The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 6
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Richard F. Burton >> The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 6
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27 This etext was scanned by J.C. Byers
(http://www.capitalnet.com/~jcbyers/index.htm) and proofread by
J.C. Byers, Sergio Camarena, Muhammad Hozien, P.J. LaBrocca,
Laura Shaffer, Charles Wilson.
THE BOOK OF THE
THOUSAND NIGHTS AND A NIGHT
A Plain and Literal Translation
of the Arabian Nights Entertainments
Translated and Annotated by
Richard F. Burton
VOLUME SIX
Privately Printed By The Burton Club
I Inscribe This Volume
To My Old And Valued Correspondent,
I Whose Debt I Am Deep,
Professor Aloys Sprenger
(of Heidelberg),
Arabist, Philosopher and Friend.
Richard F. Burton.
Contents of the Sixth Volume
133. Sindbad the Seaman and Sinbad the Landsman
a. The First Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman
b. The Second Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman
c. The Third Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman
d. The Fourth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman
e. The Fifth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman
f. The Sixth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman
g. The Seventh Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman
The Seventh Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman (according to
the Calcutta Edition)
134. The City of Brass
135. The Craft and Malice of Woman
a. The King and His Wazir's Wife
b. The Confectioner, His Wife and the Parrot
c. The Fuller and His Son
d. The Rake's Trick Against the Chaste Wife
e. The Miser and the Loaves of Bread
f. The Lady and Her Two Lovers
g. The King's Son and the Ogeress
h. The Drop of Honey
i. The Woman Who Made Her Husband Sift Dust
j. The Enchanted Spring
k. The Wazir's Son and the Hamman-Keeper's Wife
l. The Wife's Device to Cheat her Husband
m. The Goldsmith and the Cashmere Singing-Girl
n. The Man who Never Laughed Duing the Rest of His Days
o. The King's Son and the Merchant's Wife
p. The Page Who Feigned to Know the Speech of Birds
q. The Lady and Her Five Suitors
r. The Three Wishes, or the Man Who Longed to see the
Night of Power
s. The Stolen Necklace
t. The Two Pigeons
u. Prince Behram and the Princess Al-Datma
v. The House With the Belvedere
w. The King's Son and the Ifrit's Mistress
x. The Sandal-Wood Merchant and the Sharpers
y. The Debauchee and the Three-Year-Old Child
z. The Stolen Purse
aa. The Fox and the Folk
136. Judar and His Brethren
137. The History of Gharib and His Brother Ajib
The Book Of The
THOUSAND NIGHTS AND A NIGHT
Sindbad The Seaman[FN#1] and Sindbad The Landsman.
There lived in the city of Baghdad, during the reign of the
Commander of the Faithful, Harun al-Rashid, a man named Sindbad
the Hammal,[FN#2] one in poor case who bore burdens on his head
for hire. It happened to him one day of great heat that whilst he
was carrying a heavy load, he became exceeding weary and sweated
profusely, the heat and the weight alike oppressing him.
Presently, as he was passing the gate of a merchant's house,
before which the ground was swept and watered, and there the air
was temperate, he sighted a broad bench beside the door; so he
set his load thereon, to take rest and smell the air,--And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
When it was the Five Hundred and Thirty-seventh Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
Hammal set his load upon the bench to take rest and smell the
air, there came out upon him from the court-door a pleasant
breeze and a delicious fragrance. He sat down on the edge of the
bench, and at once heard from within the melodious sound of lutes
and other stringed instruments, and mirth-exciting voices singing
and reciting, together with the song of birds warbling and
glorifying Almighty Allah in various tunes and tongues; turtles,
mocking-birds, merles, nightingales, cushats and stone-
curlews,[FN#3] whereat he marvelled in himself and was moved to
mighty joy and solace. Then he went up to the gate and saw within
a great flower-garden wherein were pages and black slaves and
such a train of servants and attendants and so forth as is found
only with Kings and Sultans; and his nostrils were greeted with
the savoury odours of all manner meats rich and delicate, and
delicious and generous wines. So he raised his eyes heavenwards
and said, "Glory to Thee, O Lord, O Creator and Provider, who
providest whomso Thou wilt without count or stint! O mine Holy
One, I cry Thee pardon for all sins and turn to Thee repenting of
all offences! O Lord, there is no gainsaying Thee in Thine
ordinance and Thy dominion, neither wilt Thou be questioned of
that Thou dost, for Thou indeed over all things art Almighty!
