A plain and literal translation of the Arabian nights entertainments, now entituled The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 4 (of 17)

Seest not that pearls are prized for milky hue, ✿ But with a dirham buy we coals in load?And while white faces enter Paradise, ✿ Black faces crowd Gehenna’s black abode.

And indeed it is told in certain histories, related on the authority of devout men, that Noah (on whom be peace!) was sleeping one day, with his sons Cham and Shem seated at his head, when a wind sprang up and, lifting his clothes, uncovered his nakedness; whereat Cham looked and laughed and did not cover him: but Shem arose and covered him. Presently, their sire awoke and learning, what had been done by his sons, blessed Shem and cursed Cham. So Shem’s face was whitened and from him sprang the prophets and the orthodox Caliphs and Kings; whilst Cham’s face was blackened and he fled forth to the land of Abyssinia, and of his lineage came the blacks.359 All people are of one mind in affirming the lack of understanding of the blacks, even as saith the adage, “How shall one find a black with a mind?” Quoth her master, “Sit thee down, thou hast given us sufficient and even excess.” Thereupon he signed to the negress, who rose and, pointing her finger at the blonde, said: – Dost thou not know that in the Koran sent down to His prophet and apostle, is transmitted the saying of God the Most High, “By the night when it covereth all things with darkness; by the day when it shineth forth!”360 If the night were not the more illustrious, verily Allah had not sworn by it nor had given it precedence of the day. And indeed all men of wit and wisdom accept this. Knowest thou not that black is the ornament of youth and that, when hoariness descendeth upon the head, delights pass away and the hour of death draweth in sight? Were not black the most illustrious of things, Allah had not set it in the core of the heart361 and the pupil of the eye; and how excellent is the saying of the poet: —

I love not black girls but because they show ✿ Youth’s colour, tinct of eye and heart-core’s hue;Nor are in error who unlove the white, ✿ And hoary hairs and winding-sheet eschew.

And that said of another: —

Black362 girls, not white, are they ✿ All worthy love I see:Black girls wear dark-brown lips;363 ✿ Whites, blotch of leprosy.

And of a third: —

Black girls in acts are white, and ‘tis as though ✿ Like eyes, with purest shine and sheen they show;If I go daft for her, be not amazed; ✿ Black bile364 drives melancholic-mad we know:‘Tis as my colour were the noon of night; ✿ For all no moon it be, its splendours glow.

Moreover, is the foregathering of lovers good but in the night? Let this quality and profit suffice thee. What protecteth lovers from spies and censors like the blackness of night’s darkness; and what causeth to them to fear discovery like the whiteness of the dawn’s brightness? So, how many claims to honour are there not in blackness and how excellent is the saying of the poet! —

I visit them, and night-black lendeth aid to me ✿ Seconding love, but dawn-white is mine enemy.

And that of another: —

How many a night I’ve passed with the beloved of me, ✿ While gloom with dusky tresses veilèd our desires:But when the morn-light showed it caused me sad affright; ✿ And I to Morning said, “Who worship light are liars!”365

And saith a third: —

He came to see me, hiding neath the skirt of night, ✿ Hasting his steps as wended he in cautious plight.I rose and spread my cheek upon his path like rug, ✿ Abject, and trailed my skirt to hide it from his sight;But rose the crescent moon and strave its best to show ✿ The world our loves, like nail-slice raying radiant light:366Then what befel befel: I need not aught describe; ✿ But think thy best, and ask me naught of wrong or right.Meet not thy lover save at night for fear of slander ✿ The Sun’s a tittle-tattler and the Moon’s a pander.

And a fifth: —

I love not white girls blown with fat who puff and pant; ✿ The maid for me is young brunette embonpoint-scant.I’d rather ride a colt that’s dark upon the day ✿ Of race, and set my friends upon the elephant.

