The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 2

R >> Richard F. Burton >> The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 2

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When it was the Ninety-seventh Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
damned witch, Zat al-Dawahi, took the head of the Knight, the
leader of the twenty thousand Infidels, she brought it and threw
it down before Zau al-Makan and his brother Sharrkan and the
Wazir Dandan, saying, "When I saw your condition, I waxed jealous
for your honour; so I rushed on the Chief Knight and smote him
with the sword till I severed head from trunk. And none could
near me, so I brought his head to you, that you may be
strengthened in Holy War and work out with your swords the will
of the Lord of the Faithful. And now I purpose leaving you to
strive against the Infidels, whilst I go to your army, though
they be at the gates of Constantinople, and return with twenty
thousand horse to destroy these Unfaithfuls." Quoth Sharrkan,
"How wilt thou pass to them, O thou holy man, seeing that the
valley is blocked up on all sides by the Miscreants?" Quoth the
accursed hag, "Allah will veil me from their eyes and they shall
not sight me;[FN#432] nor, if any saw me, would he dare to attack
me at that time, for I shall be as one non existing, absorbed in
Allah, and He will fend off from me His foes." "Thou sayest
sooth, O holy man," rejoined Sharrkan, "for indeed I have been
witness of that; so, if thou can pass out at the first of the
night, 'twill be best for us." Replied she, "I will set out at
this very hour and, if thou desire, thou shalt go with me and
none shall see thee. Furthermore if thy brother also have a mind
to go with us we will take him, but none else; for the shadow of
a saint can cover only twain." Sharrkan said, "As for me I will
not leave my comrades; but, if my brother will, there is no harm
in his going with thee and setting us free of this strait; for he
is the stronghold of the Moslems and the sword of the Lord of the
three Worlds; and if it be his pleasure, let him take with him
the Wazir Dandan, or whom else he may elect and send us ten
thousand horse to succour us against these caitiffs." So after
debate they agreed on this and the old woman said, "Give me
leisure to go before you and consider the condition of the
Infidels, if they be asleep or awake." Quoth they, "We will not
go forth save with thee and trust our affair to Allah." "If I do
your bidding," replied she, "blame me not but blame yourselves;
for it is my rede that you await me till I bring you tidings of
the case." Then said Sharrkan, "Go to them and delay not from us,
for we shall be awaiting thee." Thereupon she fared forth and
Sharrkan turned to his brother addressing him and said, "Were not
this holy man a miracle worker, he had never slain yonder furious
knight. This is proof sufficient of the ascetic's power; and of
a truth the pride of the Infidels is laid low by the slaying of
this cavalier, for he was violent, an evil devil and a stubborn."
Now whilst they were thus devising of the mighty works of the
devotee, behold, the accursed Zat al-Dawahi came upon them and
promised them victory over the Unbelievers; wherefor they thanked
her (not knowing that all this was wile and guile) and the damned
hag asked, "Where be the King of the Age, Zau al-Makan, and the
Minister Dandan?" Answered he, "Here am I!" Take with thee thy
Wazir," said she, "and follow after me, that we may fare forth to
Constantinople." Now she had acquainted the Infidels with the
cheat she had put upon the Moslems, and they rejoiced with
exceeding great joy, and said, Our hearts will not be contented
till we shall have slain their King in return for the Knight's
death; because we had no stouter rider than he;" and they added
(bespeaking the ill omened hag as she told them her plan of
faring to the land of the Moslems), "When thou bringest him to
us, we will bear him to King Afridun." Then she went out and went
out with her Zau al-Makan and the Minister Dandan, and she walked
on before the two saying, "Fare forth with the blessing of
Almighty Allah!" So they did her bidding, for the shaft of Pate
and Fortune of man's lot had shot them, and she ceased not
leading them both through the midst of the Grecian camp, till
they came to the defile, the narrow pass aforesaid, whilst the
Infidel enemy watched them, but did them no hindrance; for the
infernal old woman had enjoined this. Now when Zau al-Makan and
the Wazir Dandan saw that the Infidel host offered them no let
and stay and yet had them in sight, the Wazir exclaimed, "By
Allah, this is one of the holy man's saintly miracles! and
doubtless he be of the elect." Rejoined Zau al-Makan, "By Allah,
I think the Infidels be naught but blind, for we see them and
they see us not." And while they were thus praising the holy man
and recounting his mighty works and his piety and his prayers,
behold, the Infidels charged down on them from all sides and
surrounded them and seized them, saying, "Is there anyone else
