The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 4

R >> Richard F. Burton >> The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 4

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When it was the Two Hundred and Seventy-seventh Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Abdullah
son of Abu Kilabah continued, "But the pearls were grown yellow
and had lost pearly colour. Now Mu'awiyah wondered at this and,
sending for Ka'ab al-Ahbar[FN#168] said to him, 'O Ka'ab, I have
sent for thee to ascertain the truth of a certain matter and hope
that thou wilt be able to certify me thereof.' Asked Ka'ab, 'What
is it, O Commander of the Faithful?'; and Mu'awiyah answered,
'Wottest thou of any city founded by man which is builded of gold
and silver, the pillars whereof are of chrysolite and rubies and
its gravel pearls and balls of musk and ambergris and saffron?'
He replied, 'Yes, O Commander of the Faithful, this is 'Iram with
pillars decked and dight, the like of which was never made in the
lands,'[FN#169] and the builder was Shaddad son of Ad the
Greater.' Quoth the Caliph, 'Tell us something of its history,'
and Ka'ab said, 'Ad the Greater[FN#170] had two sons, Shadid and
Shaddad who, when their father died, ruled conjointly in his
stead, and there was no King of the Kings of the earth but was
subject to them. After awhile Shadid died and his brother Shaddad
reigned over the earth alone. Now he was fond of reading in
antique books; and, happening upon the description of the world
to come and of Paradise, with its pavilions and galleries and
trees and fruits and so forth, his soul moved him to build the
like thereof in this world, after the fashion aforesaid. Now
under his hand were an hundred thousand Kings, each ruling over
an hundred thousand chiefs, commanding each an hundred thousand
warriors; so he called these all before him and said to them, 'I
find in ancient books and annals a description of Paradise, as it
is to be in the next world, and I desire to build me its like in
this world. Go ye forth therefore to the goodliest tract on earth
and the most spacious and build me there a city of gold and
silver, whose gravel shall be chrysolite and rubies and pearls;
and for support of its vaults make pillars of jasper. Fill it
with palaces, whereon ye shall set galleries and balconies and
plant its lanes and thoroughfares with all manner trees bearing
yellow-ripe fruits and make rivers to run through it in channels
of gold and silver.' Whereat said one and all, 'How are we able
to do this thing thou hast commanded, and whence shall we get the
chrysolites and rubies and pearls whereof thou speakest?' Quoth
he, 'What! weet ye not that the Kings of the world are subject to
me and under my hand and that none therein dare gainsay my word?'
Answered they, 'Yes, we know that.'"--And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Two Hundred and Seventy-eighth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the lieges
answered, "Yes, we know that;" whereupon the King rejoined, "Fare
ye then to the mines of chrysolites and rubies and pearls and
gold and silver and collect their produce and gather together all
of value that is in the world and spare no pains and leave
naught; and take also for me such of these things as be in men's
hands and let nothing escape you: be diligent and beware of
disobedience." And thereupon he wrote letters to all the Kings of
the world and bade them gather together whatso of these things
was in their subjects' hands, and get them to the mines of
precious stones and metals, and bring forth all that was therein,
even from the abysses of the seas. This they accomplished in the
space of 20 years, for the number of rulers then reigning over
the earth was three hundred and sixty Kings, and Shaddad
presently assembled from all lands and countries architects and
engineers and men of art and labourers and handicraftsmen, who
dispersed over the world and explored all the wastes and words
and tracts and holds. At last they came to an uninhabited spot, a
vast and fair open plain clear of sand-hills and mountains, with
founts flushing and rivers rushing, and they said, "This is the
manner of place the King commanded us to seek and ordered us to
find." So they busied themselves in building the city even as
bade them Shaddad, King of the whole earth in its length and
breadth; leading the fountains in channels and laying the
foundations after the prescribed fashion. Moreover, all the Kings
of earth's several-reigns sent thither jewels and precious stones
and pearls large and small and carnelian and refined gold and
virgin silver upon camels by land, and in great ships over the
waters, and there came to the builders' hands of all these
materials so great a quantity as may neither be told nor counted
nor conceived. So they laboured at the work three hundred years;
and, when they had brought it to end, they went to King Shaddad
and acquainted him therewith. Then said he, "Depart and make
thereon an impregnable castle, rising and towering high in air,
and build around it a thousand pavilions, each upon a thousand
columns of chrysolite and ruby and vaulted with gold, that in
each pavilion a Wazir may dwell." So they returned forthwith and
did this in other twenty years; after which they again presented
themselves before King Shaddad and informed him of the
accomplishment of his will. Then he commanded his Wazirs, who
were a thousand in number, and his Chief Officers and such of his
troops and others as he put trust in, to prepare for departure
and removal to Many-columned Iram, in the suite and at the
stirrup of Shaddad, son of Ad, King of the World; and he bade
also such as he would of his women and his Harim and of his
handmaids and eunuchs make them ready for the journey. They spent
twenty years in preparing for departure, at the end of which time
Shaddad set out with his host.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Two Hundred and Seventy-ninth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Shaddad bin
Ad fared forth, he and his host, rejoicing in the attainment of
his desire till there remained but one day's journey between him
and Iram of the Pillars. Then Allah sent down on him and on the
stubborn unbelievers with him a mighty rushing sound from the
Heavens of His power, which destroyed them all with its vehement
clamour, and neither Shaddad nor any of his company set eyes on
the city.[FN#171] Moreover, Allah blotted out the road which led
to the city, and it stands in its stead unchanged until the
Resurrection Day and the Hour of Judgement." So Mu'awiyah
wondered greatly at Ka'ab al-Ahbar's story and said to him, "Hath
any mortal ever made his way to that city?" He replied, "Yes; one
of the companions of Mohammed (on whom be blessing and peace!)
reached it, doubtless and forsure after the same fashion as this
man here seated." "And (quoth Al-Sha'abi[FN#172]) it is related,
on the authority of learned men of Himyar in Al-Yaman that
Shaddad, when destroyed with all his host by the sound, was
succeeded in his Kingship by his son Shaddad the Less, whom he
left vice-regent in Hazramaut[FN#173] and Saba, when he and his
marched upon Many-columned Iram. Now as soon as he heard of his
father's death on the road, he caused his body to be brought back
from the desert to Hazramaut and bade them hew him out a tomb in
a cave, where he laid the body on a throne of gold and threw over
the corpse threescore and ten robes of cloth of gold, purfled
with precious stones. Lastly at his sire's head he set up a
tablet of gold whereon were graven these verses,

