The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 3

R >> Richard F. Burton >> The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 3

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And when he had versed his verse and had prosed his prose, he
again groaned and complained and remembered he had been and how
he had been parted from his brother. Thus far concerning him; but
as regards his brother Amjad, he awaited As'ad till mid-day yet
he returned not to him: whereupon Amjad's vitals fluttered, the
pangs of parting were sore upon him and he poured forth abundant
tears,--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say
her permitted say.

When it was the Two Hundred and Thirtieth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Amjad
awaited his brother As'ad till mid-day and he returned not to
him, Amjad's vitals fluttered; the pangs of parting were sore
upon him and he poured forth abundant tears, exclaiming, "Alas,
my brother! Alas, my friend! Alas my grief! How I feared me we
should be separated!" Then he descended from the mountain-top
with the tears running down his cheeks; and, entering the city,
ceased not walking till he made the market. He asked the folk the
name of the place and concerning its people and they said, "This
is called the City of the Magians, and its citizens are mostly
given to Fire-worshipping in lieu of the Omnipotent King." Then
he enquired of the City of Ebony and they answered, "Of a truth
it is a year's journey thither by land and six months by sea: it
was governed erst by a King called Armanus; but he took to son-
in-law and made King in his stead a Prince called Kamar al-Zaman
distinguished for justice and munificence, equity and
benevolence." When Amjad heard tell of his father, he groaned and
wept and lamented and knew not whither to go. However, he bought
a something of food and carried it to a retired spot where he sat
down thinking to eat; but, recalling his brother, he fell a-
weeping and swallowed but a morsel to keep breath and body
together, and that against his will. Then he rose and walked
about the city, seeking news of his brother, till he saw a Moslem
tailor sitting in his shop so he sat down by him and told him his
story; whereupon quoth the tailor, "If he have fallen into the
hands of the Magians, thou shalt hardly see him again: yet it may
be Allah will reunite you twain. But thou, O my brother," he
continued wilt thou lodge with me?" Amjad answered, "Yes"; and
the tailor rejoiced at this. So he abode with him many days, what
while the tailor comforted him and exhorted him to patience and
taught him tailoring, till he became expert in the craft. Now one
day he went forth to the sea-shore and washed his clothes; after
which he entered the bath and put on clean raiment; then he
walked about the city, to divert himself with its sights and
presently there met him on the way a woman of passing beauty and
loveliness, without peer for grace and comeliness. When she saw
him she raised her face-veil and signed to him by moving her
eyebrows and her eyes with luring glances, and versified these
couplets,

"I drooped my glance when seen thee on the way *
As though, O slim-waist! felled by Sol's hot ray:
Thou art the fairest fair that e'er appeared, *
Fairer to-day than fair of yesterday:[FN#384]
Were Beauty parted, a fifth part of it *
With Joseph or a part of fifth would stay;
The rest would fly to thee, shine ownest own; *
Be every soul thy sacrifice, I pray!"

When Amjad heard these her words, they gladdened his heart which
inclined to her and his bowels yearned towards her and the hands
of love sported with him; so he sighed to her in reply and spoke
these couplets,

"Above the rose of cheek is thorn of lance;[FN#385] *
Who dareth pluck it, rashest chevisance?
Stretch not thy hand towards it, for night long *
Those lances marred because we snatched a glance!
Say her, who tyrant is and tempter too *
(Though justice might her tempting power enhance):--
Thy face would add to errors were it veiled; *
Unveiled I see its guard hath best of chance!
Eye cannot look upon Sol's naked face; *
But can, when mist-cloud dims his countenance:
The honey-hive is held by honey-bee;[FN#386] *
Ask the tribe-guards what wants their vigilance?
An they would slay me, let them end their ire *
Rancorous, and grant us freely to advance:
They're not more murderous, an charge the whole *
Than charging glance of her who wears the mole."

And hearing these lines from Amjad she sighed with the deepest
sighs and, signing to him again, repeated these couplets,

"'Tis thou hast trodden coyness path not I: *
Grant me thy favours for the time draws nigh:
O thou who makest morn with light of brow, *
And with loosed brow-locks night in lift to stye!
Thine idol-aspect made of me thy slave, *
Tempting as temptedst me in days gone by:
'Tis just my liver fry with hottest love: *
Who worship fire for God must fire aby:
Thou sellest like of me for worthless price; *
If thou must sell, ask high of those who buy."

When Amjad heard these her words he said to her, "Wilt thou come
to my lodging or shall I go with thee to shine?" So she hung her
head in shame to the ground and repeated the words of Him whose
Name be exalted, "Men shall have the pre-eminence above women,
because of those advantages wherein Allah hath caused the one of
them to excel the other."[FN#387] Upon this, Amjad took the
hint.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
her permitted say.

