The Arabian Nights: Tales of 1,001 Nights: Volume 2

by Penguin; Robert Irwin; Malcolm Lyons; Ursula Lyons

  So much for them, but as for King Sabur, he had been expecting his daughter to return from the Monastery of Fire, and when she was overdue he was consumed with anxiety. He had forty viziers, of whom the oldest, most knowledgeable and learned was called Didan, and it was to him that Sabur said: ‘Vizier, my daughter is slow in coming back. I have heard no news of her and it is past the time that she was due to return, so send a courier to the Monastery of Fire to find out what has happened.’ ‘To hear is to obey,’ replied Didan, and after he had left the king’s presence, he sent for the principal courier and told him to start out at once for the monastery. The man set off, and when he got there he asked the monks about the princess, only to be told that they had not seen her that year. He then went back to the city of Isbanir, where he came to Didan and told him this, after which Didan went to Sabur to pass on the news. Sabur was beside himself with agitation. He dashed his crown on to the ground, plucked at his beard and fell down senseless.

  When water was sprinkled on him he recovered, and then, tearfully and sorrowfully, he recited:

  When you had gone, I called on patience and on tears;

  Although tears answered me, patience did not.

  If the passing days have parted us,

  This is their custom, marked, as they are, by treachery.

  He then summoned ten commanders and ordered them to ride out with ten thousand horsemen, each to a different region in search of the princess, which they proceeded to do, while her mother and her slave girls wore black, scattered ashes and sat weeping and mourning.

  So much for them…

  Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the six hundred and thirty-first night, SHE CONTINUED:

  I have heard, O fortunate king, that King Sabur sent out his troops to search for his daughter, while her mother and her slave girls wore black. But as for Gharib and the remarkable things that happened to him on his journey, after he had travelled for ten days, on the eleventh he saw a dust cloud rising into the sky. He called for the leader of Fakhr Taj’s Persians and told him to investigate what this was. Obediently the Persian rode off and questioned the riders whom he found beneath the cloud, one of whom told him that they were five thousand of the Banu Hattal, led by Samsam ibn al-Jarrah, coming in search of booty. The Persian hurried back to Gharib and passed on the news, at which Gharib called to his Qahtanids and to the Persians to arm themselves, which they did. As they rode on, they were met by the Arabs, who were calling out: ‘Plunder, plunder!’ to which Gharib shouted in reply: ‘May God disgrace you, Arab dogs!’ He then charged them, turning them back like the brave hero he was, calling out: ‘God is greater! Oh for the religion of Abraham, the Friend of God, upon whom be peace!’ There was a fierce battle with sword blows and confused cries, which lasted until darkness fell in the evening, when the two sides withdrew from each other. On inspecting his men, Gharib found that five Qahtanids and seventy-three Persians had been killed, while Samsam had lost more than five hundred dead.

  When Samsam dismounted, he wanted neither to eat nor to sleep, telling his men: ‘Never in my life have I seen anyone fight like this boy, who would sometimes use his sword and at other times his mace. Tomorrow, however, I shall go out to meet him in the field of battle and challenge him to a duel, after which I shall cut those Arabs in pieces.’ Gharib, for his part, went back to his men and was met by Fakhr Taj, who was weeping and frightened by the terror of what she had seen. She kissed his foot in the stirrup and said: ‘May your hand not wither and may your enemy never have cause to gloat over you, champion of the age! Praise be to God, Who has preserved you today, for I was frightened for you as you fought those Arabs.’ When he heard this, Gharib laughed at her and said, encouragingly and soothingly: ‘Don’t be afraid, princess, for even if there were enemies enough to fill this whole plain, I could destroy them through the strength of the Exalted and Supreme God.’ After thanking him and praying for his victory, she went off to her maids, while he dismounted, washed his hands and cleaned away the blood of the infidels.