'Take warning O proud, * And in length o' life vain!
I'm Shaddad son of Ad, * Of the forts castellain;
Lord of pillars and power,* Lord of tried might and main,
Whom all earth-sons obeyed* For my mischief and bane
And who held East and West* In mine awfullest reign.
He preached me salvation * Whom God did assain,[FN#174]
But we crossed him and asked * 'Can no refuge be ta'en?'
When a Cry on us cried * From th' horizon plain,
And we fell on the field * Like the harvested grain,
And the Fixt Day await * We, in earth's bosom lain!'"

Al-Sa'alibi also relateth, "It chanced that two men once entered
this cave and found steps at its upper end; so they descended and
came to an underground chamber, an hundred cubits long by forty
wide and an hundred high. In the midst stood a throne of gold,
whereon lay a man of huge bulk, filling the whole length and
breadth of the throne. He was covered with jewels and raiment
gold-and-silver wrought, and at his head was a tablet of gold
bearing an inscription. So they took the tablet and carried it
off, together with as many bars of gold and silver and so forth
as they could bear away." And men also relate the tale of

ISAAC OF MOSUL.

Quoth Isaac of Mosul,[FN#175] "I went out one night from Al
Maamun's presence, on my way to my house; and, being taken with a
pressing need to make water, I turned aside into a by-street and
stood in the middle fearing lest something might hurt me, if I
squatted against a wall.[FN#176] Presently, I espied something
hanging down from one of the houses; so I felt it to find out
what it might be and found that it was a great four-handled
basket,[FN#177] covered with brocade. Said I to myself, 'There
must be some reason for this,' and knew not what to think; then
drunkenness led me to seat myself in the basket, and behold, the
people of the house pulled me up, thinking me to be the person
they expected. Now when I came to the top of the wall; lo! four
damsels were there, who said to me, 'Descend and welcome and joy
to thee!' Then one of them went before me with a wax candle and
brought me down into a mansion, wherein were furnished sitting-
chambers, whose like I had never seen save in the palace of the
Caliphate. So I sat down and, after a while, the curtains were
suddenly drawn from one side of the room and, behold, in came
damsels walking in procession and hending hand lighted flambeaux
of wax and censers full of Sumatran aloes-wood, and amongst them
a young lady as she were the rising full moon. So I stood up to
her and she said, 'Welcome to thee for a visitor!' and then she
made me sit down again and asked me how I came thither. Quoth I,
'I was returning home from the house of an intimate friend and
went astray in the dark; then, being taken in the street with an
urgent call to make water, I turned aside into this lane, where I
found a basket let down. The strong wine which I had drunk led me
to seat myself in it and it was drawn up with me into this house,
and this is my story.' She rejoined, 'No harm shall befall thee,
and I hope thou wilt have cause to praise the issue of thine
adventure.' Then she added, 'But what is thy condition?' I said,
'A merchant in the Baghdad bazar' and she, 'Canst thou repeat any
verses?' 'Some small matter,' quoth I. Quoth she 'Then call a few
to mind and let us hear some of them.' But I said, 'A visitor is
bashful and timid; do thou begin.' 'True,' replied she and
recited some verses of the poets, past and present, choosing
their choicest pieces; and I listened not knowing whether more to
marvel at her beauty and loveliness or at the charm of her style
of declamation. Then said she, 'Is that bashfulness of thine
gone?' and I said, 'Yes, by Allah!' so she rejoined, 'Then, if
thou wilt, recite us somewhat.' So I repeated to her a number of
poems by old writers, and she applauded, saying, 'By Allah, I did
not think to find such culture among the trade folk, the sons of
the bazar!' Then she called for food" Whereupon quoth Shahrazad's
sister Dunyazad, "How pleasant is this tale and enjoyable and
sweet to the ear and sound to the sense!" But she answered, "And
what is this story compared with that which thou shalt hear on
the morrow's night, if I be alive and the King deign spare me!"
Then Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.