And a sixth: —

My lover came to me one night, ✿ And clipt we both with fond embrace;And lay together till we saw ✿ The morning come with swiftest pace.Now I pray Allah and my Lord ✿ To reunite us of His grace;And make night last me long as he ✿ Lies in the arms that tightly lace.

Were I to set forth all the praises of blackness, my tale would be tedious; but little and enough is better than too much of unfilling stuff. As for thee, O blonde, thy colour is that of leprosy and thine embrace is suffocation,367 and it is of report that hoar-frost and icy cold368 are in Gehenna for the torment of the wicked. Again, of things black and excellent is ink, wherewith is written Allah’s word; and were it not for black ambergris and black musk, there would be no perfumes to carry to Kings. How many glories I may not mention dwell in blackness, and how well saith the poet: —

Seest not that musk, the nut-brown musk, e’er claims the highest price, ✿ Whilst for a load of whitest lime none more than dirham bids?And while white speck upon the eye deforms the loveliest youth, ✿ Black eyes discharge the sharpest shafts in lashes from their lids.

Quoth her master, “Sit thee down: this much sufficeth.” So she sat down and he signed to the fat girl, who rose – And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

Now when it was the Three Hundred and Thirty-sixth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the man of Al-Yaman, the master of the handmaids, signed to the fat girl who rose and, pointing her finger at the slim girl, bared her calves and wrists and uncovered her stomach, showing its dimples and the plump rondure of her navel. Then she donned a shift of fine stuff, that exposed her whole body, and said: – Praised be Allah who created me, for that He beautified my face and made me fat and fair of the fattest and fairest; and likened me to branches laden with fruit, and bestowed upon me abounding beauty and brightness: and praised be He no less, for that He hath given me the precedence and honoured me, when He mentioneth me in His holy Book! Quoth the Most High, “And he brought a fatted calf.”369 And He hath made me like unto a vergier full of peaches and pomegranates. In very sooth even as the townsfolk long for fat birds and eat of them and love not lean birds, so do the sons of Adam desire fat meat and eat of it. How many vauntful attributes are there not in fatness, and how well saith the poet: —

Farewell thy love, for see, the Cafilah’s370 on the move: ✿ O man, canst bear to say adieu and leave thy love?‘Tis as her going were to seek her neighbour’s tent, ✿ The gait of fat fair maid, whom hearts shall all approve.

Sawest thou ever one stand before a flesher’s stall but sought of him fat flesh? The wise say, “Joyance is in three things, eating meat and riding meat and putting meat into meat.”371 As for thee, O thin one, thy calves are like the shanks of sparrows or the pokers of furnaces; and thou art a cruciform plank or a piece of flesh poor and rank; there is naught in thee to gladden the heart; even as saith the poet: —

With Allah take I refuge from whatever driveth me ✿ To bed with one like footrasp372 or the roughest ropery:In every limb she hath a horn that butteth me whene’er ✿ I fain would rest, so morn and eve I wend me wearily.

Quoth her master, “Sit thee down: this much sufficeth.” So she sat down and he signed to the slender girl, who rose, as she were a willow-wand, or a rattan-frond or a stalk of sweet basil, and said: – Praised be Allah who created me and beautified me and made my embraces the end of all desire and likened me to the branch, whereto all hearts incline. If I rise, I rise lightly; if I sit, I sit prettily; I am nimble-witted at a jest and merrier-souled than mirth itself. Never heard I one describe his mistress, saying, “My beloved is the bigness of an elephant or like a mountain long and broad;” but rather, “My lady hath a slender waist and a slim shape.”373 Furthermore a little food filleth me and a little water quencheth my thirst; my sport is agile and my habit active; for I am sprightlier than the sparrow and lighter-skipping than the starling. My favours are the longing of the lover and the delight of the desirer; for I am goodly of shape, sweet of smile and graceful as the bending willow-wand or the rattan-cane374 or the stalk of the basil-plant; nor is there any can compare with me in loveliness, even as saith one of me: —

Thy shape with willow branch I dare compare, ✿ And hold thy figure as my fortunes fair:I wake each morn distraught, and follow thee, ✿ And from the rival’s eye in fear I fare.

