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 One Hundred and Twentieth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the young
merchant continued to Taj al-Muluk: "So I entered the house and
when my mother saw me she said, "Her death lieth heavy on thy
neck and may Allah not acquit thee of her blood! A plague on
such a cousin!" Then came my father, and we laid her out and get
ready her bier and buried her; and we had recitations of the
whole Koran over her tomb and we abode by her grave three days,
after which we returned to our home, and I grieving for her
grievously. Then my mother came to me and said, "I would fain
know what thou didst to her, to break her heart[FN#518] for, O my
son, I questioned her at all times of the cause of her complaint,
but she would tell me nothing nor let me know aught of it. So
Allah upon thee, tell me what thou hast been doing to her that
she died." Quoth I, "I did nothing." Quoth my mother, "Allah
avenge her on thee! Verily she told me naught, but kept her
secret till she died of her love longings for thee; but when she
died I was with her and she opened her eyes and said to me; 'O
wife of my uncle may Allah hold thy son guiltless of my blood and
punish him not for what he hath done by me! And now Allah
transporteth me from the house of the world which is perishable
to the house of the other world which is eternal.' Said I, 'O my
daughter, Allah preserve thee and preserve thy youth!' And as I
questioned her of the cause of her illness, she made me no
answer; but she smiled and said, 'O wife of my uncle, bid thy
son, whenever he would go whither he goeth every day, repeat
these two saws at his going away; 'Faith is fair! Unfaith is
foul!' For this is of my tender affection to him, that I am
solicitous concerning him during my lifetime and after my death.'
Then she gave me somewhat for thee and sware me that I would not
give it until I see thee weeping for her and lamenting her death.
The thing is with me; and, when I have seen thy case as I have
said, I will make it over to thee." "Show it me," cried I: but
she would not. Then I gave myself up to love delights and
thought no more of my cousin's death: for my mind was unsettled
and fain would I have been with my lover the livelong day and
night.[FN#519] So hardly had I perceived the darkness fall when
I betook myself to the garden, where I found the young lady
sitting on coals of fire for much impatience. As soon as she was
sure that she saw me, she ran to me and throwing her arms about
my neck, enquired of the daughter of my uncle. I replied, "Sooth
to say she is dead, and we have caused Zikr- litanies and
recitations of the Koran to be performed for her; and it is now
four nights and this be the fifth since she is gone." When she
heard that, she shrieked aloud and wept and said, "Did I not tell
thee that thou hast slain her? Hadst thou let me know of her
before her death, I would have requited her the kindness she did
me, in that she served me and united thee to me; for without her,
we had never foregathered, we twain, and I fear lest some
calamity befal thee because of thy sin against her." Quoth I,
"She acquitted me of offence ere she died;" and I repeated to her
what my mother had told me. Quoth she, "Allah upon thee! when
thou returnest to thy mother, learn what thing she keepeth for
thee." I rejoined, "My mother also said to me; 'Before the
daughter of thy uncle died, she laid a charge upon me, saying,
Whenever thy son would go whither he is wont to go, teach him
these two saws, 'Faith is fair; Unfaith is foul!' " When my lady
heard this she exclaimed, "The mercy of Almighty Allah be upon
her! Indeed, she hath delivered thee from me, for I minded to do
thee a mischief, but now I will not harm thee nor trouble thee."
I wondered at this and asked her, "What then west thou minded to
do with me in time past and we two being in bond of love?"
Answered she, "Thou art infatuated with me; for thou art young in
life and a raw laddie; thy heart is void of guile and thou
weetest not our malice and deceit. Were she yet alive, she would
protect thee; for she is the cause of thy preservation and she
hath delivered thee from destruction. And now I charge thee
speak not with any woman, neither accost one of our sex, be she
young or be she old; and again I say Beware! for thou art simple
and raw and knowest not the wiles of women and their malice, and
she who interpreted the signs to thee is dead. And indeed I fear
for thee, lest thou fall into some disgrace and find none to
deliver thee from it, now that the daughter of thy uncle is no
more."--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say
her permitted say.