When it was the Two Hundred and Eightieth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Isaac of
Mosul continued, "Then the damsel called for food and, when it
was served to her, she fell to eating it and setting it before
me; and the sitting room was full of all manner sweet-scented
flowers and rare fruits, such as are never found save in Kings'
houses. Presently, she called for wine and drank a cup, after
which she filled another and gave it to me, saying, 'Now is the
time for converse and story-telling.' So I bethought myself and
began to say, 'It hath reached me that such and such things
happened and there was a man who said so and so,' till I had told
her a number of pleasing tales and adventures with which she was
delighted and cried, ''Tis marvellous that a merchant should bear
in memory such store of stories like these, for they are fit for
Kings.' Quoth I, 'I had a neighbour who used to consort with
Kings and carouse with them; so, when he was at leisure, I
visited his house and he hath often told me what thou hast
heard.' Thereupon she exclaimed 'By my life, but thou hast a good
memory!' So we continued to converse thus, and as often as I was
silent, she would begin, till in this way we passed the most part
of the night, whilst the burning aloes-wood diffused its
fragrance and I was in such case that if Al-Maamun had suspected
it, he would have flown like a bird with longing for it. Then
said she to me, 'Verily, thou art one of the most pleasant of
men, polished, passing well-bred and polite; but there lacketh
one thing.' 'What is that?' asked I, and she answered, If thou
only knew how to sing verses to the lute!' I answered, 'I was
passionately fond of this art aforetime, but finding I had no
taste for it, I abandoned it, though at times my heart yearneth
after it. Indeed, I should love to sing somewhat well at this
moment and fulfil my night's enjoyment.' Then said she,
'Meseemeth thou hintest a wish for the lute to be brought?' and
I, 'It is thine to decide, if thou wilt so far favour me, and to
thee be the thanks.' So she called for a lute and sang a song in
a voice whose like I never heard, both for sweetness of tone and
skill in playing, and perfection of art. Then said she, Knowest
thou who composed this air and whose are the words of this
song?'"No," answered I; and she said, The words are so and so's
and the air is Isaac's.' I asked 'And hath Isaac then (may I be
thy sacrifice!) such a talent?' She replied, 'Bravo![FN#178]
Bravo, Isaac! indeed, he excelleth in this art.' I rejoined,
'Glory be to Allah who hath given this man what he hath
vouchsafed unto none other!' Then she said 'And how would it be,
an thou heard this song from himself?' This wise we went on till
break of day dawn, when there came to her an old woman, as she
were her nurse, and said to her, 'Verily, the time is come.' So
she rose in haste and said to me, 'Keep what hath passed between
us to thyself; for such meetings are in confidence;'"--And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.