It is for the like of me that amourists run mad and that those who desire me wax distracted. If my lover would draw me to him, I am drawn to him; and if he would have me incline to him, I incline to him and not against him. But now, as for thee, O fat of body, thine eating is the feeding of an elephant, and neither much nor little filleth thee. When thou liest with a man who is lean, he hath no ease of thee; nor can he anyways take his pleasure of thee; for the bigness of thy belly holdeth him off from going in unto thee and the fatness of thy thighs hindereth him from coming at thy slit. What goodness is there in thy grossness, and what courtesy or pleasantness in thy coarseness? Fat flesh is fit for naught but the flesher, nor is there one point therein that pleadeth for praise. If one joke with thee, thou art angry; if one sport with thee, thou art sulky; if thou sleep, thou snorest; if thou walk, thou lollest out thy tongue! if thou eat, thou art never filled. Thou art heavier than mountains and fouler than corruption and crime. Thou hast in thee nor agility nor benedicite nor thinkest thou of aught save meat and sleep. When thou pissest thou swishest; if thou turd thou gruntest like a bursten wine-skin or an elephant transmogrified. If thou go to the water-closet, thou needest one to wash thy gap and pluck out the hairs which overgrow it; and this is the extreme of sluggishness and the sign, outward and visible, of stupidity.375 In short, there is no good thing about thee, and indeed the poet saith of thee: —

Heavy and swollen like an urine-bladder blown, ✿ With hips and thighs like mountain propping piles of stone;Whene’er she walks in Western hemisphere, her tread ✿ Makes the far Eastern world with weight to moan and groan.

Quoth her master, “Sit thee down, this sufficeth;” so she sat down and he signed to the yellow girl, who rose to her feet and praised Allah Almighty and magnified His name, calling down peace and blessing on Mohammed the best of His creatures; after which she pointed her finger at the brunette and said to her, – And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

Now when it was the Three Hundred and Thirty-seventh Night,

She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the yellow girl stood up and praised Almighty Allah and magnified His name; after which she pointed her finger at the brown girl and said to her: – I am the one praised in the Koran, and the Compassionate hath described my complexion and its excellence over all other hues in His manifest Book, where Allah saith, “A yellow, pure yellow, whose colour gladdeneth the beholders.”376 Wherefore my colour is a sign and portent and my grace is supreme and my beauty a term extreme; for that my tint is the tint of a ducat and the colour of the planets and moons and the hue of ripe apples. My fashion is the fashion of the fair, and the dye of saffron outvieth all other dyes; so my semblance is wondrous and my colour marvellous. I am soft of body and of high price, comprising all qualities of beauty. My colour is essentially precious as virgin gold, and how many boasts and glories doth it not unfold! Of the like of me quoth the poet: —

Her golden yellow is the sheeny sun’s; ✿ And like gold sequins she delights the sight:Saffron small portion of her glance can show; ✿ Nay,377 she outvies the moon when brightest bright.

And I shall at once begin in thy dispraise, O berry-brown girl! Thy tincture is that of the buffalo, and all souls shudder at thy sight. If thy colour be in any created thing, it is blamed; if it be in food, it is poisoned; for thy hue is the hue of the dung-fly; it is a mark of ugliness even in dogs; and among the colours it is one which strikes with amazement and is of the signs of mourning. Never heard I of brown gold or brown pearls or brown gems. If thou enter the privy, thy colour changeth, and when thou comest out, thou addest ugliness to ugliness. Thou art a non-descript; neither black, that thou mayst be recognised, nor white, that thou mayst be described; and in thee there is no good quality, even as saith the poet: —

The hue of dusty motes is hers; that dull brown hue of hers ✿ Is mouldy, like the dust and mud by Cossid’s foot upthrown:378I never look upon her brow, e’en for eye-twinkling’s space, ✿ But in brown study fall I and my thoughts take browner tone.