with you twain, that we may seize upon him too?" And the Wazir
Dandan replied, "See you not yon other man that is before us? '
Replied the Unbelievers, "By the truth of the Messiah and the
Monks, and the Primate and the Metropolitan, we see none save you
two!" Then Zau Al-Makan said, "By Allah, this is a chastisement
decreed to us by Almighty Allah!"--And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Ninety-eighth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
Unfaithful had seized upon King Zau al-Makan and the Wazir
Dandan, they said to the two, "Is there anyone else with you
twain, that we may seize upon him also?" And the Wazir Dandan
replied, "See you not yon other man who be with us?" They
rejoined, "By the truth of the Messiah and the Monks and the
Primate and the Metropolitan, we see none save you two!" Then the
Infidels laid shackles on their feet and set men to guard them
during the night, whilst Zat al-Dawahi fared on and disappeared
from their sight. So they fell to lamenting and saying to each
other, "Verily, the opposing of pious men leadeth to greater
distress than this, and we are punished by the strait which hath
befallen us." So far concerning Zau al-Makan and the Wazir
Dandan; but as regards King Sharrkan, he passed that night in the
cavern with his comrades, and when dawned the day and he had
prayed the morn prayer, he and his men made ready to do battle
with the Infidel and he heartened them and promised them all
good. Then they sallied out till they were hard upon the
Unbelievers and, when these saw them from afar, they cried out to
them, saying, "O Moslems, we have taken captives your Sultan and
your Wazir who hath the ordering of your affairs; and except ye
leave off fighting us, we will slay you to the last man; but an
you yield yourselves we will take you to our King, who will make
peace with you on condition that you quit our country and return
home and harm us in naught, and we will do you no harm in aught.
If ye accept, it will be well for you; but if ye refuse there
remaineth nothing for you but death. So we have told you sooth,
and this is our last word to you." Now when Sharrkan heard this
and was certified of the captivity of his brother and the Wazir
Dandan, he was weighed down with woe and wept; his force failed
him and, making sure of death, he said to himself, "Would I knew
the cause of their capture! Did they fail of respect to the holy
man or disobey him, or what was the matter?" Then they sprang up
to battle with the Unbelievers and slew great numbers of them.
The brave was known that day from craven men, and sword and spear
were dyed with bloody stain; for the Infidels flocked up on them,
as flies flock to drink, from hill and from plain; but Sharrkan
and his men ceased not to wage the fight of those who fear not to
die, nor let death hinder them from the pursuit of victory, till
the valley ran gore and earth was full of the slain she bore.
And when night fell the armies separated each making for his own
place; and the Moslems returned to the cavern where gain and loss
were manifest to them: few remained of them and there was no
dependence for them but on Allah and the scymitar. Now there had
been slain of them that day five and thirty men of the chiefest
Emirs, and they had killed thousands of the Infidels, footmen and
fighters on horse. When Sharrkan saw this, the case was grievous
to him and he asked his comrades "What shall we do?"; whereto all
answered, "That which Almighty Allah willeth shall befal us." On
the morning of the second day, Sharrkan said to the remnant of
his troop, "If ye go forth to fight, not one of you will remain
alive and we have but little left of food and water; so I deem ye
would do better to bare your brands and go forth and stand at the
mouth of this cavern, to hinder any from entering. Haply the
holy man may have reached the Moslem host, and may return with
ten thousand horses to succour us in fight with the Infidels, for
belike the Unfaithful may have failed to see him and those with
him." They said, This were the better course to take, and of its
expediency no doubt we make." So the troop went out and held the
cavern mouth standing by its walls; and every one of the Infidels
who sought to enter in, they slew. Thus did they fend off the
foe from the gape of the cave and they patiently supported all
such assaults, till day was done and night came on dusky and
dun;--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
her permitted say.

When it was the Ninety-ninth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the army of
the Moslems held the cavern mouth and stood by its walls and they
fended off the foe, and every one of the Infidels attempted to
charge them, him they slew; and they patiently supported all such
assaults till day was done and night came on dusky and dun, by
which time King Sharrkan had only five and twenty men and no more
left. Then quoth the Infidels to one another, "When shall these
battle days have an end? We are weary of warring the Moslems."