When it was the One Hundred and Twenty-first Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the young
merchant continued to Taj al-Muluk: "Then the young lady said to
me, "I fear for thee lest thou fall into some disgrace and find
none to deliver thee from it. Alas for thy cousin and ah, the
pity of her! Would I had known her before her death, that I
might have requited by waiting upon her the fair service she did
me. The mercy of Allah Almighty be upon her, for she kept her
secret and revealed not what she suffered, and but for her thou
hadst never foregathered with me; no, never! But there is one
thing I desire of thee." I asked, "What is it?"; and she
answered, "It is that thou bring me to her grave, that I may
visit her in the tomb wherein she is and write some couplets
thereon." I rejoined, "To morrow, if Allah please!"[FN#520] I
slept with her that night, and she ceased not saying after every
hour, "Would thou hadst told me of thy cousin before her death!"
And I asked her, "What is the meaning of the two saws she taught
me? 'Faith is fair! Unfaith is foul!'" But she made no answer.
As soon as it was day she rose and, taking a purse of gold
pieces, said to me, "Come, show me her tomb, that I may visit it
and grave some verses thereon and build a dome over it and
commend her to Allah's mercy and bestow these diners in alms for
her soul." I replied, "To hear is to obey!"; and walked on before
her, whilst she followed me, giving alms as she went and saying
to all upon whom she lavisht bounty, "This is an alms for the
soul of Azizah, who kept her counsel till she drank the cup of
death and never told the secret of her love." And she stinted not
thus to give alms and say, "for Azizah's soul," till the purse
was empty and we came to the grave. And when she looked at the
tomb, she wept and threw herself on it; then, pulling out a
chisel of steel and a light hammer, she graved therewith upon the
head stone in fine small characters these couplets,

"I past by a broken tomb amid a garth right sheen, * Whereon
seven blooms of Nu'uman[FN#521] glowed with cramoisie;
Quoth I, 'Who sleepeth in this tomb?' Quoth answering Earth *
'Before a lover Hades-tombed[FN#522] bend reverently!'
Quoth I, 'May Allah help thee, O thou slain of Love, * And grant
thee home in Heaven and Paradise height to see!'
Hapless are lovers all e'en tombed in their tombs, * Where amid
living folk the dust weighs heavily!
Pain would I plant a garden blooming round thy grave, * And water
every flower with tear drops flowing free!"

Then she turned away in tears and I with her and returned to the
garden where she said to me, "By Allah! I conjure thee never
leave me!" "To hear is to obey," replied I. Then I gave myself
wholly up to her and paid her frequent visits: she was good and
generous to me; and as often as I passed the night with her, she
would make much of me and would ask me of the two saws my cousin
Azizah told my mother and I would repeat them to her. And
matters ceased not to be on this wise and I continued for a whole
year eating and drinking and enjoying dalliance and wearing
change of rich raiment until I waxed gross and fat, so that I
lost all thought of sorrowing and mourning, and I clean forgot my
cousin Azizah. And on New Year's day I went to the bath, where I
refreshed myself and put on a suit of sumptuous clothes; then
coming out I drank a cup of wine and smelt the scent of my new
gear which was perfumed with various essences; and my breast was
broadened thereby, for I knew not the tricks of Pate nor the
changing ways of Time. When the hour of night prayer came, I was
minded to repair to my lover; but, being the worse for wine, I
knew not when going to her whither I went, so my drunkenness
turned me into a by street called Syndic Street;[FN#523] and the
while I walked up that street behold, I caught sight of an old
woman faring with a lighted taper in one hand, and in the other a
folded letter.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the One Hundred and Twenty-second Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the young
merchant, whose name was Aziz, continued to Taj al-Muluk:--And
when I entered the street called Syndic Street behold, I caught
sight of an old woman walking with a lighted taper in one hand
and in the other a folded letter and I drew near her and lo! she
was weeping and repeating these couplets,

"O glad news bearer well come! Welcome! Hail! * How sweet thy
speech to me, what treat thy tale:
O messenger from him whose weal I love, * God bless thee long as
breathes soft morning-gale!"

