Dwelling on days of

  love and lustihead;

  Long was our joyance, seeming aye to last, * When night and

  morning to reunion led;

  Till croaked the Raven351 of the Wold one day * His cursed

  croak and did our union dead.

  We sped and left the homestead dark and void * Its gates

  unpeopled and its dwellers sped.”

  Then she went to the second door and wrote thereon these couplets,

  “O who passest this doorway, by Allah, see * The charms of my

  fere in the glooms and make plea

  For me, saying, ‘I think of the Past and weep * Yet boot me no

  tears flowing full and free.’

  Say, ‘An fail thee patience for what befel * Scatter earth and

  dust on the head of thee!

  And o’er travel lands East and West, and deem * God sufficeth thy

  case, so bear patiently!’”

  Then she went to the third door and wept sore and thereon wrote these couplets,

  “Fare softly, Masrúr! an her sanctuary * Thou seek, and read what

  a-door writ she.

  Ne’er forget Love-plight, if true man; how oft * Hast savoured

  Nights’ bitter and sweetest gree!

  O Masrúr! forget not her neighbourhood * For wi’ thee must her

  gladness and joyance flee!

  But beweep those dearest united days * When thou camest veilčd in

  secresy;

  Wend for sake of us over farthest wone; * Span the wold for us,

  for us dive in sea;

  Allah bless the past days! Ah, how glad they were * When in

&
nbsp; Gardens of Fancy the flowers pluckt we!

  The nights of Union from us are fled * And parting-glooms dim

  their radiancy;

  Ah! had this lasted as hopčd we, but * He left only our breasts

  and the rosery.

  Will revolving days on Re-union dawn? * Then our vow to the Lord

  shall accomplisht be.

  Learn thou our lots are in hand of Him * Who on lines of

  skull352 writes our destiny!”

  Then she wept with sore weeping and returned to the house, wailing and remembering what had passed and saying, “Glory be to God who hath decreed to us this!” And her affliction redoubled for severance from her beloved and her departure from her mother-land, and she recited these couplets,

  “Allah’s peace on thee, House of Vacancy! * Ceased in thee all

  our joys, all our jubilee.

  O thou Dove of the homestead, ne’er cease to bemoan * Whose moons

  and full moons353 sorest severance dree:

  Masrúr, fare softly and mourn our loss; * Loving thee our eyes

  lose their brilliancy:

  Would thy sight had seen, on our marching day, * Tears shed by a

  heart in Hell’s flagrancy!

  Forget not the plight in the garth-shade pledged * When we sat

  enveiléd in privacy:”

  Then she presented herself before her husband, who lifted her into the litter he had let make for her; and, when she found herself on the camel’s back, she recited these couplets,

  “The Lord, empty House! to thee peace decree * Long we bore

  therein growth of misery:

  Would my life-thread were shorn in that safe abode * And o’ night

  I had died in mine ecstasy!

  Home-sickness I mourn, and my strangerhood * Irks my soul, nor

  the riddle of future I ree.

  Would I wot shall I ever that house resee * And find it, as erst,

  home of joy and glee!”

  Said her husband, “O Zayn al-Mawasif grieve not for thy departure from thy dwelling; for thou shalt return to it ere long Inshallah!” And he went on to comfort her heart and soothe her sorrow. Then all set out and fared on till they came without the town and struck into the high road, whereupon she knew that separation was certain and this was very grievous to her. And while such things happened Masrur sat in his quarters, pondering his case and that of his mistress, and his heart forewarned him of severance. So he rose without stay and delay and repairing to her house, found the outer door padlocked and read the couplets she had written thereon; upon which he fell down in a fainting fit. When he came to himself, he opened the first door and entering, read what was written upon the second and likewise upon the third doors; wherefore passion and love-longing and distraction grew on him. So he went forth and hastened in her track, till he came up with the light caravan354 and found her at the rear, whilst her husband rode in the van, because of his merchandise. When he saw her, he clung to the litter, weeping and wailing for the anguish of parting, and recited these couplets,

  “Would I wot for what crime shot and pierced are we * Thro’ the

  days with Estrangement’s archery!