Extolled be Thy perfection: whom Thou wilt Thou makest poor and
whom Thou wilt Thou makest rich! Whom Thou wilt Thou exaltest and
whom Thou wilt Thou abasest and there is no god but Thou! How
mighty is Thy majesty and how enduring Thy dominion and how
excellent Thy government! Verily, Thou favourest whom Thou wilt
of Thy servants, whereby the owner of this place abideth in all
joyance of life and delighteth himself with pleasant scents and
delicious meats and exquisite wines of all kinds. For indeed Thou
appointest unto Thy creatures that which Thou wilt and that which
Thou hast foreordained unto them; wherefore are some weary and
others are at rest and some enjoy fair fortune and affluence,
whilst others suffer the extreme of travail and misery, even as I
do." And he fell to reciting,
"How many by my labours, that evermore endure, * All goods of
life enjoy and in cooly shade recline?
Each morn that dawns I wake in travail and in woe, * And strange
is my condition and my burden gars me pine:
Many others are in luck and from miseries are free, * And Fortune
never loads them with loads the like o' mine:
They live their happy days in all solace and delight; * Eat,
drink and dwell in honour 'mid the noble and the digne:
All living things were made of a little drop of sperm, * Thine
origin is mine and my provenance is thine;
Yet the difference and distance 'twixt the twain of us are far *
As the difference of savour 'twixt vinegar and wine:
But at Thee, O God All-wise! I venture not to rail * Whose
ordinance is just and whose justice cannot fail."
When Sindbad the Porter had made an end of reciting his verses,
he bore up his burden and was about to fare on, when there came
forth to him from the gate a little foot-page, fair of face and
shapely of shape and dainty of dress who caught him by the hand
saying, "Come in and speak with my lord, for he calleth for
thee." The Porter would have excused himself to the page but the
lad would take no refusal; so he left his load with the
doorkeeper in the vestibule and followed the boy into the house,
which he found to be a goodly mansion, radiant and full of
majesty, till he brought him to a grand sitting-room wherein he
saw a company of nobles and great lords, seated at tables
garnished with all manner of flowers and sweet-scented herbs,
besides great plenty of dainty viands and fruits dried and fresh
and confections and wines of the choicest vintages. There also
were instruments of music and mirth and lovely slave-girls
playing and singing. All the company was ranged according to
rank; and in the highest place sat a man of worshipful and noble
aspect whose beard-sides hoariness had stricken; and he was
stately of stature and fair of favour, agreeable of aspect and
full of gravity and dignity and majesty. So Sindbad the Porter
was confounded at that which he beheld and said in himself, "By
Allah, this must be either a piece of Paradise or some King's
palace!" Then he saluted the company with much respect praying
for their prosperity, and kissing the ground before them, stood
with his head bowed down in humble attitude.--And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Five Hundred and Thirty-eighth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
Porter, after kissing ground between their hands stood with his
head bowed down in humble attitude. The master of the house bade
him draw near and be seated and bespoke him kindly, bidding him
welcome. Then he set before him various kinds of viands, rich and
delicate and delicious, and the Porter, after saying his
Bismillah, fell to and ate his fill, after which he exclaimed,
"Praised be Allah whatso be our case![FN#4]" and, washing his
hands, returned thanks to the company for his entertainment.