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

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the damsel
whispered, "'Keep what hath passed between us to thyself, for
such meetings are in confidence;' and I replied, 'May I be thy
ransom! I needed no charge to this.' Then I took leave of her and
she sent a handmaid to show me the way and open the house door;
so I went forth and returned to my own place, where I prayed the
morning prayer and slept. Now after a time there came to me a
messenger from Al-Maamun, so I went to him and passed the day in
his company. And when the night fell I called to mind my
yesternight's pleasure, a thing from which none but an ignoramus
would abstain, and betook myself to the street, where I found the
basket, and seating myself therein, was drawn up to the place in
which I had passed the previous night. When the lady saw me, she
said, 'Indeed, thou hast been assiduous;' and I answered,
'Meseemeth rather that I am neglectful.' Then we fell to
discoursing and passed the night as before in
general-conversation and reciting verses and telling rare tales,
each in turn, till daybreak, when I wended me home; and I prayed
the dawn prayer and slept. Presently there came to me a messenger
from Al-Maamun; so I went to him and spent my day with him till
nightfall, when the Commander of the Faithful said to me, 'I
conjure thee to sit here, whilst I go out for a want and come
back.' As soon as the Caliph was gone, and quite gone, my
thoughts began to tempt and try me and, calling to mind my late
delight, I recked little what might befal me from the Prince of
True Believers. So I sprang up and turning my back upon the
sitting-room, ran to the street aforesaid, where I sat down in
the basket and was drawn up as before. When the lady saw me, she
said, 'I begin to think thou art a sincere friend to us.' Quoth
I, 'Yea, by Allah!' and quoth she, 'Hast thou made our house
thine abiding-place?' I replied, 'May I be thy ransom! A guest
claimeth guest right for three days and if I return after this,
ye are free to spill my blood.' Then we passed the night as
before; and when the time of departure drew near, I bethought me
that Al Maamun would assuredly question me nor would ever be
content save with a full explanation: so I said to her, 'I see
thee to be of those who delight in singing. Now I have a cousin,
the son of my father's brother, who is fairer than I in face and
higher of rank and better of breeding; and he is the most
intimate of Allah's creatures with Isaac.' Quoth she, 'Art thou a
parasite[FN#179] and an importunate one?' Quoth I, 'It is for
thee to decide in this matter;' and she, 'If thy cousin be as
thou hast described him, it would not mislike us to make
acquaintance with him.' Then, as the time was come, I left her
and returned to my house, but hardly had I reached it, ere the
Caliph's runners came down on me and carried me before him by
main force and roughly enough."--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Two Hundred and Eighty-second Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Isaac of
Mosul continued, "And hardly had I reached my house ere the
Caliph's runners came down upon me and carried me before him by
main force and roughly enough. I found him seated on a chair,
wroth with me, and he said to me, 'O Isaac, art thou a traitor to
thine allegiance?' replied I, 'No, by Allah, O Commander of the
Faithful!' and he rejoined, 'What hast thou then to say? tell me
the whole truth;' and I, 'Yes, I will, but in private.' So he
signed to his attendants, who withdrew to a distance, and I told
him the case, adding, 'I promised her to bring thee,' and he
said, 'Thou didst well.' Then we spent the day in our
usual-pleasures, but Al-Maamun's heart was taken up with her, and
hardly was the appointed time come, when we set out. As we went
along, I cautioned him, saying, 'Look that thou call me not by my
name before her; and I will demean myself like thine attendant.'
And having agreed upon this, we fared forth till we came to the
place, where we found two baskets hanging ready. So we sat down
in them and were drawn up to the usual-place, where the damsel
came forward and saluted us. Now when Al Maamun saw her, he was
amazed at her beauty and loveliness; and she began to entertain
him with stories and verses. Presently, she called for wine and
we fell to drinking she paying him special attention and he
repaying her in kind. Then she took the lute and sang these
verses,

'My lover came in at the close of night, * I rose till he sat and
remained upright;
And said 'Sweet heart, hast thou come this hour? * Nor feared on
the watch and ward to 'light:'
Quoth he 'The lover had cause to fear, * But Love deprived him of
wits and fright.'

And when she ended her song she said to me, 'And is thy cousin
also a merchant?' I answered, 'Yes,' and she said, 'Indeed, ye
resemble each other nearly.' But when Al-Maamun had drunk three
pints,[FN#180] he grew merry with wine and called out, saying,
'Ho, Isaac!' And I replied, 'Labbayk, Adsum, O Commander of the
Faithful,' whereupon quoth he, 'Sing me this air.' Now when the
young lady learned that he was the Caliph, she withdrew to
another place and disappeared; and, as I had made an end of my
song, Al-Maamun said to me, 'See who is the master of this
house', whereupon an old woman hastened to make answer, saying,
'It belongs to Hasan bin Sahl.'[FN#181] 'Fetch him to me,' said
the Caliph. So she went away and after a while behold, in came
Hasan, to whom said Al-Maamun 'Hast thou a daughter?' He said,
'Yes, and her name is Khadijah.' Asked the Caliph, 'Is she
married?' Answered Hasan, 'No, by Allah!' Said Al-Maamun, Then I
ask her of thee in marriage.' Replied her father, 'O Commander of
the Faithful, she is thy handmaid and at thy commandment.' Quoth
Al-Maamun, 'I take her to wife at a present settlement of thirty
thousand dinars, which thou shalt receive this very morning, and,
when the money has been paid thee, do thou bring her to us this
night.' And Hasan answered, 'I hear and I obey.' Thereupon we
went forth and the Caliph said to me, 'O Isaac, tell this story
to no one.' So I kept it secret till Al-Maamun's death. Surely
never did man's life gather such pleasures as were mine these
four days' time, whenas I companied with Al-Maamun by day and
Khadijah by night; and, by Allah, never saw I among men the like
of Al-Maamun nor among women have I ever set eyes on the like of
Khadijah; no, nor on any that came near her in lively wit and
pleasant speech! And Allah is All knowing. But amongst stories is
that of