Quoth her master, “Sit thee down; this much sufficeth;” so she sat down and he signed to the brunette. Now she was a model of beauty and loveliness and symmetry and perfect grace; soft of skin, slim of shape, of stature rare, and coal-black hair; with cheeks rosy-pink, eyes black-rimmed by nature’s hand, face fair, and eloquent tongue; moreover slender-waisted and heavy-hipped. So she rose and said: – Praise be to Allah who hath created me neither leper-white nor bile-yellow nor charcoal-black, but hath made my colour to be beloved of men of wit and wisdom; for all the poets extol berry-brown maids in every tongue and exalt their colour over all other colours. To “brown of hue (they say) praise is due;” and Allah bless him who singeth: —

And in brunettes is mystery, could’st thou but read it right, ✿ Thy sight would never dwell on others, be they red or white:Free-flowing conversation, amorous coquettishness ✿ Would teach Hárut himself a mightier spell of magic might.

And saith another: —

Give me brunettes, so limber, lissom, lithe of sway, ✿ Brunettes tall, slender, straight like Samhar’s nut-brown lance;379Languid of eyelids and with silky down on either cheek, ✿ Who fixed in lover’s heart work to his life mischance.

And yet another: —

Now, by my life, brown hue hath point of comeliness ✿ Leaves whiteness nowhere and high o’er the Moon takes place;But an of whiteness aught it borrowed self to deck, ✿ ‘Twould change its graces and would pale for its disgrace:Not with his must380 I’m drunken, but his locks of musk ✿ Are wine inebriating all of human race.His charms are jealous each of each, and all desire ✿ To be the down that creepeth up his lovely face.

And again another: —

Why not incline me to that show of silky down, ✿ On cheeks of dark brunette, like bamboo spiring brown?Whenas high rank in beauty poets sing, they say ✿ Brown ant-like specklet worn by nenuphar in crown.And see I sundry lovers tear out others’ eyne ✿ For the brown mole beneath that jetty pupil shown,Then why do censors blame me for one all a mole? ✿ Allah I pray demolish each molesting clown!381

My form is all grace and my shape is built on heavy base; Kings desire my colour which all adore, rich and poor. I am pleasant, active, handsome, elegant, soft of skin and prized for price: eke I am perfect in seemlihead and breeding and eloquence; my aspect is comely and my tongue witty; my temper is bright and my play a pretty sight. As for thee, thou art like unto a mallow growing about the Lúk Gate;382 in hue sallow and streaked-yellow and made all of sulphur. Aroynt thee, O copper-worth of jaundiced sorrel, O rust of brass-pot, O face of owl in gloom, and fruit of the Hell-tree Zakkúm;383 whose bedfellow, for heart-break, is buried in the tomb. And there is no good thing in thee, even as saith the poet of the like of thee: —

Yellowness, tincturing her tho’ nowise sick or sorry, ✿ Straitens my hapless heart and makes my head sore ache;An thou repent not, Soul! I’ll punish thee with kissing384 ✿ Her lower face that shall mine every grinder break!

And when she ended her lines, quoth her master, “Sit thee down, this much sufficeth!” – And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