When it was the Two Hundred and Thirty-first Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Amjad took
the woman's hint and understood that she wished to go with him
whither he was going; he felt himself bounder to find a place
wherein to receive her, but was ashamed to carry her to the house
of his host, the tailor. So he walked on and she walked after
him, and the two ceased not walking from street to street and
place to place, till she was tired and said to him, "O my lord,
where is thy house?" Answered he, "Before us a little way." Then
he turned aside into a handsome by-street, followed by the young
woman, and walked on till he came to the end, when he found it
was no thoroughfare and exclaimed, "There is no Majesty and there
is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great!" Then raising
his eyes, he saw, at the upper end of the lane a great doer with
two stone benches; but it was locked. So Amjad sat down on one of
the benches and she on the other; and she said to him, "O my
lord, wherefore waitest thou?" He bowed his head awhile to the
ground then raised it and answered, "I am awaiting my Mameluke
who hath the key; for I bade him make me ready meat and drink and
flowers, to deck the wine-service against my return from the
bath." But he said to himself, "Haply the time will be tedious to
her and she will go about her business, leaving me here, when I
will wend my own way." However, as soon as she was weary of long
waiting, she said, "O my lord, thy Mameluke delayeth; and here
are we sitting in the street;" and she arose and took a stone and
went up to the lock. Said Amjad, "Be not in haste, but have
patience till the servant come." However, she hearkened not to
him, but smote the wooden bolt with the stone and broke it in
half, whereupon the door opened. Quoth he, "What possessed thee
to do this deed?" Quoth she, "Pooh, pooh, my lord! what matter
it? Is not the house thy house and thy place?" He said, "There
was no need to break the bolt." Then the damsel entered, to the
confusion of Amjad, who knew not what to do for fear of the
people of the house; but she said to him, "Why dost thou not
enter, O light of mine eyes and core of my heart?" Replied he, "I
hear and obey; but my servant tarrieth long and I know not if he
have done aught of what I bade him and specially enjoined upon
him, or not." Hereupon he entered, sore in fear of the people of
the house, and found himself in a handsome saloon with four
dais'd recesses, each facing other, and containing closets and
raised seats, all bespread with stuffs of silk and brocade; and
in the midst was a jetting fountain of costly fashion, on whose
margin rested a covered tray of meats, with a leather tablecloth
hanging up and gem-encrusted dishes, full of fruits and sweet-
scented flowers. Hard by stood drinking vessels and a candlestick
with a single wax-candle therein; and the place was full of
precious stuffs and was ranged with chests and stools, and on
each seat lay a parcel of clothes upon which was a purse full of
monies, gold and silver. The floor was paved with marble and the
house bore witness in every part to its owner's fortune. When
Amjad saw all this, he was confounded at his case and said to
himself, "I am a lost man! Verily we are Allah's and to Allah we
are returning!" As for the damsel, when she sighted the place she
rejoiced indeed with a joy nothing could exceed, and said to him,
"By Allah, O my lord, thy servant hath not failed of his duty;
for see, he hath swept the place and cooked the meat and set on
the fruit; and indeed I come at the best of times." But he paid
no heed to her, his heart being taken up with fear of the house-
folk; and she said, "Fie, O my lord, O my heart! What aileth thee
to stand thus?" Then she sighed and, giving him a buss which
sounded like the cracking of a walnut, said, "O my lord, an thou
have made an appointment with other than with me, I will gird my
middle and serve her and thee. Amjad laughed from a heart full of
rage and wrath and came forwards and sat down, panting and saying
to himself, "Alack, mine ill death and doom when the owner of the
place shall return!" Then she seated herself by him and fell to
toying and laughing, whilst Amjad sat careful and frowning,
thinking a thousand thoughts and communing with himself,
"Assuredly the master of the house cannot but come, and then what
shall I say to him? he needs must kill me and my life will be
lost thus foolishly." Presently she rose and, tucking up her
sleeves, took a tray of food on which she laid the cloth and then
set it before Amjad and began to eat, saying, "Eat, O my lord."
So he came forward and ate; but the food was not pleasant to him;
on the contrary he ceased not to look towards the door, till the
damsel had eaten her fill, when she took away the tray of the
meats and, setting on the dessert, fell to eating of the dried
fruits. Then she brought the wine service and opening the jar,
filled a cup and handed it to Amjad, who took it from her hand
saying to him self, ' Ah, ah! and well away, when the master of
the house cometh and seeth me!"; and he kept his eyes fixed on
the threshold, even with cup in hand. While he was in this case,
lo! in came the master of the house, who was a white slave, one
of the chief men of the city, being Master of the Horse[FN#388]
to the King. He had fitted up this saloon for his pleasures, that
he might make merry therein and be private with whom he would,
and he had that day bidden a youth whom he loved and had made
this entertainment for him. Now the name of this slave was
Bahadur,[FN#389] and he was open of hand, generous, munificent
and fain of alms-giving and charitable works.--And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it wad the Two Hundred and Thirty-second Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Bahadur, the Master of the Horse and the owner of the house, came
to the door of the saloon and found it open, he entered slowly
and softly and looking in, with head advanced and out stretched
neck, saw Amjad and the girl sitting before the dish of fruit and
the wine-jar in front of them. Now Amjad at that moment had the
cup in his hand and his face turned to the door; and when his
glance met Bahadur's eyes his hue turned pale yellow and his
side-muscles quivered, so seeing his trouble Bahadur signed to
him with his finger on his lips, as much as to say, "Be silent
and come hither to me." Whereupon he set down the cup and rose
and the damsel cried, "Whither away?" He shook his head and,
signing to her that he wished to make water, went out into the
passage barefoot. Now when he saw Bahadur he knew him for the
master of the house; so he hastened to him and, kissing his