Quoth the host, "Thou art welcome and thy day is a blessed. But
what is thy name and calling?" Quoth the other, "O my lord, my
name is Sindbad the Hammal, and I carry folk's goods on my head
for hire." The house-master smiled and rejoined, "Know, O Porter
that thy name is even as mine, for I am Sindbad the Seaman; and
now, O Porter, I would have thee let me hear the couplets thou
recitedst at the gate anon." The Porter was abashed and replied,
"Allah upon thee! Excuse me, for toil and travail and lack of
luck when the hand is empty, teach a man ill manners and boorish
ways." Said the host, "Be not ashamed; thou art become my
brother; but repeat to me the verses, for they pleased me whenas
I heard thee recite them at the gate. Hereupon the Porter
repeated the couplets and they delighted the merchant, who said
to him, "Know, O Hammal, that my story is a wonderful one, and
thou shalt hear all that befel me and all I underwent ere I rose
to this state of prosperity and became the lord of this place
wherein thou seest me; for I came not to this high estate save
after travail sore and perils galore, and how much toil and
trouble have I not suffered in days of yore! I have made seven
voyages, by each of which hangeth a marvellous tale, such as
confoundeth the reason, and all this came to pass by doom of
fortune and fate; for from what destiny doth write there is
neither refuge nor flight. Know, then, good my lords (continued
he) that I am about to relate the
First Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman."[FN#5]
My father was a merchant, one of the notables of my native place,
a monied man and ample of means, who died whilst I was yet a
child, leaving me much wealth in money and lands and farmhouses.
When I grew up, I laid hands on the whole and ate of the best and
drank freely and wore rich clothes and lived lavishly,
companioning and consorting with youths of my own age, and
considering that this course of life would continue for ever and
ken no change. Thus did I for a long time, but at last I awoke
from my heedlessness and, returning to my senses, I found my
wealth had become unwealth and my condition ill-conditioned and
all I once hent had left my hand. And recovering my reason I was
stricken with dismay and confusion and bethought me of a saying
of our lord Solomon, son of David (on whom be peace!), which I
had heard aforetime from my father, "Three things are better than
other three; the day of death is better than the day of birth, a
live dog is better than a dead lion and the grave is better than
want."[FN#6] Then I got together my remains of estates and
property and sold all, even my clothes, for three thousand
dirhams, with which I resolved to travel to foreign parts,
remembering the saying of the poet,
"By means of toil man shall scale the height; * Who to fame
aspires mustn't sleep o' night:
Who seeketh pearl in the deep must dive, * Winning weal and
wealth by his main and might:
And who seeketh Fame without toil and strife * Th' impossible
seeketh and wasteth life."
So taking heart I bought me goods, merchandise and all needed for
a voyage and, impatient to be at sea, I embarked, with a company
of merchants, on board a ship bound for Bassorah. There we again
embarked and sailed many days and nights, and we passed from isle
to isle and sea to sea and shore to shore, buying and selling and
bartering everywhere the ship touched, and continued our course
till we came to an island as it were a garth of the gardens of
Paradise. Here the captain cast anchor and making fast to the
shore, put out the landing planks. So all on board landed and
made furnaces[FN#7] and lighting fires therein, busied themselves
in various ways, some cooking and some washing, whilst other some
walked about the island for solace, and the crew fell to eating
and drinking and playing and sporting. I was one of the walkers
but, as we were thus engaged, behold the master who was standing
on the gunwale cried out to us at the top of his voice, saying,
"Ho there! passengers, run for your lives and hasten back to the
ship and leave your gear and save yourselves from destruction,
Allah preserve you! For this island whereon ye stand is no true
island, but a great fish stationary a-middlemost of the sea,
whereon the sand hath settled and trees have sprung up of old
time, so that it is become like unto an island;[FN#8] but, when
ye lighted fires on it, it felt the heat and moved; and in a
moment it will sink with you into the sea and ye will all be
drowned. So leave your gear and seek your safety ere ye die!"--
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
When it was the Five Hundred and Thirty-ninth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
ship-master cried to the passengers, "Leave your gear and seek
safety, ere ye die;" all who heard him left gear and goods,
clothes washed and unwashed, fire pots and brass cooking-pots,
and fled back to the ship for their lives, and some reached it
while others (amongst whom was I) did not, for suddenly the
island shook and sank into the abysses of the deep, with all that
were thereon, and the dashing sea surged over it with clashing
waves. I sank with the others down, down into the deep, but
Almighty Allah preserved me from drowning and threw in my way a
great wooden tub of those that had served the ship's company for
tubbing. I gripped it for the sweetness of life and, bestriding
it like one riding, paddled with my feet like oars, whilst the
waves tossed me as in sport right and left. Meanwhile the captain
made sail and departed with those who had reached the ship,