  The two sides remained on guard until morning, when they mounted and rode to the field of battle. Gharib was the first to arrive, and he came up to the unbelievers and cried out: ‘Which of you is not too lazy or weak to come here to fight?’ A huge and powerful giant of the descendants of ‘Ad rode out to challenge him, calling out: ‘Scum of the Arabs, take what is coming to you, for I have good news for you of your death!’ He carried an iron club weighing twenty ratls, but Gharib avoided the blow that he aimed at him and the club buried itself a cubit’s depth into the ground. As the giant bent over because of the force of his blow, Gharib struck him with his iron mace, smashing his forehead so that he fell, as God hurried his soul on its way to hellfire. Gharib rode to and fro, challenging his foes; a second rider came out and was killed and the same thing happened to the third, and this went on until ten had died. The unbelievers, seeing the strength of his blows, avoided him and held back, until their chief called out: ‘May God grant you no blessing! I shall go out to meet him myself.’ He armed himself and rode out until he had come up to Gharib. ‘Arab dog,’ he cried, ‘have you become strong enough to challenge me on the field and to kill my men?’ ‘Come out and fight,’ Gharib told him, ‘and avenge your riders.’

  Samsam did not spare himself but met Gharib courageously, and the two exchanged such blows with their maces that both sides were bewildered, and every eye was fixed on them as they circled round the field. Of the two blows that were struck, Gharib succeeded in avoiding that of Samsam’s, while his own, as it fell, smashed into Samsam’s chest, felling him to the ground as a lifeless corpse. His men then made a concerted charge against Gharib, but Gharib met it, calling out: ‘God is greater! Victory and triumph are ours while those who reject the religion of Abraham, the Friend of God, will find no help.’

  Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the six hundred and thirty-second night, SHE CONTINUED:

  I have heard, O fortunate king, that when Samsam’s men launched a concerted charge against Gharib, he attacked them, calling out: ‘God is greater! Victory and triumph are ours and the unbelievers will be disappointed.’ When the unbelievers heard him mention the One Omnipotent and Almighty God, Who sees but cannot be seen,* they stared at each other and asked: ‘What are these words that make us tremble, weaken our resolve and cut short our lives? They are sweeter than anything we have ever heard.’ They agreed to stop fighting until they had had a chance to ask about the meaning of this, and so they drew back and dismounted. Their elders held a meeting and, after consulting each other, they decided that ten of them should go to Gharib, and so ten of their best men, whom they selected, set off for his camp. As for Gharib and his men, they had gone back to their tents, surprised by the withdrawal of their enemies, and it was then that the ten came up and asked for a meeting. When they had kissed the ground and prayed that Gharib be granted glory and a long life, he asked them why they had stopped fighting. ‘Master,’ they told him, ‘you terrified us by the words that you shouted at us.’ He then asked: ‘What bringers of calamity do you worship?’ and they told him that their gods were Wadd, Suwa’ and Yaghuth, the gods of the people of Noah. Gharib replied: ‘We worship only Almighty God, the Creator of all things, Who sustains all life. It is He Who created the heavens and the earth, establishing the mountains and causing water to flow out of rock. He causes the trees to grow and He supplies food for the animals in the wastes. He is the One All-Powerful God.’ When they heard that, they were delighted by the declaration of His unity and exclaimed: ‘This is a mighty Lord, Compassionate and Merciful.’ Then they asked: ‘What do we have to say to become Muslims?’ and Gharib told them: ‘Say: “There is no god but the God of Abraham, the Friend of God,” ’ after which the ten sincerely accepted the faith of Islam. ‘If the sweetness of the faith of Islam is truly lodged in your hearts,’ Gharib said, ‘then go to your people a
nd present it to them. If they accept it, then they will be safe, but if not, we will burn them with fire.’