  O my heart’s desire, to thy door I came * One day, when high waxt

  mine expectancy:

  But I found the home waste as the wold and void * And I ‘plained

  my pine and groaned wretchedly:

  And I asked the walls of my friends who fared * With my heart in

  pawn and in pendency;

  And they said, ‘All marched from the camp and left *An ambushed

  sorrow on hill and lea;’

  And a writ on the walls did they write, as write * Folk who keep

  their faith while the Worlds are three.”

  Now when Zayn al-Mawasif heard these lines, she knew that it was Masrur. — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

  When it was the Eight Hundred and Fifty-fifth Night,

  She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Zayn al-Mawasif heard these lines she knew that it was Masrur and wept, she and her handmaids, and said to him, “O Masrur, I conjure thee by Allah, turn back, lest my husband see us twain together!” At her words he swooned away; and when he revived, they took leave each of other and he recited the following couplets,

  “The Caravan-chief calleth loud o’ night * Ere the Breeze bear

  his cry in the morning-light:

  They girded their loads and prepared to fare, * And hurried while

  murmured the leader-wight.

  They scent the scene on its every side, * As their march through

  the valley they expedite.

  After winning my heart by their love they went * O’ morn when

  their track could deceive my sight.

  O my neighbour fair, I reckt ne’er to part, * Or the ground

  bedewed with my tears to sight!

  Woe betide my heart, now hath Severance hand * To heart and

  vitals dealt bane and blight.”

  Then he clung to the litter, weeping and wailing, whilst she besought him to turn back ere morn for fear of scorn. So he came up to her Haudaj and farewelling her a second time, fell down in a swoon. He lay an hour or so without life, and when he revived he found the caravan had fared forth of sight. So he turned in the direction of their wayfare and scenting the breeze which blew from their quarter, chanted these improvised lines,

  “No breeze of Union to the lover blows * But moan he maketh burnt

  with fiery woes:

  The Zephyr fans him at the dawn o’ day; * But when he wakes the

  horizon lonely shows:

  On bed of sickness strewn in pain he lies, * And weeps he bloody

  tears in burning throes,

  For the fair neighbour with my heart they bore * ‘Mid travellers

  urging beasts with cries and blows.

  By Allah from their stead no Zephyr blew * But sniffed I as the

  wight on eyeballs goes;355

  And snuff the sweetest South as musk it breathes * And on the

  longing lover scent bestows.”

  Then Masrur returned, mad with love-longing, to her house, and finding it lone from end to end356 and forlorn of friend, wept till he wet his clothes; after which he swooned away and his soul was like to leave his body. When he revived, he recited these two couplets,

  “O Spring-camp have ruth on mine overthrowing * My abjection, my

  leanness, my tears aye flowing,

  Waft the scented powder357 of breezes they breathe * In hope

  it cure heart of a grief e’er growing.”

  Then he returned to his own lodging confounded and tearful-eyed, and abode there for the space of ten days. Such was his case; but as regards the Jew, he journeyed on with Zayn al-Mawasif half a score days, at the end of which he halted at a certain city and she, being by that time assured that her husband had played her false, wrote to Masrur a letter and gave it to Hubub, saying, “Send this to Masrur, so he may know how foully and fully we have been tricked and how the Jew hath cheated us.” So Hubub took it and despatched it to Masrur, and when it reached, its news was grievous to him and he wept till he watered the ground. Then he wrote a reply and sent it to his mistress, subscribing it with these two couplets,

  “Where is the way to Consolation’s door * How shall console him

  flames burn evermore?

  How pleasant were the days of yore all gone: * Would we had

  somewhat of those days of yore!”

  When the missive reached Zayn al-Mawasif, she read it and again gave it to her handmaid Hubub, saying to her, “Keep it secret!” However, the husband came to know of their correspondence and removed with her and her two women to another city, at a distance of twenty days’ march. Thus it befel Zayn al-Mawasif; but as regards Masrur, sleep was not sweet to him nor was peace peaceful to him or patience left to him, and he ceased not to be thus till, one night, his eyes closed
for weariness and he dreamt that he saw Zayn al-Mawasif come to him in the garden and embrace him; but presently he awoke and found her not: whereupon his reason fled and his wits wandered and his eyes ran over with tears; love-longing to the utterest gat hold of his heart and he recited these couplets,

  “Peace be to her, who visits me in sleeping phantasy * Stirring