One Thousand and One Nights
Page 887
brocaded skirts bedight:
Granado I compare with marble dome * Or virgin’s breasts
delighting every sight:
Therein is cure for every ill as e’en * Left an Hadís the Prophet
pure of sprite;
And Allah (glorify His name) eke deigned * A noble say in Holy
Book indite.386
The apples were the sugared and the musky and the Dámáni, amazing the beholder, whereof saith Hassan the poet,
“Apple which joins hues twain, and brings to mind * The cheek of
lover and beloved combined:
Two wondrous opposites on branch they show * This dark387
and that with hue incarnadined
The twain embraced when spied the spy and turned * This red, that
yellow for the shame designed.”388
There also were apricots of various kinds, almond and camphor and
Jíláni and ‘Antábi,389 wereof saith the poet,
“And Almond-apricot suggesting swain * Whose lover’s visit all
his wits hath ta’en.
Enough of love-sick lovers’ plight it shows * Of face deep yellow
and heart torn in twain.”390
And saith another and saith well,
“Look at that Apricot whose bloom contains * Gardens with
brightness gladding all men’s eyne:
Like stars the blossoms sparkle when the boughs * Are clad in
foliage dight with sheen and shine.”
There likewise were plums and cherries and grapes, that the sick of all diseases assain and do away giddiness and yellow choler from the brain; and figs the branches between, varicoloured red and green, amazing sight and sense, even as saith the poet,
“’Tis as the Figs with clear white skins outthrown * By foliaged
trees, athwart whose green they peep,
Were sons of Roum that guard the palace-roof * When shades close
in and night-long ward they keep.”391
And saith another and saith well,
“Welcome392 the Fig! To us it comes * Ordered in handsome
plates they bring:
Likest a Sufrah393 -cloth we draw * To shape of bag without a
ring.”
And how well saith a third,
“Give me the Fig sweet-flavoured, beauty-clad, * Whose inner
beauties rival outer sheen:
And when it fruits thou tastest it to find * Chamomile’s scent
and Sugar’s saccharine:
And eke it favoureth on platters poured * Puff-balls of silken
thread and sendal green.”
And how excellent is the saying of one of them,
“Quoth they (and I had trained my taste thereto * Nor cared for
other fruits whereby they swore),
‘Why lovest so the Fig?’ whereto quoth I * ‘Some men love Fig and
others Sycamore.394 ‘“
And are yet goodlier those of another,
“Pleaseth me more the fig than every fruit * When ripe and
hanging from the sheeny bough;
Like Devotee who, when the clouds pour rain, * Sheds tears and
Allah’s power doth avow.”
And in that garth were also pears of various kinds Sinaďtic,395 Aleppine and Grecian growing in clusters and alone, parcel green and parcel golden. — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Eight Hundred and Sixty-fifth Night,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the merchants’ sons went down into the garth they saw therein all the fruits we mentioned and found pears Sinaďtic, Aleppine and Grecian of every hue, which here clustering there single grew, parcel green and parcel yellow to the gazer a marvel-view, as saith of them the poet,
“With thee that Pear agree, whose hue a-morn * Is hue of hapless
lover yellow pale;
Like virgin cloistered strait in strong Harím * Whose face like
racing steed outstrips the veil.”
And Sultani396 peaches of shades varied, yellow and red, whereof saith the poet,
“Like Peach in vergier growing * And sheen of Andam397
showing:
Whose balls of yellow gold * Are dyed with blood-gouts flowing.”
There were also green almonds of passing sweetness, resembling the cabbage398 of the palm-tree, with their kernels within three tunics lurking of the Munificent King’s handiworking, even as is said of them,
“Three coats yon freshest form endue * God’s work of varied shape
and hue:
Hardness surrounds it night and day; * Prisoning without a sin to
rue.”
And as well saith another,
“Seest not that Almond plucked by hand * Of man from bough where
wont to dwell:
Peeling it shows the heart within * As union-pearl in oyster-
shell.”