hands, said to him, "Allah upon thee, O my lord, ere thou do me a
hurt, hear what I have to say." Then he told him who he was from
first to last and acquainted him with what caused him to quit his
native land and royal state, and how he had not entered his house
of his free will, but that it was the girl who had broken the
lock-bolt and done all this.[FN#390] When Bahadur heard his story
and knew that he was a King's son, he felt for him and, taking
compassion on him, said, "Hearken to me, O Amjad, and do what I
bid thee and I will guarantee thy safety from that thou fearest;
but, if thou cross me, I will kill thee." Amjad replied, "Command
me as thou wilt: I will not gainsay thee in aught; no, never, for
I am the freedman of thy bounty." Rejoined Bahadur, "Then go back
forthwith into the saloon, sit down in thy place and be at peace
and at shine ease; I will presently come in to thee, and when
thou seest me (remember my name is Bahadur) do thou revile me and
rail at me, saying, 'What made thee tarry till so late?' And
accept no excuse from me; nay, so far from it, rise and beat me;
and, if thou spare me, I will do away thy life. Enter now and
make merry and whatsoever thou seekest of me at this time I will
bring thee forthwith; and do thou spend this night as thou wilt
and on the morrow wend thy way. This I do in honour of thy
strangerhood, for I love the stranger and hold myself bounder to
do him devoir." So Amjad kissed his hand, and, returning to the
saloon with his face clad in its natural white and red, at once
said to the damsel, "O my mistress, thy presence hath gladdened
this shine own place and ours is indeed a blessed night." Quoth
the girl, "Verily I see a wonderful change in thee, that thou now
welcomest me so cordially!" So Amjad answered, "By Allah, O my
lady, methought my servant Bahadur had robbed me of some
necklaces of jewels, worth ten thousand diners each; however,
when I went out but now in concern for this, I sought for them
and found them in their place. I know not why the slave tarrieth
so long and needs must I punish him for it." She was satisfied
with his answer, and they sported and drank and made merry and
ceased not to be so till near sundown, when Bahadur came in to
them, having changed his clothes and girt his middle and put on
shoes, such as are worn of Mamelukes. He saluted and kissed the
ground; then held his hands behind him and stood, with his head
hanging down, as one who confesseth to a fault. So Amjad looked
at him with angry eyes and asked, "Why hast thou tarried till
now, O most pestilent of slaves?" Answered Bahadur, "O my lord, I
was busy washing my clothes and knew not of thy being here; for
our appointed time was nightfall and not day-tide." But Amjad
cried out at him, saying, "Thou liest, O vilest of slaves! By
Allah, I must needs beat thee." So he rose and, throwing Bahadur
prone on the ground, took a stick and beat him gently; but the
damsel sprang up and, snatching the stick from his hand, came
down upon Bahadur so lustily, that in extreme pain the tears ran
from his eyes and he ground his teeth together and called out for
succour; whilst Amjad cried out to the girl "Don't"; and she
cried out, "Let me satisfy my anger upon him!" till at last he
pulled the stick out of her hand and pushed her away. So Bahadur
rose and, wiping away his tears from his cheeks, waited upon them
the while, after which he swept the hall and lighted the lamps;
but as often as he went in and out, the lady abused him and
cursed him till Amjad was wroth with her and said, "For Almighty
Allah's sake leave my Mameluke; he is not used to this." Then
they sat and ceased not eating and drinking (and Bahadur waiting
upon them) till midnight when, being weary with service and
beating, he fell asleep in the midst of the hall and snored and
snorted; whereupon the damsel, who was drunken with wine, said to
Amjad, "Arise, take the sword hanging yonder and cut me off this
slave's head; and, if thou do it not, I will be the death of
thee!" "What possesseth thee to slay my slave?" asked Amjad; and
she answered, "Our joyaunce will not be complete but by his
death. If thou wilt not kill him, I will do it myself." Quoth
Amjad, "By Allah's rights to thee, do not this thing!" Quoth she,
"It must perforce be;" and, taking down the sword, drew it and
made at Bahadur to kill him; but Amjad said in his mind, "This
man hath entreated us courteously and sheltered us and done us
kindness and made himself my slave: shall we requite him by
slaughtering him? This shall never be!" Then he said to the
woman, "If my Mameluke must be killed, better I should kill him
than thou." So saying, he took the sword from her and, raising
his hand, smote her on the neck and made her head fly from her
body. It fell upon Bahadur who awoke and sat up and opened his
eyes, when he saw Amjad standing by him and in his hand the sword
dyed with blood, and the damsel lying dead. He enquired what had
passed, and Amjad told him all she had said, adding, "Nothing
would satisfy her but she must slay thee; and this is her
reward." Then Bahadur rose and, kissing the Prince's hand, said
to him, "Would to Heaven thou hadst spared her! but now there is
nothing for it but to rid us of her without stay or delay, before
the day-break." Then he girded his loins and took the body,
wrapped it in an Aba-cloak and, laying it in a large basket of
palm-leaves, he shouldered it saying, "Thou art a stranger here
and knowest no one: so sit thou in this place and await my return
till day-break. If I come back to thee, I will assuredly do thee
great good service and use my endeavours to have news of thy
brother; but if by sunrise I return not, know that all is over
with me; and peace be on thee, and the house and all it
containeth of stuffs and money are shine." Then he fared forth
from the saloon bearing the basket; and, threading the streets,
he made for the salt sea, thinking to throw it therein: but as he
drew near the shore, he turned and saw that the Chief of Police
and his officers had ranged themselves around him; and, on
recognising him, they wondered and opened the basket, wherein
they found the slain woman. So they seized him and laid him in
bilboes all that night till the morning, when they carried him
and the basket, as it was, to the King and reported the case. The
King was sore enraged when he looked upon the slain and said to
Bahadur, "Woe to thee! Thou art always so doing; thou killest
folk and castest them into the sea and takest their goods. How
many murders hast thou done ere this?" Thereupon Bahadur hung his
head.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
her permitted say.