Now when it was the Three Hundred and Thirty-eighth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the yellow girl ended her recitation, quoth her master, “Sit thee down; this much sufficeth!” Then he made peace between them and clad them all in sumptuous robes of honour and hanselled them with precious jewels of land and sea. And never have I seen, O Commander of the Faithful, any when or any where, aught fairer than these six damsels fair. Now when Al-Maamun heard this story from Mohammed of Bassorah, he turned to him and said, “O Mohammed, knowest thou the abiding-place of these damsels and their master, and canst thou contrive to buy them of him for us?” He answered, “O Commander of the Faithful, indeed I have heard that their lord is wrapped up in them and cannot bear to be parted from them.” Rejoined the Caliph, “Take thee ten thousand gold pieces for each girl, that is sixty thousand for the whole purchase; and carry the coin to his house and buy them of him.” So Mohammed of Bassorah took the money and, betaking himself to the Man of Al-Yaman, acquainted him with the wish of the Prince of True Believers. He consented to part with them at that price to pleasure the Caliph; and despatched them to Al-Maamun, who assigned them an elegant abode and therein used to sit with them as cup-companions; marvelling at their beauty and loveliness, at their varied colours and at the excellence of their conversation. Thus matters stood for many a day; but, after awhile, when their former owner could no longer bear to be parted from them, he sent a letter to the Commander of the Faithful complaining to him of his own ardent love-longing for them and containing, amongst other contents, these couplets: —

Captured me six, all bright with youthful blee; ✿ Then on all six be best salams from me!They are my hearing, seeing, very life; ✿ My meat, my drink, my joy, my jollity:I’ll ne’er forget the favours erst so charmed ✿ Whose loss hath turned my sleep to insomny:Alack, O longsome pining and O tears! ✿ Would I had farewelled all humanity:Those eyes, with bowed and well arched eyebrows385 dight, ✿ Like bows have struck me with their archery.

Now when the letter came to the hands of Al-Maamun, he robed the six damsels in rich raiment; and, giving them threescore thousand dinars, sent them back to their lord who joyed in them with exceeding joy,386 (more especially for the monies they brought him) and abode with them in all the comfort and pleasance of life, till there came to them the Destroyer of delights and the Severer of societies. And men also recount the tale of

HARUN AL-RASHID AND THE DAMSEL AND ABU NOWAS

The Caliph, Commander of the Faithful, Harun al-Rashid, being one night exceedingly restless and thoughtful with sad thought, rose from his couch and walked about the by-ways of his palace, till he came to a chamber, over whose doorway hung a curtain. He raised that curtain and saw, at the upper end of the room, a bedstead whereon lay something black, as it were a man asleep, with a wax taper on his right hand and another on his left; and as the Caliph stood wondering at the sight, behold, he remarked a flagon full of old wine whose mouth was covered by the cup. The Caliph wondered even more at this, saying, “How came this black by such wine-service?” Then, drawing near the bedstead, he found that it was a girl lying asleep there, curtained by her hair; so he uncovered her face and saw that it was like the moon, on the night of his fulness.387 So the Caliph filled himself a cup of wine and drank it to the roses of her cheeks; and, feeling inclined to enjoy her, kissed a mole on her face, whereupon she started up from sleep, and cried out, “O Trusted of Allah,388 what may this be?” Replied he, “A guest who knocketh at thy door, hoping that thou wilt give him hospitality till the dawn;” and she answered; “Even so! I will serve him with my hearing and my sight.” So she brought forward the wine and they drank together, after which she took the lute and tuning the strings, preluded in one-and-twenty modes, then returning to the first, played a lively measure and sang these couplets: —

The tongue of love from heart bespeaks my sprite, ✿ Telling I love thee with love infinite:I have an eye bears witness to my pain, ✿ And fluttering heart sore hurt by parting-plight.I cannot hide the love that harms my life; ✿ Tears ever roll and growth of pine I sight:I knew not what love was ere loving thee; ✿ But Allah’s destiny to all is dight.