And as saith a third better than he,
“How good is Almond green I view! * The smallest fills the hand
of you:
Its nap is as the down upon * The cheeks where yet no beardlet
grew:
Its kernels in the shell are seen, * Or bachelors or married two,
As pearls they were of lucent white * Casčd and lapped in
Jasper’s hue.”
And as saith yet another and saith well,
“Mine eyes ne’er looked on aught the Almond like * For charms,
when blossoms399 in the Prime show bright:
Its head to hoariness of age inclines * The while its cheek by
youth’s fresh down is dight.”
And jujube-plums of various colours, grown in clusters and alone whereof saith one, describing them,
“Look at the Lote-tree, note on boughs arrayed * Like goodly
apricots on reed-strown floor,400
Their morning-hue to viewer’s eye is like * Cascavels401
cast of purest golden ore.”
And as saith another and saith right well,
“The Jujube-tree each Day * Robeth in bright array.
As though each pome thereon * Would self to sight display.
Like falcon-bell of gold * Swinging from every spray.”
And in that garth grew blood oranges, as they were the
Khaulanján,402 whereof quoth the enamoured poet,403
“Red fruits that fill the hand, and shine with sheen * Of fire,
albe the scarf-skin’s white as snow.
’Tis marvel snow on fire doth never melt * And, stranger still,
ne’er burns this living lowe!”
And quoth another and quoth well,
“And trees of Orange fruiting ferly fair * To those who straitest
have their charms surveyed;
Like cheeks of women who their forms have decked * For holiday in
robes of gold brocade.”
And yet another as well,
“Like are the Orange-hills404 when Zephyr breathes * Swaying
the boughs and spray with airy grace,
Her cheeks that glow with lovely light when met * At greeting-
tide by cheeks of other face.”
And a fourth as fairly,
“And fairest Fawn, we said to him ‘Portray * This garth and
oranges thine eyes survey:’
And he, ‘Your garden favoureth my face * Who gathereth orange
gathereth fire alway.’”
In that garden too grew citrons, in colour as virgin gold, hanging down from on high and dangling among the branches, as they were ingots of growing gold;405 and saith thereof the ‘namoured poet,
“Hast seen a Citron-copse so weighed adown * Thou fearest bending
roll their fruit on mould;
And seemed, when Zephyr passed athwart the tree * Its branches
hung with bells of purest gold?”
And shaddocks,406 that among their boughs hung la
den as though each were the breast of a gazelle-like maiden, contenting the most longing wight, as saith of them the poet and saith aright,
“And Shaddock mid the garden-paths, on bough * Freshest like
fairest damsel met my sight;
And to the blowing of the breeze it bent * Like golden ball to
bat of chrysolite.”
And the lime sweet of scent, which resembleth a hen’s egg, but its yellowness ornamenteth its ripe fruit, and its fragrance hearteneth him who plucketh it, as saith the poet who singeth it,
“Seest not the Lemon, when it taketh form, * Catch rays of light
and all to gaze constrain;
Like egg of pullet which the huckster’s hand * Adorneth dyeing
with the saffron-stain?”
Moreover in this garden were all manner of other fruits and sweet-scented herbs and plants and fragrant flowers, such as jessamine and henna and water-lilies407 and spikenard408 and roses of every kind and plantain409 and myrtle and so forth; and indeed it was without compare, seeming as it were a piece of Paradise to whoso beheld it. If a sick man entered it, he came forth from it like a raging lion, and tongue availeth not to its description, by reason of that which was therein of wonders and rarities which are not found but in Heaven: and how should it be otherwise when its doorkeeper’s name was Rizwan? Though widely different were the stations of those twain! Now when the sons of the merchants had walked about gazing at the garden after taking their pleasure therein, they say down in one of its pavilions and seated Nur al-Din in their midst. — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Eight Hundred and Sixty-sixth Night,
She resume, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the sons of the merchants sat down in the pavilion they seated Nur al-Din in their midst on a rug of gold-purfled leather of Al-Táif,410 leaning on a pillow411 of minever, stuffed with ostrich down. And they gave him a fan of ostrich feathers, whereon were written these two couplets,
“A fan whose breath is fraught with fragrant scent; * Minding of
happy days and times forspent,
Wafting at every time its perfumed air * O’er face of noble youth
on honour bent.”