Now when she saw me she asked, "O my son! canst thou read?"; and
I answered, of my officiousness, "Yes, old naunty!" Rejoined she,
"Then take this letter and read it to me." And when she handed it
to me, I took it and unfolding it read it to her and behold it
was from an absent man to his friends and lovers whom he greeted;
and, when she heard its purport, she rejoiced at the good tidings
and blessed me, saying, "Allah dispel thine anxiety, even as thou
hast dispelled mine!" Then she took the letter and walked on.
Meanwhile, I was urged by a call of nature and sat down on my
heels to make water.[FN#524] When I had ended I stood up and
wiped the orifice with a pebble and then, letting down my
clothes, I was about to wend my way, when suddenly the old woman
came up to me again and, bending down over my hand, kissed it and
said, "O my master! the Lord give thee joy of thy youth! I
entreat thee to walk with me a few steps as far as yonder door,
for I told them what thou didst read to me of the letter, and
they believe me not, so come with me two steps and read them the
letter from behind the door and accept the prayers of a righteous
woman." I enquired, "What is the history of this letter?", and
she replied, "O my son, this letter is from my son, who hath been
absent for a term of ten years. He set out with a stock of
merchandise and tarried long in foreign parts, till we lost hope
of him and supposed him to be dead. Now after all that delay
cometh this letter from him, and he hath a sister who weepeth for
him night and day; so I said to her, 'He is well and all right.'
But she will not believe me and declares, 'There is no help but
thou bring me one who will read this letter in my presence, that
my heart may be at rest and my mind at ease.' Thou knowest, O my
son, that all who love are wont to think evil: so be good enough
to go with me and read to her this letter, standing behind the
curtain, whilst I call his sister to listen within the door, so
shalt thou dispel our heed and fulfil our need. Verily quoth the
Apostle of Allah (whom Allah bless and preserve!), 'Whoso easeth
the troubled of one of the troubles of this troublous world,
Allah will ease him of an hundred troubles'; and according to
another tradition, 'Whoso easeth his brother of one of the
troubles of this troublous world, Allah shall relieve him of
seventy and two troubles on the Day of Resurrection.' And I have
betaken myself to thee; so disappoint me not." Replied I, "To
hear is to obey: do thou go before me!" So she walked on
devancing me and I followed her a little way, till she came to
the gate of a large and handsome mansion whose door was plated
with copper.[FN#525] I stood behind the door, whilst the old
woman cried out in Persian, and ere I knew it a damsel ran up
with light and nimble step. She had tucked up her trousers to
her knees, so that I saw a pair of calves that confounded thinker
and lighter, and the maid herself was as saith the poet
describing her,

"O thou who barest leg calf, better to suggest * For passion
madded amourist better things above!
Towards its lover cloth the bowl go round and run; * Cup[FN#526]
and cup bearer only drive us daft with love."[FN#527]