regardless of the drowning and the drowned; and I ceased not
following the vessel with my eyes, till she was hid from sight
and I made sure of death. Darkness closed in upon me while in
this plight and the winds and waves bore me on all that night and
the next day, till the tub brought to with me under the lee of a
lofty island, with trees overhanging the tide. I caught hold of a
branch and by its aid clambered up on to the land, after coming
nigh upon death; but when I reached the shore, I found my legs
cramped and numbed and my feet bore traces of the nibbling of
fish upon their soles; withal I had felt nothing for excess of
anguish and fatigue. I threw myself down on the island ground,
like a dead man, and drowned in desolation swooned away, nor did
I return to my senses till next morning, when the sun rose and
revived me. But I found my feet swollen, so made shift to move by
shuffling on my breech and crawling on my knees, for in that
island were found store of fruits and springs of sweet water. I
ate of the fruits which strengthened me; and thus I abode days
and nights, till my life seemed to return and my spirits began to
revive and I was better able to move about. So, after due
consideration, I fell to exploring the island and diverting
myself with gazing upon all things that Allah Almighty had
created there; and rested under the trees from one of which I cut
me a staff to lean upon. One day as I walked along the marge, I
caught sight of some object in the distance and thought it a wild
beast or one of the monster-creatures of the sea; but, as I drew
near it, looking hard the while, I saw that it was a noble mare,
tethered on the beach. Presently I went up to her, but she cried
out against me with a great cry, so that I trembled for fear and
turned to go away, when there came forth a man from under the
earth and followed me, crying out and saying, "Who and whence art
thou, and what caused thee to come hither?" "O my lord," answered
I, "I am in very sooth, a waif, a stranger, and was left to drown
with sundry others by the ship we voyaged in;[FN#9] but Allah
graciously sent me a wooden tub; so I saved myself thereon and it
floated with me, till the waves cast me up on this island." When
he heard this, he took my hand and saying, "Come with me,"
carried me into a great Sardab, or underground chamber, which was
spacious as a saloon. He made me sit down at its upper end; then
he brought me somewhat of food and, being anhungered, I ate till
I was satisfied and refreshed; and when he had put me at mine
ease he questioned me of myself, and I told him all that had
befallen me from first to last; and, as he wondered at my
adventure, I said, "By Allah, O my lord, excuse me; I have told
thee the truth of my case and the accident which betided me; and
now I desire that thou tell me who thou art and why thou abidest
here under the earth and why thou hast tethered yonder mare on
the brink of the sea." Answered he, "Know, that I am one of the
several who are stationed in different parts of this island, and
we are of the grooms of King Mihrjan[FN#10] and under our hand
are all his horses. Every month, about new-moon tide we bring
hither our best mares which have never been covered, and picket
them on the sea-shore and hide ourselves in this place under the
ground, so that none may espy us. Presently, the stallions of the
sea scent the mares and come up out of the water and seeing no
one, leap the mares and do their will of them. When they have
covered them, they try to drag them away with them, but cannot,
by reason of the leg-ropes; so they cry out at them and butt at
them and kick them, which we hearing, know that the stallions
have dismounted; so we run out and shout at them, whereupon they
are startled and return in fear to the sea. Then the mares
conceive by them and bear colts and fillies worth a mint of
money, nor is their like to be found on earth's face. This is the
time of the coming forth of the sea-stallions; and Inshallah! I
will bear thee to King Mihrjan"--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Five Hundred and Fortieth Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
Syce[FN#11] said to Sindbad the Seaman, "I will bear thee to King
Mihrjan and show thee our country. And know that hadst thou not
happened on us thou hadst perished miserably and none had known
of thee: but I will be the means of the saving of thy life and of
thy return to thine own land." I called down blessings on him and
thanked him for his kindness and courtesy; and, while we were yet
talking, behold, the stallion came up out of the sea; and, giving
a great cry, sprang upon the mare and covered her. When he had
done his will of her, he dismounted and would have carried her
away with him, but could not by reason of the tether. She kicked
and cried out at him, whereupon the groom took a sword and
target[FN#12] and ran out of the underground saloon, smiting the
buckler with the blade and calling to his company, who came up
shouting and brandishing spears; and the stallion took fright at
them and plunging into the sea, like a buffalo, disappeared under
the waves.[FN#13] After this we sat awhile, till the rest of the
grooms came up, each leading a mare, and seeing me with their
fellow-Syce, questioned me of my case and I repeated my story to
them. Thereupon they drew near me and spreading the table, ate
and invited me to eat; so I ate with them, after which they took
horse and mounting me on one of the mares, set out with me and
fared on without ceasing, till we came to the capital city of
King Mihrjan, and going in to him acquainted him with my story.