When it was the Two Hundred and Thirty-third Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Bahadur
hung down his head groundwards before the King, who cried out at
him, saying, "Woe to thee! Who killed this girl?" He replied, "O
my lord! I killed her, and there is no Majesty and there is no
Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great!"[FN#391] So the
King in his anger, commanded to hang him; and the hangman went
down with him by the King's commandment, and the Chief of Police
accompanied him with a crier who called upon all the folk to
witness the execution of Bahadur, the King's Master of the Horse;
and on this wise they paraded him through the main streets and
the market-streets. This is how it fared with Bahadur; but as
regards Amjad, he awaited his host's return till the day broke
and the sun rose, and when he saw that he came not, he exclaimed,
"There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the
Glorious, the Great! Would I knew what is become of him?" And, as
he sat musing behold, he heard the crier proclaiming Bahadur's
sentence and bidding the people to see the spectacle of his
hanging at midday; whereat he wept and exclaimed, "Verily, we are
Allah's and to Him we are returning! He meaneth to sacrifice
himself unjustly for my sake, when I it was who slew her. By
Allah, this shall never be!" Then he went from the saloon and,
shutting the door after him, hurriedly threaded the streets till
he overtook Bahadur, when he stood before the Chief of Police and
said to him, "O my lord, put not Bahadur to death, for he is
innocent. By Allah, none killed her but I." Now when the Captain
of Police heard these words, he took them both and, carrying them
before the King, acquainted him with what Amjad had said;
whereupon he looked at the Prince and asked him, "Didst thou kill
the damsel?" He answered, "Yes" and the King said, "Tell me why
thou killedst her, and speak the truth." Replied Amjad, "O King,
it is indeed a marvellous event and a wondrous matter that hath
befallen me: were it graven with needles on the eye-corners, it
would serve as a warner to whoso would be warned!" Then he told
him his whole story and informed him of all that had befallen him
and his brother, first and last; whereat the King was much
startled and surprised and said to him, "Know that now I find
thee to be excusable; but list, O youth! Wilt thou be my Wazir?"
"Hearkening and obedience," answered Amjad whereupon the King
bestowed magnificent dresses of honour on him and Bahadur and
gave him a handsome house, with eunuchs and officers and all
things needful, appointing him stipends and allowances and
bidding him make search for his brother As'ad. So Amjad sat down
in the seat of the Wazirate and governed and did justice and
invested and deposed and took and gave. Moreover, he sent out a
crier to cry his brother throughout the city, and for many days
made proclamation in the main streets and market-streets, but
heard no news of As'ad nor happened on any trace of him. Such was
his case; but as regards his brother, the Magi ceased not to
torture As'ad night and day and eve and morn for a whole year's
space, till their festival drew near, when the old man
Bahram[FN#392] made ready for the voyage and fitted out a ship
for himself.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
to say her permitted say.

