A plain and literal translation of the Arabian nights entertainments, now entituled The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 2 (of 17)

Now when it was the Eight-and-Fiftieth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the trader saved Nuzhat al-Zaman from the Badawi and bore her to his lodgings and robed her in the richest raiment, he went down with her to the bazar, where he bought her what ornaments she chose and put them in a satin bag, which he set before her, saying, "All is for thee and I ask nothing of thee in return but that, when I lead thee to the Sultan, Viceroy of Damascus, thou acquaint him with the price I paid for thee, albeit it was little compared with thy value: and, if seeing thee he buy thee of me, thou tell him how I have dealt with thee and ask of him for me a royal patent, and a written recommendation wherewith I can repair to his father, King Omar bin al-Nu'uman, Lord of Baghdad, to the intent that he may forbid the tax on my stuffs or any other goods in which I traffic." When she heard his words, she wept and sobbed, and the merchant said to her, "O my lady, I observe that, every time I mention Baghdad, thine eyes are tearful: is there any one there whom thou lovest? If it be a trader or the like, tell me; for I know all the merchants and so forth there and, if thou wouldst send him a message, I will bear it for thee." Replied she, "By Allah, I have no acquaintance among merchant-folk and the like! I know none there but King Omar bin Nu'uman, Lord of Baghdad." When the merchant heard her words, he laughed and rejoiced with exceeding joy and said in himself, "By Allah, I have won my wish!" Then he said to her, "Hast thou been shown to him in time past?" She answered, "No, but I was brought up with his daughter and he holdeth me dear and I have high honour with him; so if thou wouldst have the King grant thee thy desire, give me ink-case and paper and I will write thee a letter; and when thou reachest the city of Baghdad, do thou deliver it into the hand of King Omar bin al-Nu'uman and say to him: – Thy handmaid, Nuzhat al-Zaman, would have thee to know that the chances and changes of the nights and days have struck her as with a hammer, and have smitten her so that she hath been sold from place to place; and she sendeth thee her salams. And, if he ask further of her, say that I am now with the Viceroy at Damascus." The merchant wondered at her eloquence, and his affection for her increased and he said to her, "I cannot but think that men have played upon thine understanding and sold thee for money. Tell me, dost thou know the Koran by heart?" "Yes," answered she; "and I am also acquainted with philosophy and medicine and the prolegomena of science and the commentaries of Galen, the physician, on the canons of Hippocrates; and I have commented him and I have read the Tazkirah and have commented the Burhán; and I have studied the Simples of Ibn Baytár, and I have something to say of the canon of Meccah, by Avicenna. I can ree riddles and can solve ambiguities, and discourse upon geometry and am skilled in anatomy. I have read the books of the Sháfi'í256 school and the Traditions of the Prophet and syntax; and I can argue with the Olema and discourse of all manner learning. Moreover I am skilled in logic and rhetoric and arithmetic and the making of talismans and almanacs, and I know thoroughly the Spiritual Sciences257 and the times appointed for religious duties and I understand all these branches of knowledge." Then quoth she to the merchant, "Bring me ink-case and paper, that I write thee a letter which shall aid thee on thy journey to Baghdad and enable thee to do without passports." Now when the merchant heard this, he cried out, "Brava! Brava!258 Then O happy he in whose palace thou shalt be!" Thereupon he brought her paper and ink-case and a pen of brass and bussed the earth before her face to do her honour. She took a sheet and handled the reed and wrote therewith these verses: —

I see all power of sleep from eyes of me hath flown; ✿ Say, did thy parting teach these eyne on wake to wone?What makes thy memory light such burnings in my heart? ✿ Hath every lover strength such memories to own?How sweet the big-dropped cloud which rained on summer-day; ✿ 'Tis gone: and ere I taste its sweets afar 'tis flown:I pray the wind with windy breath to bring some news ✿ From thee, to lover-wight wi' love so woe-begone:Complains to thee a lover of all hope forlorn, ✿ For parting-pangs can break not only heart but stone.

And when she had ended writing the verses she continued, "These words are from her who saith that melancholy destroyeth her and that watching wasteth her; in the murk of whose night is found no light and darkness and day are the same in her sight. She tosseth on the couch of separation and her eyes are blackened with the pencils of sleeplessness; she watcheth the stars arise and into the gloom she strains her eyes: verily, sadness and leanness have consumed her strength and the setting forth of her case would run to length. No helper hath she but tears and she reciteth these verses: —

No ring-dove moans from home on branch in morning light, ✿ But shakes my very frame with sorrow's killing might:No lover sigheth for his love or gladdeth heart ✿ To meet his mate, but breeds in me redoubled blightI bear my plaint to one who has no ruth for me; ✿ Ah me, how Love can part man's mortal frame and sprite!"

Then her eyes welled over with tears, and she wrote also these two couplets: —

"Love smote my frame so sore on parting day, ✿ That severance severed sleep and eyes for ayeI waxt so lean that I am still a man, ✿ But for my speaking, thou wouldst never say."