  The ten then went back to the others and set out the Islamic faith for them, explaining the way of true belief. Their companions accepted this with hearts and tongues, and then hurried on foot to Gharib’s camp, where they kissed the ground before him and prayed for his glory and advancement. ‘Master,’ they said to him, ‘we have become your slaves, so give us whatever orders you wish, as we shall listen, obey and never leave you, since it has been through you that God has guided us.’ He prayed that they might be well rewarded and told them to go back home and then to leave with their goods and their children, going on ahead of him to the Valley of Flowers and the castle of the ghul. He told them that he himself planned to escort Princess Fakhr Taj, the daughter of Sabur, king of the Persians, and then come back. ‘To hear is to obey,’ they said, and they then left immediately and returned to their tribe, filled with joy at their conversion, after which they explained Islam to their wives and children, all of whom were converted. They then struck camp and set off with their goods and their flocks to the Valley of Flowers. Sa‘dan the ghul came out to meet them with his sons, but Gharib had instructed them that when this happened and Sa‘dan was about to attack them, they were to call on the Name of God, the Creator of all things, as on hearing this, he would welcome them instead of fighting them. So when he and his sons had emerged and were about to charge, they called aloud the Name of Almighty God, after which Sa‘dan greeted them with the greatest courtesy and asked them about themselves. When they told him about their meeting with Gharib he was delighted and allowed them to settle there, deluging them with favours.

  So much for them, but as for Gharib, he travelled for five days with Princess Fakhr Taj on the road to Isbanir and then on the sixth day he caught sight of a dust cloud and sent out one of the Persians to investigate. The man rode off and then came back quicker than a bird in flight, to say: ‘Master, this is the dust of a thousand of our riders sent out by the king to look for the princess.’ On hearing that, Gharib ordered his men to dismount and pitch camp, which they did. When the Persians came up to them, they were met by the princess’s escort, who told Tuman, the commander of the newcomers, what had happened to her. When he heard about Gharib, he went to him, kissed the ground before him and asked him how the princess was. Gharib sent him to her tent and, on entering into her presence, he kissed her hands and feet and told her about the distress of her father and mother, and she, in her turn, told him what had happened to her and how Gharib had rescued her from the ghul…

  Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the six hundred and thirty-third night, SHE CONTINUED:

  I have heard, O fortunate king, that the princess told Tuman everything that had happened in her encounter with the ghul of the mountain, how he had captured her, how she had been rescued by Gharib, and how the ghul would otherwise have eaten her, adding: ‘My father must give Gharib half of his kingdom.’ Tuman then went to kiss Gharib’s hands and feet, thanking him for the service that he had done and asking his permission to return to Isbanir to give the good news to the king. When this had been granted, he started off and Gharib followed him.

  Tuman pressed on with his journey until he was within sight of Isbanir, and he then went up to the palace and kissed the ground before King Sabur. ‘What is the news, bringer of good tidings?’ asked the king. ‘I shall not tell you until you reward me for it,’ Tuman replied. ‘Tell me, and I shall satisfy you,’ said the king, and Tuman told him: ‘It is welcome news of the Princess Fakhr Taj that I bring, king of the age.’ When Sabur heard Fakhr Taj’s name he fell down in a faint and had to be sprinkled with rosewater until he revived. He then called to Tuman, telling him to come nearer and to describe what had happened. Tuman came up and recounted the story, at which the king struck his hands together, exclaiming: ‘Oh, poor Fakhr Taj!’ He then ordered that Tuman be given ten thousand dinars and appointed as governor of Isfahan and its lands. He sent all his emirs to ride out to meet the princess, while the chief eunuch went in to delight the princess’s mother and all the ladies of the harem by giving them the news, and he was rewarded by the queen with a robe of honour and the gift of a thousand dinars. When the townspeople heard about this, they adorned the markets and the houses with decorations, while the king himself, accompanied by Tuman, rode off until they came in sight of Gharib. At this point Sabur dismounted and walked forward some steps to greet him, while Gharib followed his example. They then embraced and greeted each other, and Sabur bent over to kiss Gharib’s hands and to thank him for the good deed that he had done him.

  Both parties pitched their tents and Sabur went in to see his daughter, who rose and embraced him, telling him all that had happened to her and how Gharib had rescued her from the clutches of the ghul. ‘By your life, queen of beauties,’ her father said, ‘I shall overwhelm him with gifts.’ ‘Take him as a son-in-law, father,’ she told him, ‘to help you against your enemies, for he is a man of courage.’ She only said this because she had lost her heart to Gharib, but her father objected: ‘You know, don’t you, that Khirad Shah, the king of Shiraz and its lands, a strong ruler with powerful armies, has asked for your hand with a hundred thousand dinars as a bride price?’ ‘Father,’ she replied, ‘I don’t want that marriage, and if you force me against my will, I shall kill myself.’