Then they laid by their turbands and outer clothes and sat talking and chatting and inducing one another to discourse, while they all kept their eyes fixed on Nur al-Din and gazed on his beauteous form. After the sitting had lasted an hour or so, up came a slave with a tray on his head, wherein were platters of china and crystal containing viands of all sorts (for one of the youths had so charged his people before coming to the garden); and the meats were of whatever walketh earth or wingeth air or swimmeth waters, such as Katá-grouse and fat quails and pigeon-poults and mutton and chickens and the delicatest fish. So, the tray being sat before them, they fell to and ate their fill; and when they had made an end of eating, they rose from meat and washed their hands with pure water and musk-scented soap, and dried them with napery embroidered in silk and bugles; but to Nur al-Din they brought a napkin laced with red gold whereon he wiped his hands. Then coffee412 was served up and each drank what he would, after which they sat talking, till presently the garden-keeper who was young went away and returning with a basket full of roses, said to them, “What say ye, O my masters, to flowers?” Quoth one of them, “There is no harm in them,413 especially roses, which are not to be resisted.” Answered the gardener, “’Tis well, but it is of our wont not to give roses but in exchange for pleasant converse; so whoever would take aught thereof, let him recite some verses suitable to the situation.” Now they were ten sons of merchants of whom one said, “Agreed: give me thereof and I will recite thee somewhat of verse apt to the case.” Accordingly the gardener gave him a bunch of roses414 which he took and at once improvised these three couplets,
“The Rose in highest stead I rate * For that her charms ne’er
satiate;
All fragrant flow’rs be troops to her * Their general of high
estate:
Where she is not they boast and vaunt; * But, when she comes,
they stint their prate.”
Then the gardener gave a bunch to another and he recited these two couplets,
“Take, O my lord, to thee the Rose * Recalling scent by mush be
shed.
Like virginette by lover eyed * Who with her sleeves415
enveileth head.”
Then he gave a bunch to a third who recited these two couplets,
“Choice Rose that gladdens heart to see her sight; * Of Nadd
recalling fragrance exquisite.
The branchlets clip her in her leaves for joy, * Like kiss of
lips that never spake in spite.”
Then he gave a bunch to a fourth and he recited these two couplets,
“Seest not that rosery where Rose a-flowering displays * Mounted
upon her steed of stalk those marvels manifold?
As though the bud were ruby-stone and girded all around * With
chrysolite and held within a little hoard of gold.”
Then he gave a posy to a fifth and he recited these two couplets,
“Wands of green chrysolite bare issue, which * Were fruits like
ingots of the growing gold.416
And drops, a dropping from its leaves, were like * The tears my
languorous eyelids railed and rolled.”
Then he gave a sixth a bunch and he recited these two couplets,
“O Rose, thou rare of charms that dost contain * All gifts and
Allah’s secrets singular,
Thou’rt like the loved one’s cheek where lover fond * And fain of
Union sticks the gold dinar.”417
Then he gave a bunch to a seventh and he recited these two couplets,
“To Rose quoth I, ‘What gars thy thorns to be put forth * For all
who touch thee cruellest injury?’
Quoth she, ‘These flowery troops are troops of me * Who be their
lord with spines for armoury.’”
And he gave an eighth a bunch and he recited these two couplets,
“Allah save the Rose which yellows a-morn * Florid, vivid and
likest the nugget-ore;
And bless the fair sprays that displayed such flowers * And mimic
suns gold-begilded bore.”