THE SWEEP AND THE NOBLE LADY.

During the season of the Meccan pilgrimage, whilst the people
were making circuit about the Holy House and the place of
compassing was crowded, behold, a man laid hold of the covering
of the Ka'abah[FN#182] and cried out, from the bottom of his
heart, saying, 'I beseech thee, O Allah, that she may once again
be wroth with her husband and that I may know her!' A company of
the pilgrims heard him and seized him and carried him to the Emir
of the pilgrims, after a sufficiency of blows; and, said they, 'O
Emir, we found this fellow in the Holy Places, saying thus and
thus.' So the Emir commanded to hang him; but he cried, 'O Emir,
I conjure thee, by the virtue of the Apostle (whom Allah bless
and preserve!), hear my story and then do with me as thou wilt.'
Quoth the Emir, 'Tell thy tale forthright.' 'Know then, O Emir,'
quoth the man, 'that I am a sweep who works in the sheep-
slaughterhouses and carries off the blood and the offal to the
rubbish-heaps outside the gates. And it came to pass as I went
along one day with my ass loaded, I saw the people running away
and one of them said to me, 'Enter this alley, lest haply they
slay thee.' Quoth I, 'What aileth the folk running away?' and one
of the eunuchs, who were passing, said to me, 'This is the
Harim[FN#183] of one of the notables and her eunuchs drive the
people out of her way and beat them all, without respect to
persons.' So I turned aside with the donkey'"--And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

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

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that quoth the
man, "So I turned aside with the donkey and stood still awaiting
the dispersal of the crowd; and I saw a number of eunuchs with
staves in their hands, followed by nigh thirty women slaves, and
amongst them a lady as she were a willow-wand or a thirsty
gazelle, perfect in beauty and grace and amorous languor, and all
were attending upon her. Now when she came to the mouth of the
passage where I stood, she turned right and left and, calling one
of the Castratos, whispered in his ear; and behold, he came up to
me and laid hold of me, whilst another eunuch took my ass and
made off with it. And when the spectators fled, the first eunuch
bound me with a rope and dragged me after him till I knew not
what to do; and the people followed us and cried out, saying,
'This is not allowed of Allah! What hath this poor scavenger done
that he should be bound with ropes?' and praying the eunuchs,
'Have pity on him and let him go, so Allah have pity on you!' And
I the while said in my mind, 'Doubtless the eunuchry seized me,
because their mistress smelt the stink of the offal and it
sickened her. Belike she is with child or ailing; but there is no
Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the
Great!' So I continued walking on behind them, till they stopped
at the door of a great house; and, entering before me, brought me
into a big hall--I know not how I shall describe its
magnificence--furnished with the finest furniture. And the women
also entered the hall; and I bound and held by the eunuch and
saying to myself, 'Doubtless they will torture me here till I die
and none know of my death.' However, after a while, they carried
me into a neat bath-room leading out of the hall; and as I sat
there, behold, in came three slave-girls who seated themselves
round me and said to me, 'Strip off thy rags and tatters.' So I
pulled off my threadbare clothes and one of them fell a-rubbing
my legs and feet whilst another scrubbed my head and a third
shampooed my body. When they had made an end of washing me, they
brought me a parcel of clothes and said to me, 'Put these on';
and I answered, 'By Allah, I know not how!' So they came up to me
and dressed me, laughing together at me the while; after which
they brought casting-bottles full of rose-water, and sprinkled me
therewith. Then I went out with them into another saloon; by
Allah, I know not how to praise its splendour for the wealth of
paintings and furniture therein; and entering it, I saw a person
seated on a couch of Indian rattan"--And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

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