Now these legs were like two pillars of alabaster adorned with
anklets of gold, wherein were set stones of price. And the
damsel had tucked up the end of her gown under her arm pit and
had rolled up her sleeves to the elbow, so that I could see her
white wrists whereon were two pairs of bracelets with clasps of
great pearls; and round her neck was a collar of costly gems.
Her ears were adorned with pendants of pearls and on her head she
wore a kerchief[FN#528] of brocade, brand new and broidered with
jewels of price. And she had thrust the skirt of her shift into
her trousers string being busy with some household business. So
when I saw her in this undress, I was confounded at her beauty,
for she was like a shining sun. Then she said, with soft, choice
speech, never heard I sweeter, "O my mother! is this he who
cometh to read the letter?" "It is," replied the old woman; and
she put out her hand to me with the letter. Now between her and
the door was a distance of about half a rod[FN#529]; so I
stretched forth my hand to take the letter from her and thrust
head and shoulders within the door, thinking to draw near her and
read the letter when, before I knew what her design was, the old
woman butted her head against my back and pushed me forwards with
the letter in my hand, so that ere I could take thought I found
myself in the middle of the hall far beyond the vestibule. Then
she entered, faster than a flash of blinding leven, and had
naught to do but to shut the door. And Shahrazed perceived the
dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the One Hundred and Twenty-third Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the youth
Aziz pursued to Taj al Muluk: "When the old woman pushed me
forwards I found myself, ere I could think, inside the vestibule;
and the old woman entered faster than a flash of blinding levee
and had naught to do but to shut the door. When the girl saw me
in the vestibule, she came up to me and strained me to her bosom,
and threw me to the floor; then she sat astraddle upon my breast
and kneaded my belly with her fingers, till I well nigh lost my
senses. Thereupon she took me by the hand and led me, unable to
resist for the violence of her pressure, through seven
vestibules, whilst the old woman forewent us with the lighted
candle, till we came to a great saloon with four estrades whereon
a horseman might play Polo.[FN#530] Here she released me, saying,
"Open thine eyes." So I opened them still giddy for the excess of
her embracing and pressing, and saw that the whole saloon was
built of the finest marbles and alabasters, and all its furniture
was of silk and brocade even to the cushions and mattresses.
Therein also were two benches of yellow brass and a couch of red
gold, set with pearls and precious stones, befitting none save
Kings like thyself. And off the saloon were smaller sitting
rooms; and the whole place was redolent of wealth. Then she
asked, "O Aziz, which is liefer to thee life or death?" "Life,"
answered I; and she said, "If life be liefer to thee, marry me."
Quoth I, "Indeed I should hate to marry the like of thee." Quoth
she, "If thou marry me thou wilt at least be safe from the
daughter of Dalilah the Wily One."[FN#531] I asked, "And who be
that daughter of the Wily One?" Whereupon she laughed and
replied, " 'Tis she who hath companied with thee this day for a
year and four months (may the Almighty destroy and afflict her
with one worse than herself!) By Allah, there liveth not a more
perfidious than she. How many men hath she not slain before thee
and what deeds hath she not done. Nor can I understand how thou
hast been all the time in her company, yet she hath not killed
thee nor done thee a mischief." When I heard her words, I
marvelled with exceeding marvel and said, "O my lady, who made
thee to know her?" Said she, "I know her as the age knoweth its
calamities; but now I would fain have thee tell me all that hath
passed between you two, that I may ken the cause of thy
deliverance from her." So I told her all that had happened
between us, including the story of my cousin Azizah. She
expressed her pity when she heard of the death, and her eyes ran
over with tears and she claps hand on hand and cried out, Her
youth was lost on Allah's way,[FN#532] and may the Lord bless
thee for her good works! By Allah, O Aziz, she who died for thee
was the cause of thy preservation from the daughter of Dalia the
Wily; and, but for her, thou hadst been lost. And now she is
dead I fear for thee from the Crafty One's perfidy and mischief;
but my throat is choking and I cannot speak." Quoth I Ay, by
Allah: all this happened even as thou sayest." And she shook her
head and cried, "There liveth not this day the like of Azizah. I
continued, "And on her death bed she bade me repeat to my lover
these two saws, 'Faith is fair! Unfaith is foul'" When she heard
me say this, she exclaimed, "O Aziz, by Allah those same words
saved thee from dying by her hand; and now my heart is at ease
for thee from her, for she will never kill thee and the daughter
of thy uncle preserved thee during her lifetime and after her
death. By Allah, I have desired thee day after day but could not
get at thee till this time when I tricked thee and outwitted
thee; for thou art a raw youth[FN#533] and knowest not the wiles
of young women nor the deadly guile of old women." Rejoined I,
No, by Allah!" Then said she to me, "Be of good cheer and eyes
clear; the dead hath found Allah's grace, and the live shall be
in good case. Thou art a handsome youth and I do not desire thee
but according to the ordinance of Allah and His Apostle (on whom
be salutation and salvation!). Whatever thou requirest of money
and stuff, thou shalt have forthright without stint, and I will
not impose any toil on thee, no, never!, for there is with me
always bread baked hot and water in pot. All I need of thee is
that thou do with me even as the cock doth." I asked "And what
doth the cock?" Upon this she laughed and clapped her hands and
fell over on her back for excess of merriment then she sat up and
smiled and said, "O light of my eyes, really dost thou not know
what cock's duty is?" "No, by Allah!" replied I, and she, "The
cock's duty is to eat and drink and tread.' I was abashed at her
words and asked, "Is that the cock's duty? Yes, answered she;
"and all I ask of thee now is to gird thy loins and strengthen
thy will and futter thy best." Then she clapped her hands and
cried out, saying, "O my mother, bring forward those who are with
thee." And behold, in came the old woman accompanied by four
lawful witnesses, and carrying a veil of silk. Then she lighted
four candles, whilst the witnesses saluted me and sat down; and
the girl veiled herself with the veil and deputed one of them to
execute the contract on her behalf. So they wrote out the
marriage bond and she testified to have received the whole sum
settled upon her, both the half in advance and the half in
arrears; and that she was indebted to me in the sum of ten
thousand dirhams.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the young
merchant continued to Taj al-Muluk: When they wrote out the
marriage contract, she testified to having received the whole sum
settled upon her, the half in advance and the half in arrears and
that she was indebted to me in the sum of ten thousand dirhams.
She paid the witnesses their wage and they withdrew whence they
came. Thereupon she arose and cast off her clothes and stood in
a chemise of fine silk edged with gold lace, after which she took
off her trousers and seized my hand and led me up to the couch,
saying, "There is no sin in a lawful put in." She lay down on the
couch outspread upon her back; and, drawing me on to her breast,
heaved a sigh and followed it up with a wriggle by way of being
coy. Then she pulled up the shift above her breasts, and when I
saw her in this pose, I could not withhold myself from thrusting
it into her, after I had sucked her lips, whilst she whimpered
and shammed shame and wept when no tears came, and then said she,
"O my beloved, do it, and do thy best!" Indeed the case reminded
me of his saying, who said,

"When I drew up her shift from the roof of her coynte, * I found
it as strait* as my mind and my money:
So I drove it half-way, and she sighed a loud sigh * Quoth I,
'Why this sigh?': 'For the rest of it, honey!'"