And quoth one of them, "Up and at them, for there remain of them
but five and twenty men! If we cannot prevail on them to fight,
let us light a fire upon them;[FN#433] and if they submit
themselves and yield to us, we will take them prisoners; but if
they refuse we will leave them for fuel to the fire, so shall
they become to men of foreseeing mind a warning dire. May the
Messiah on their fathers have no grace, and may the sojourn of
the Nazarenes be for them no abiding place!" So they carried fuel
to the jaws of the cavern and set fire to it. Thereupon Sharrkan
and his companions made sure of perdition and yielded themselves
prisoners. And while they were in this condition, lo! the
knight their captain said to those who counselled their
slaughter, "It is not for any save for King Afridun to kill them,
that he may gratify his wrath; therefore it behoveth us to keep
them in durance by us till the morrow, when we will journey with
them to Constantinople and deliver them to our King, who shall
deal with them as he please." Said they, "This is the right
course;" and he commanded to pinion them and set guards over
them. Then, as soon as it was black night, the Infidels busied
themselves with feasting and making festival; and they called for
wine and drank it till all fell upon their backs. Now Sharrkan
and his brother, Zau al-Makan, were in confinement and so also
were his companion knights; whereupon the elder turned to the
younger brother and said to him, "O my brother, how win free?"
"By Allah," replied Zau al Makan, "I know not; for here we be
like birds in cage." Then Sharrkan waxed wroth and sighed for
excess of rage and stretched himself, till his pinion bonds brass
asunder; whereupon being free he arose and went up to the Captain
of the guard, and taking from his pocket the keys of the fetters,
freed Zau al-Makan and the Wazir Dandan and the rest of his men.
Then he turned to the two and said, "I desire to slay three of
these Infidels and take and don their dress, we three; so that we
shall be guised as Greeks and we will pass through them, with out
their knowing us, and fare forth to our own force." Replied Zau
al-Makan, "This is no safe counsel for if we kill them, I fear
some of their comrades may hear their shrieks and the foe be
aroused upon us and kill us. 'Twere the surer way to pass out of
the defile." So they agreed upon this and set out; and, when they
had left the head of the strait a little distance behind, they
saw horses picketed and the riders sleeping: and Sharrkan said to
his brother, "Better we take each one of us a steed." There were
five and twenty horsemen, so they took five and twenty horses,
whilst Allah sent sleep upon the Infidels for a purpose He knew
and the Faithful mounted and fared on till they were out of
reach. Meanwhile Sharrkan set to gathering from the Infidels as
many weapons, swords, and spears, as were wanted. And while they
took saddle and struck forwards none of the Infidels supposed
that anyone could release Zau al-Makan and his brother and their
men; or that their prisoners had power to escape. Now when all
the captives were safe from the Unfaithful, Sharrkan came up with
his comrades, and found them awaiting his arrival, on coals of
flame, expecting him in anxious grame, so he turned to them and
said, "Feel no fear since Allah protecteth us. I have that to
propose which haply shall effect our purpose." "What is it?"
asked they and he answered, "I desire that ye all climb to the
mountain top and cry out with one voice, 'Allaho Akbar!' and ye
add, 'The army of Al Islam is upon you! Allaho Akbar!' This wise
their company will surely be dissolved nor will they find out the
trick for they are drunk, but they will think that the Moslem
troops have encompassed them about on all sides and have mingled
with them; so they will fall on one another brand in hand during
the confusion of drunkenness and sleep, and we will cleave them
asunder with their own swords and the scymitar will go round
amongst them till dawn." Replied Zau al-Makan, "This plan is not
good; we should do better to make our way to our army and speak
not a word; for if we cry out 'Allaho Akbar,' they will wake and
fall on us and not one of us will escape." Rejoined Sharrkan, "By
Allah, though they should awake tis no matter, and I long that ye
fall in with my plan, for naught save good can come of it!" So
they agreed thereon and clomb the mountain and shouted, "Allaho
Akbar!" And hills and trees and rocks reworded their Allaho Akbar
for fear of the Almighty. But when the Kafirs heard this slogan
they cried out to one another,--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the One Hundredth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sharrkan
spake thus, "I long that ye fall in with this my plan, for naught
save good can come of it." So they agreed thereon and clomb the
mountain head and shouted, "Allaho Akbar!"; and hills and trees
and rocks re worded their Allaho Akbar for fear of the Almighty.
The Infidels heard it and cried out one to other and donned their
armour and said, "The foe is upon us, by the truth of the
Messiah!" Then they fell on one another and slew of their own men
more than any knoweth save Almighty Allah. As soon as it was
dawn, they sought for the captives, but found no trace of them,
and their captains said, "They who did this were the prisoners in
our possession; up, then, and after them in all haste till ye
overtake them, when we will make them quaff the cup of requital;
and let not fright nor the panic of sudden awaking possess you."