Then he gave a bunch to a ninth and he recited these two couplets,
“The bushes of golden-hued Rose excite * In the love-sick lover
joys manifold:
’Tis a marvel shrub watered every day * With silvern lymph and it
fruiteth gold.”
Then he gave a bunch of roses to the tenth and last and he recited these two couplets,
“Seest not how the hosts of the Rose display * Red hues and
yellow in rosy field?
I compare the Rose and her arming thorn * To emerald lance
piercing golden shield.”
And whilst each one hent bunch in hand, the gardener brought the wine-service and setting it before them, on a tray of porcelain arabesqued with red gold, recited these two couplets,
“Dawn heralds day-light: so wine pass round, * Old wine, fooling
sage till his wits he tyne:
Wot I not for its purest clarity * An ’tis wine in cup or ’tis
cup in wine.”418
Then the gardener filled and drank and the cup went round, till it came to Nur al-Din’s turn, whereupon the man filled and handed it to him; but he said, “This thing I wot it not nor have I ever drunken thereof, for therein is great offence and the Lord of All-might hath forbidden it in His Book.” Answered the gardener, “O my Lord Nur al-Din, an thou forbear to drink only by reason of the sin, verily Allah (extolled and exalted be He!) is bountiful, of sufferance great, forgiving and compassionate and pardoneth the mortalest sins: His mercy embraceth all things, Allah’s ruth be upon the poet who saith,
‘Be as thou wilt, for Allah
is bountiful * And when thou sinnest
feel thou naught alarm:
But ‘ware of twofold sins nor ever dare * To give God partner or
mankind to harm.’”
Then quoth one of the sons of the merchants, “My life on thee, O my lord Nur al-Din, drink of this cup!” And another conjured him by the oath of divorce and yet another stood up persistently before him, till he was ashamed and taking the cup from the gardener, drank a draught, but spat it out again, crying, “’Tis bitter.” Said the young gardener, “O my lord Nur al-Din, knowest thou not that sweets taken by way of medicine are bitter? Were this not bitter, ’twould lack of the manifold virtues it possesseth; amongst which are that it digesteth food and disperseth cark and care and dispelleth flatulence and clarifieth the blood and cleareth the complexion and quickeneth the body and hearteneth the hen-hearted and fortifieth the sexual power in man; but to name all its virtues would be tedious. Quoth one of the poets,
‘We’ll drink and Allah pardon sinners all * And cure of ills by
sucking cups I’ll find:
Nor aught the sin deceives me; yet said He * ‘In it there be
advantage419 to mankind.’”
Then he sprang up without stay or delay and opened one of the cupboards in the pavilion and taking out a loaf of refined sugar, broke off a great slice which he put into Nur al-Din’s cup, saying, “O my lord, an thou fear to drink wine, because of its bitterness, drink now, for ’tis sweet.” So he took the cup and emptied it: whereupon one of his comrades filled him another, saying, “O my lord Nur al-Din, I am thy slave,” and another did the like, saying, “I am one of thy servants,” and a third said, “For my sake!” and a fourth, “Allah upon thee, O my lord Nur al-Din, heal my heart!” And so they ceased not plying him with wine, each and every of the ten sons of merchants till they had made him drink a total of ten cups. Now Nur al-Din’s body was virgin of wine-bibbing, or never in all his life had he drunken vine-juice till that hour, wherefore its fumes wrought in his brain and drunkenness was stark upon him and he stood up (and indeed his tongue was thick and his speech stammering) and said, “O company, by Allah, ye are fair and your speech is goodly and your place pleasant; but there needeth hearing of sweet music; for drink without melody lacks the chief of its essentiality, even as saith the poet,
‘Pass round the cup to the old and the young man, too, And take
the bowl from the hand of the shining moon,420
But without music, I charge you, forbear to drink; I see even