When it was the Two Hundred and Thirty-fourth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Bahram, the
Magian, having fitted out a ship for the voyage, took As'ad and
put him in a chest which he locked and had it transported on
board. Now it so came to pass that, at the very time of shipping
it, Amjad was standing to divert himself by looking upon the sea;
and when he saw the men carrying the gear and shipping it, his
heart throbbed and he called to his pages to bring him his beast.
Then, mounting with a company of his officers, he rode down to
the sea-side and halted before the Magian's ship, which he
commended his men to board and search. They did his bidding, and
boarded the vessel and rummaged in every part, but found nothing;
so they returned and told Amjad, who mounted again and rode back.
But he felt troubled in mind; and when he reached his place and
entered his palace, he cast his eyes on the wall and saw written
thereon two lines which were these couplets,

"My friends! if ye are banisht from mine eyes, *
From heart and mind ye ne'er go wandering:
But ye have left me in my woe, and rob *
Rest from my eyelids while ye are slumbering."

And seeing them Amjad thought of his brother and wept. Such was
his case; but as for Bahram, the Magian, he embarked and shouted
and bawled to his crew to make sail in all haste. So they shook
out the sails and departed and ceased not to fare on many days
and nights; and, every other day, Bahram took out As'ad and gave
him a bit of bread and made him drink a sup of water, till they
drew near the Mountain of Fire. Then there came out on them a
storm-wind and the sea rose against them, so that the ship was
driven out of her course till she took a wrong line and fell into
strange waters; and, at last they came in sight of a city builded
upon the shore, with a castle whose windows overlooked the main.
Now the ruler of this city was a Queen called Marjanah, and the
captain said to Bahram, "O my lord, we have strayed from our
course and come to the island of Queen Marjanah, who is a devout
Moslemah; and, if she know that we are Magians, she will take our
ship and slay us to the last man. Yet needs must we put in here
to rest and refit." Quoth Bahram, "Right is thy recking, and
whatso thou seest fit that will I do!" Said the ship master, "If
the Queen summon us and question us, how shall we answer her?";
and Bahram replied, "Let us clothe this Moslem we have with us in
a Mameluke's habit and carry him ashore with us, so that when the
Queen sees him, she will suppose and say, 'This is a slave.' As
for me I will tell her that I am a slave-dealer[FN#393] who buys
and sells white slaves, and that I had with me many but have sold
all save this one, whom I retained to keep my accounts, for he
can read and write." And the captain said "This device should
serve." Presently they reached the city and slackened sail and
cast the anchors; and the ship lay still, when behold, Queen
Marjanah came down to them, attended by her guards and, halting
before the vessel, called out to the captain, who landed and
kissed the ground before her. Quoth she, "What is the lading of
this thy ship and whom hast thou with thee?"" Quoth he, "O Queen
of the Age, I have with me a merchant who dealeth in slaves." And
she said, "Hither with him to me"; whereupon Bahram came ashore
to her, with As'ad walking behind him in a slave's habit, and
kissed the earth before her. She asked, "What is thy condition?";
and he answered, "I am a dealer in chattels." Then she looked at
As'ad and, taking him for a Mameluke, asked him, "What is thy
name, O youth?" He answered, "Dost thou ask my present or my
former name?" "Hast thou then two names?" enquired she, and he
replied (and indeed his voice was choked with tears), "Yes; my
name aforetime was Al-As'ad, the most happy, but now it is Al-
Mu'tarr--Miserrimus." Her heart inclined to him and she said,
"Canst thou write?" "Yes,'' answered he, and she gave him ink-
case and reed-pen and paper and said to him, "Write somewhat that
I may see it." So he wrote these two couplets,

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