And she repeated, "O my beloved, let the finish be made for I am
thine handmaid. My life on thee, up with it! give it me, all of
it! that I may take it in my hand and thrust it into my very
vitals!" And she ceased not to excite me with sobs and sighs and
amorous cries in the intervals of kissing and clasping until amid
our murmurs of pleasure we attained the supreme delight and the
term we had in sight. We slept together till the morning, when I
would have gone out; but lo! she came up to me, laughing, and
said, "So! So! thinkest thou that going into the Hammam is the
same as going out?[FN#534] Dost thou deem me to be the like of
the daughter of Dalilah the Wily One? Beware of such a thought,
for thou art my husband by contract and according to law. If
thou be drunken return to thy right mind, and know that the house
wherein thou art openeth but one day in every year. Go down and
look at the great door." So I arose and went down and found the
door locked and nailed up and returned and told her of the
locking and nailing. "O Aziz," said she, "We have in this house
flour, grain, fruits and pomegranates; sugar, meat, sheep,
poultry and so forth enough for many years; and the door will not
be opened till after the lapse of a whole twelvemonth and well I
weet thou shalt not find thyself without this house till then."
Quoth I "There is no Majesty, and there is no Might save in
Allah, the Glorious, the Great!" "And how can this harm thee,"
rejoined she; "seeing thou knowest cock's duty, whereof I told
thee?" Then she laughed and I laughed too, and I conformed to
what she said and abode with her, doing cock's duty and eating
and drinking and futtering for a year of full twelve months,
during which time she conceived by me, and I was blessed with a
babe by her. On the New Year's day I heard the door opened and
behold, men came in with cakes and flour and sugar. Upon this, I
would have gone out but my wife said, "Wait till supper tide and
go out even as thou camest in." So I waited till the hour of
night prayer and was about to go forth in fear and trembling,
when she stopped me, saying, "By Allah, I will not let thee go
until thou swear to come back this night before the closing of
the door." I agreed to this, and she swore me a solemn oath on
Blade and Book,[FN#535] and the oath of divorce to boot, that I
would return to her. Then I left her and going straight to the
garden, found the door open as usual; where at I was angry and
said to myself, "I have been absent this whole year and come here
unawares and find the place open as of wont! I wonder is the
damsel still here as before? I needs must enter and see before I
go to my mother, more by reason that it is now nightfall." So I
entered the flower garden,--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and ceased to say her permitted say.

End of Vol. 2.

Volume 2 Footnotes

[FN#1] Supplementarily to note 2, p. 2, [FN#2 Vol 1]and note 2,
p. 14, [FN#21 Vol 1] vol. i., I may add that "Shahrazad," in the
Shams al-Loghat, is the P.N. of a King. L. Langles (Les Voyages
de Sindibad Le Marin et La Ruse des Femmes, first appended to
Savary's Grammar and reprinted 12 mot pp. 161 + 113, Imprimerie
Royale, Paris, M.D.CCC.XIV) explains it by Le cypres, la beaute
de la ville; and he is followed by (A. de Biberstein) Kazimirski
(Ends el-Djelis Paris, Barrois, 1847). Ouseley (Orient. Collect.)
makes Shahrzad=town-born; and others an Arabisation of Chehr-azad
(free of face, ingenuous of countenance) the petit nom of Queen
Humay, for whom see the Terminal Essay. The name of the sister,
whom the Fihrist converts into a Kahramanah, or nurse, vulgarly
written Dinar-zad, would= child of gold pieces, freed by gold
pieces, or one who has no need of gold pieces: Dinzad=child of
faith and Daynazad, proposed by Langles, "free from debt (!)" I
have adopted Macnaghten's Dunyazad. "Shahryar," which Scott
hideously writes "Shier ear," is translated by the Shams, King of
the world, absolute monarch and the court of Anushir wan while
the Burhan-i-Kati'a renders it a King of Kings, and P.N. of a
town. Shahr-baz is also the P.N. of a town in Samarcand.

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