So they took horse and rode after the fugitives and it wanted but
an eye twinkling before they overtook them and surrounded them.
Now when Zau al-Makan saw this, he was seized with increase of
terror and said to his brother, "What I feared would come, is
come upon us, and now it remaineth only for us to fight for the
Faith." But Sharrkan preferred to hold his peace. Then Zau al-
Makan and his companions rushed down from the hill crest,
shouting, "Allaho Akbar!" and his men repeated the war cry and
addressed themselves to fight and to sell their lives in the
service of the Lord of Faithful Men; and while they were in this
case, behold, they heard many voices voicing, "There is no god
but the God! God is most great! Salutation and salvation upon
the Apostle, the Bringer of glad Tidings, the Bearer of bad
Tidings!''[FN#434] So they turned towards the direction of the
sound and saw a company of Moslems who believed in one God,
pushing towards them, whereat their hearts were heartened and
Sharrkan charged upon the Infidels crying out, "There is no god
but the God! God is most great! he and those with him, so that
earth quaked as with an earthquake and the Unbeliever host brake
asunder and fled into the mountains and the Moslems followed them
with lunge and blow; and Zau al-Makan and his comrades of the
Moslems ceased not to smite the hosts of the Infidel foe, and
parted heads from bodies till day darkened and night coming on
starkened sight. Thereupon the Moslems drew together and passed
the night in congratulations, and, when morning dawned and
daybreak shone with its shine and sheen, they saw Bahram, the
captain of the Daylamites, and Rustam, the captain of the Turks,
advancing to join them, with twenty thousand cavaliers like lions
grim. As soon as they saw Zau al-Makan, the riders dismounted
and saluted him, and kissed ground between his hands when he said
to them, "Rejoice ye in the glad tidings of the victory of the
Moslem and the discomfiture of the tribe of Unbelievers!" Then
they gave one another joy of their deliverance and of the
greatness of their reward after Resurrection Day. Now the cause
of the coming of the succours to that place was this. When the
Emir Bahram and the Emir Rustam and the Chief Chamberlain, with
the Moslem host and flags flaunting high ahead, came in sight of
Constantinople they saw that the Nazarenes had mounted the walls
and manned the towers and the forts, and had set all their
defenders in order of defence, as soon as they learned of the
approach of the host of Al-Islam and the banners Mohammedan, and
they heard the clash of arms and the noise of war voices and
tramp of horse hoofs and from their look outs they beheld the
Moslems, with their standards and ensigns of the Faith of Unity
under the dust clouds and lo! they were like a flight of locusts
or rain clouds raining rain, and the voices of the Moslems
chanting the Koran and glorifying the Compassionate One, struck
their ears. Now the Infidels knew of the approach of this host
through Zat al-Dawahi with her craft and whoredom,[FN#435]
calumny and contrivance. And the armies of Al-Islam drew near,
as it were the swollen sea, for the multitude of footmen and
horsemen and women and children. Then quoth the General of the
Turks to the General of the Daylamites, "O Emir, of a truth, we
are in jeopardy from the multitude of the foe who is on the
walls. Look at yonder bulwarks and at this world of folk like
the seas that clash with dashing billows. Indeed yon Infidel
outnumbereth us an hundredfold and we cannot be safe from spies
who may inform them that we are without a Sultan. In very sooth,
we run danger from these enemies, whose numbers may not be told
and whose resources none can withhold, especially in the absence
of King Zau al-Makan and his brother Sharrkan and the illustrious
Wazir Dandan. If they know of this, they will be emboldened to
attack us in their absence and with the sword they will
annihilate us to the last man; not one of us safety shall see.
So it is my counsel that thou take ten thousand riders of the
allies and the Turks, and march them to the hermitage of
Matruhina and the meadow of Malukhina in quest of our brothers
and comrades. If thou act by my advice, it may be we shall
approve ourselves the cause of their deliverance, in case they be
hard pressed by the Infidels; and if thou act not, blame will not
attach to me. But, an ye go, it behoveth that ye return quickly,
for ill suspicion is part of prudence." The Emir aforesaid fell
in with his counsel; so they chose twenty thousand horse and they
set out covering the roads and making for the monastery above
mentioned. So much for the cause of their coming; but as regards
the ancient dame, Zat al-Dawahi, as soon as she had delivered
Sultan Zau al-Makan and his brother Sharrkan and the Wazir Dandan
into the hands of the Infidels, the foul whore mounted a swift
steed, saying to the Faithless, "I design to rejoin the Moslem
army which is at Constantinople and contrive for their
destruction; for I will inform them that their chiefs are dead,
and when they hear that from me, their joining will be disjointed
and the cord of their confederation cut and their host scattered.