And when her verses were ended she said, “O Commander of the Faithful, I have been wronged!” – And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

Now when it was the Three Hundred and Thirty-ninth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the damsel cried, “O Commander of the Faithful, I have been wronged!” Quoth he, “How so, and who hath wronged thee?” Quoth she “Thy son bought me awhile ago, for ten thousand dirhams, meaning to give me to thee; but thy wife, the daughter of thine uncle, sent him the said price and bade him shut me up from thee in this chamber.” Whereupon said the Caliph. “Ask a boon of me,” and she, “I ask thee to lie with me to-morrow night.” Replied the Caliph, “Inshallah!” and leaving her, went away. Now as soon as it was morning, he repaired to his sitting-room and called for Abu Nowás, but found him not and sent his chamberlain to ask after him. The chamberlain found him in a tavern, pawned and pledged for a score of a thousand dirhams, which he had spent on a certain beardless youth, and questioned him of his case. So he told him what had betided him with the comely boy and how he had spent upon him a thousand silver pieces; whereupon quoth the chamberlain, “Show him to me; and if he be worth this, thou art excused.” He answered, “Patience, and thou shalt see him presently.” As they were talking together, up came the lad, clad in a white tunic, under which was another of red and under this yet another black. Now when Abu Nowas saw him, he sighed a loud sigh and improvised these couplets: —

He showed himself in shirt of white, ✿ With eyes and eyelids languor-dight.Quoth I, “Dost pass and greet me not? ✿ Though were thy greeting a delight?Blest He who clothed in rose thy cheeks, ✿ Creates what wills He by His might!”Quoth he, “Leave prate, forsure my Lord ✿ Of works is wondrous infinite:My garment’s like my face and luck; ✿ All three are white on white on white.”

When the beardless one heard these words, he doffed the white tunic and appeared in the red; and when Abu Nowas saw him he redoubled in expressions of admiration and repeated these couplets: —

He showed in garb anemone-red, ✿ A foeman “friend” entitulèd:Quoth I in marvel, “Thou’rt full moon ✿ Whose weed shames rose however red:Hath thy cheek stained it red, or hast ✿ Dyed it in blood by lovers bled?”Quoth he, “Sol gave me this for shirt ✿ When hasting down the West to bed:So garb and wine and hue of cheek ✿ All three are red on red on red.”

And when the verses came to an end, the beardless one doffed the red tunic and stood in the black; and, when Abu Nowas saw him, he redoubled in attention to him and versified in these couplets: —

He came in sable-huèd sacque ✿ And shone in dark men’s heart to rack:Quoth I, “Dost pass and greet me not? ✿ Joying the hateful envious pack?Thy garment’s like thy locks and like ✿ My lot, three blacks on black on black.”

Seeing this state of things and understanding the case of Abu Nowas and his love-longing, the Chamberlain returned to the Caliph and acquainted him therewith; so he bade him pouch a thousand dirhams and go and take him out of pawn. Thereupon the Chamberlain returned to Abu Nowas and, paying his score, carried him to the Caliph, who said, “Make me some verses containing the words, O Trusted of Allah, what may this be?” Answered he, “I hear and I obey, O Commander of the Faithful.” – And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

Now when it was the Three Hundred and Fortieth Night,

She said, it hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Abu Nowas answered, “I hear and I obey, O Commander of the Faithful!” and forthwith he improvised these couplets: —

Long was my night for sleepless misery; ✿ Weary of body and of thought ne’er free:I rose and in my palace walked awhile, ✿ Then wandered thro’ the halls of Haremry:Till chanced I on a blackness, which I found ✿ A white girl hid in hair for napery:Here to her for a moon of brightest sheen! ✿ Like willow-wand and veiled in pudency:I quaffed a cup to her; then drew I near, ✿ And kissed the beauty-spot on cheek had she:She woke astart, and in her sleep’s amaze, ✿ Swayed as the swaying branch in rain we see;Then rose and said to me, “O Trusted One ✿ Of Allah, O Amin, what may this be?”Quoth I, “A guest that cometh to thy tents ✿ And craves till morn thy hospitality.”She answered, “Gladly I, my lord, will grace ✿ And honour such a guest with ear and eye.”

Cried the Caliph, “Allah strike thee dead! it is as if thou hadst been present with us.”389 Then he took him by the hand and carried him to the damsel and, when Abu Nowas saw her clad in a dress and veil of blue, he expressed abundant admiration and improvised these couplets: —