Then he sent for me, and when they set me before him and salams
had been exchanged, he gave me a cordial welcome and wishing me
long life bade me tell him my tale. So I related to him all that
I had seen and all that had befallen me from first to last,
whereat he marvelled and said to me, "By Allah, O my son, thou
hast indeed been miraculously preserved! Were not the term of thy
life a long one, thou hadst not escaped from these straits; but
praised by Allah for safety!" Then he spoke cheerily to me and
entreated me with kindness and consideration: moreover, he made
me his agent for the port and registrar of all ships that entered
the harbour. I attended him regularly, to receive his
commandments, and he favoured me and did me all manner of
kindness and invested me with costly and splendid robes. Indeed,
I was high in credit with him, as an intercessor for the folk and
an intermediary between them and him, when they wanted aught of
him. I abode thus a great while and, as often as I passed through
the city to the port, I questioned the merchants and travellers
and sailors of the city of Baghdad; so haply I might hear of an
occasion to return to my native land, but could find none who
knew it or knew any who resorted thither. At this I was
chagrined, for I was weary of long strangerhood; and my
disappointment endured for a time till one day, going in to King
Mihrjan, I found him with a company of Indians. I saluted them
and they returned my salam; and politely welcomed me and asked me
of my country.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Five Hundred and Forty-first Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that
Sindbad the Seaman said:--When they asked me of my country I
questioned them of theirs and they told me that they were of
various castes, some being called Shakiriyah[FN#14] who are the
noblest of their castes and neither oppress nor offer violence to
any, and others Brahmans, a folk who abstain from wine, but live
in delight and solace and merriment and own camels and horses and
cattle. Moreover, they told me that the people of India are
divided into two-and-seventy castes, and I marvelled at this with
exceeding marvel. Amongst other things that I saw in King
Mihrjan's dominions was an island called Kasil,[FN#15] wherin all
night is heard the beating of drums and tabrets; but we were told
by the neighbouring islanders and by travellers that the
inhabitants are people of diligence and judgment.[FN#16] In this
sea I saw also a fish two hundred cubits long and the fishermen
fear it; so they strike together pieces of wood and put it to
flight.[FN#17] I also saw another fish, with a head like that of
an owl, besides many other wonders and rarities, which it would
be tedious to recount. I occupied myself thus in visiting the
islands till, one day, as I stood in the port, with a staff in my
hand, according to my custom, behold, a great ship, wherein were
many merchants, came sailing for the harbour. When it reached the
small inner port where ships anchor under the city, the master
furled his sails and making fast to the shore, put out the
landing-planks, whereupon the crew fell to breaking bulk and
landing cargo whilst I stood by, taking written note of them.
They were long in bringing the goods ashore so I asked the
master, "Is there aught left in thy ship?"; and he answered, "O
my lord, there are divers bales of merchandise in the hold, whose
owner was drowned from amongst us at one of the islands on our
course; so his goods remained in our charge by way of trust and
we purpose to sell them and note their price, that we may convey
it to his people in the city of Baghdad, the Home of Peace."
"What was the merchant's name?" quoth I, and quoth he, "Sindbad
the Seaman;" whereupon I straitly considered him and knowing him,
cried out to him with a great cry, saying, "O captain, I am that
Sindbad the Seaman who travelled with other merchants; and when
the fish heaved and thou calledst to us some saved themselves and
others sank, I being one of them. But Allah Almighty threw in my
way a great tub of wood, of those the crew had used to wash
withal, and the winds and waves carried me to this island, where
by Allah's grace, I fell in with King Mihrjan's grooms and they
brought me hither to the King their master. When I told him my
story, he entreated me with favour and made me his harbour-
master, and I have prospered in his service and found acceptance
with him. These bales, therefore are mine, the goods which God
hath given me."--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say.
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