  Sabur left her tent and went to Gharib, and as Sabur sat there looking at him, he found that he wanted to look still more, saying to himself: ‘By God, my daughter may be excused for loving this Bedouin.’ Food was brought and, when they had eaten, they passed the night there before setting off in the morning for the city, which they entered riding side by side. This was a day of great celebrations. Fakhr Taj went to her royal palace, where she was met by her mother and her maids, who raised cries of joy, while Sabur took his seat on his throne, with Gharib on his right and the other kings, chamberlains, emirs, deputies and viziers standing on his right and his left. They congratulated him on his daughter’s safe return and he told them: ‘Let all who love me give robes of honour to Gharib,’ after which robes were showered on Gharib like rain.

  He stayed enjoying Sabur’s hospitality for ten days, after which he wanted to leave, but Sabur presented him with another robe and swore by his faith that he should not go until a month was up. ‘Your majesty,’ Gharib told him, ‘I have asked for the hand of an Arab girl and I want to consummate the marriage.’ ‘Which of the two is more beautiful, your Arab girl or Fakhr Taj?’ Sabur asked him, to which Gharib replied: ‘King of the age, how can the slave be compared to the master?’ Sabur then went on: ‘Fakhr Taj became your slave when you rescued her from the clutches of the ghul and there is no other husband for her but you.’ Gharib got up, kissed the ground and said: ‘King of the age, you are a king while I am a poor man and it may be that you will ask for a heavy bride price.’ ‘Know, my son,’ the king told him, ‘that King Khirad Shah, the lord of Shiraz and its lands, has asked for Fakhr Taj’s hand in return for a hundred thousand dinars, but I have chosen you before all others and I have appointed you as the sword of my state and my shield against vengeance.’ Then, turning to his nobles, he said: ‘Bear witness, my subjects, that I have given my daughter in marriage to my “son” Gharib.’

  Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the six hundred and thirty-fourth night, SHE CONTINUED:

  I have heard, O fortunate king, that Sabur, king of the Persians, told his nobles to bear witness to the fact that he had given his daughter, Fakhr al-Taj, in marriage to his ‘son’ Gharib. He then shook Gharib by the hand and the princess became his wife.

  Gharib now said: ‘Set a bride price for me to bring you, for in the castle of Sasa I have more wealth and treasures than can be counted.’ ‘My son,’ Sabur replied, ‘I want neither money nor treasures from you, and the only bride price that I shall accept is the head of
al-Jamraqan, the king of al-Dasht and ruler of al-Ahwaz.’ Gharib replied: ‘I shall go to fetch my men and then I shall march against this enemy and ravage his lands.’ ‘May you receive a good reward,’ said Sabur, after which the people dispersed, high and low alike, while Sabur thought that if Gharib set out against al-Jamraqan he would never come back again.

  In the morning both he and Gharib rode out and the troops were ordered to mount and ride to the exercise ground, where they were ordered to entertain the king by jousting. When the Persian champions had ridden against one another, Gharib told the king that he wanted to join in with them on one condition. When Sabur asked what this was, he said: ‘That I wear a thin shirt and use a lance with no point on whose tip I shall place a rag soaked with saffron. All your champions can attack me using lances with points and if they get the better of me, then my life is theirs as a gift, but if I win, then they must carry my mark from the field.’ Sabur ordered the army commander to bring forward the Persian champions from whom he picked out twelve hundred kings and men of valour, telling them in Persian that whichever of them killed the Bedouin would be welcome to have whatever he wanted. They vied with each other to be first in riding against Gharib, but when they attacked him, truth was clearly separated from falsehood and the serious from the frivolous, as Gharib called out: ‘My trust is in the Lord, the God of Abraham His Friend, the Omnipotent from Whom nothing is hidden, the One, the All-Powerful, Whom no eye can see.’