Then will I go to King Afridun, Lord of Constantinople, and to my
son Hardub, King of Roum, and relate to them their tidings and
they will sally forth on the Moslems with their troops and will
destroy them and will not leave one of them alive." So she
mounted and struck across country on her good steed all the
livelong night; and, when day dawned, appeared the armies of
Bahram and Rustam advancing towards her. So she turned into a
wayside brake and hid her horse among the trees and she walked a
while saying to herself, "Haply the Moslem hosts be returning,
routed, from the assault of Constantinople." However, as she drew
near them she looked narrowly and made sure that their standards
were not reversed,[FN#436] and she knew that they were coming not
as conquered men, but fearing for their King and comrades. When
she was assured of this, she hastened towards them, running at
speed, like a devil of ill rede, till reaching them she cried
out, "Haste ye! haste ye! O soldiers of the Compassionate One,
hasten to the Holy War against the hosts of Satan!" When Bahram
saw her he dismounted and kissed the ground before her and asked
her, "O friend of Allah what is behind thee?" Answered she,
"Question not of sad case and sore condition; for when our
comrades had taken the treasure from the hermitage of Matruhina,
and designed to win their way Constantinople wards, thereupon
came out on them a driving host and a dreadful of the Infidels."
And the damned witch repeated to them the story to fill them with
trouble and terror, adding, "The most of them are dead, and there
are but five and twenty men left." Said Bahram, "O holy man!
when didst thou leave them?" "But this night,"[FN#437] replied
she. He cried, "Glory be to Allah! to Him who hath rolled up
the far distance for thee like a rug, so that thou hast sped thus
walking upon thy feet and props upon a mid-rib of palm-tree! But
thou art one of the saints which fly like birds when inspired and
possessed by His directions."[FN#438] Then he mounted his horse,
and he was perplexed and confounded by what he had heard from the
beldam so strong in lies and ill calumnies, and he said, "There
is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious,
the Great! Verily our labour is lost and our hearts are heavy
within us, for our Sultan is a prisoner and those who are with
him." Then they cut across the country, wide and side, night and
day, and when morning dawned they reached the head of the defile
and saw Zau al-Makan and Sharrkan shouting. "There is no god but
the God! Allaho Akbar! and Salutation and Salvation upon the
Congratulator, the Comminator."[FN#439] Whereupon he and his
drove at the Unbelievers and whelmed them, as the rain torrent
whelms the waste; and cried out their war cries, till fear get
hold of the prowess Knights and the mountains were cloven in
affright. And when shone the day and showed its shine and sheen,
the breeze of morning blew upon them sweet and fragrant, and each
recognised other as hath been said before. Then they kissed the
ground before the King and before his brother Sharrkan, who told
them all that had befallen the party in the cave. Now thereat
they marvelled and said to one another, "Hasten we back to
Constantinople, for we left our companions there, and our hearts
are with them." So they hurried departure, commending themselves
to the Subtle, the All-wise, and Zau al-Makan exhorted the
Moslems to steadfast- ness and versified in the following
couplets,[FN#440]

"Be praises mine to all praiseworthy Thee, * O Lord, who stinted
not mine aid to be!
Though was I lost abroad, Thou west to me * Strongest support
which vouchsafed victory:
Thou gav'st me wealth and reign and goodly gifts, * And slungest
con quering sword of valiancy:
Thou mad'st me blest beneath Thy kingly shade, * Engraced with
generous boons dealt fain and free:
Thou savedst *from every fear I feared, by aid * Of my Wazir, the
Age's noblest he!
Garred us Thy grace in fight to throw the Greek, * Who yet came
back dight in War's cramoisie:
Then made I feint to fly from out the fight; * But like grim lion
turning made them flee,
And left on valley sole my foemen, drunk * Not with old
wine[FN#441] but Death-cup's revelry:
Then came the Saintly Hermit, and he showed * His marvels wrought
for town and wold to see;
When slew they hero-wights who woke to dwell * In Eden bowers
wherein sweet rill-lets well."

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