Then she shed tears and wrote at the foot of the sheet, "This cometh from her who is far from her folk and her native land, the sorrowful-hearted woman Nuzhat al-Zaman." In fine, she folded the sheet and gave it to the merchant, who took it and kissed it and understood its contents and exclaimed, "Glory to Him who fashioned thee!" – And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

Now when it was the Nine-and-Fiftieth Night,

She said, It reached me, O auspicious King, that Nuzhat al-Zaman wrote the letter and gave it to the merchant; and he took it and read it and understood the contents and exclaimed, "Glory to Him who fashioned thee!" Then he redoubled his kindness and made himself pleasant to her all that day; and when night came, he sallied out to the bazar and bought some food, wherewith he fed her; after which he carried her to the Hammam and said to the bath-woman, "As soon as thou hast made an end of washing her head, dress her and send and let me know of it." And she replied "Hearing is obeying." Meanwhile he fetched food and fruit and wax-candles and set them on the bench in the outer room of the bath; and when the tire-woman had done washing her, she dressed her and led her out of the bath and seated her on the bench. Then she sent to tell the merchant, and Nuzhat al-Zaman went forth to the outer room, where she found the tray spread with food and fruit. So she ate and the tire-woman with her, and gave the rest to the people and keeper of the bath. Then she slept till the morning, and the merchant lay the night in a place apart from her. When he aroused himself from sleep he came to her and waking her, presented her with a shift of fine stuff and a head-kerchief worth a thousand dinars, a suit of Turkish embroidery and walking boots purfled with red gold and set with pearls and gems. Moreover, he hung in each of her ears a circlet of gold with a fine pearl therein, worth a thousand dinars, and threw round her neck a collar of gold with bosses of garnet and a chain of amber beads that hung down between her breasts over her navel. Now to this chain were attached ten balls and nine crescents, and each crescent had in its midst a bezel of ruby, and each ball a bezel of balass: the value of the chain was three thousand dinars and each of the balls was priced at twenty thousand dirhams, so that the dress she wore was worth in all a great sum of money. When she had put these on, the merchant bade her adorn herself, and she adorned herself to the utmost beauty; then she let fall her fillet over her eyes and she fared forth with the merchant preceding her. But when folk saw her, all wondered at her beauty and exclaimed, "Blessed be Allah, the most excellent Creator! O lucky the man in whose house she shall be!" And the trader ceased not walking (and she behind him) till they entered the palace of Sultan Sharrkan; when he sought an audience and, kissing the earth between his hands, said, "O auspicious King, I have brought thee a rare gift, unmatched in this time and richly gifted with beauty and with good qualities." Quoth the King, "Let me see it." So the merchant went out and brought her, she following him till he made her stand before King Sharrkan. When he beheld her, blood yearned to blood, though she had been parted from him in childhood and though he had never seen her, having only heard a long time after her birth that he had a sister called Nuzhat al-Zaman and a brother Zau al-Makan, he having been jealous of them, because of the succession. And such was the cause of his knowing little about them. Then, having placed her before the presence, the merchant said, "O King of the age, besides being peerless in her time for beauty and loveliness, she is also versed in all learning, sacred and profane, including the art of government and the abstract sciences." Quoth the King to the trader, "Take her price, according as thou boughtest her, and go thy ways." "I hear and I obey," replied the merchant; "but first write me a patent, exempting me for ever from paying tithe on my merchandise." Said the King, "I will do this, but first tell me what price thou paidest for her." Said the merchant, "I bought her for an hundred thousand dinars, and her clothes cost me another hundred thousand." When the Sultan heard these words, he declared, "I will give thee a higher price than this for her;" and, calling his treasurer, said to him, "Pay this merchant three hundred and twenty thousand ducats; so will he have an hundred and twenty thousand dinars profit." Thereupon the Sultan summoned the four Kazis and paid him the money in their presence and then he said, "I call you to witness that I free this my slave-girl and purpose to marry her." So the Kazis wrote out the deed of emancipation and the contract of marriage, when the Sultan scattered much gold on the heads of those present; and the pages and the eunuchs picked up this largesse. Then, after paying him his monies, Sharrkan bade them write for the merchant a perpetual patent, exempting him from toll, tax or tithe upon his merchandise and forbidding each and every in all his government to molest him, and lastly bestowed on him a splendid dress of honour. – And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day, and ceased saying her permitted say.

Now when it was the full Sixtieth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that King Sharrkan bade them write for the merchant a mandate, after paying him his monies; and they wrote a perpetual patent, exempting him from the tithe upon his merchandise and forbidding any in his government to molest him; and lastly bestowed upon him a splendid dress of honour. Then all about him retired, and none remained save the Kazis and the merchant, whereupon said he to the judges, "I wish you to hear such discourse from this damsel as may prove her knowledge and accomplishments in all claimed for her by this trader, that we ascertain the truth of his assertions." They answered, "There is no evil in that!"; and he commanded the curtain to be let down between him and those with him and the maiden and those with her; and the women about the damsel behind the curtains began to wish her joy and kiss her hands and feet, when they learned that she was become the King's wife. Then they came round her and took off her dresses easing her of the weight of her clothes and began to look upon her beauty and loveliness. Presently the wives of the Emirs and Wazirs heard that King Sharrkan had bought a handmaiden unmatched for her beauty and learning and philosophy and account-keeping, and versed in all branches of knowledge, that he had paid for her three hundred and twenty thousand dinars, and that he had set her free and had written a marriage-contract with her and had summoned the four Kazis to make trial of her, how she would answer all their questions and hold disputation with them. So they asked leave of their husbands and repaired to the palace wherein was Nuzhat al-Zaman. When they came in to her, they found the eunuchs standing before her; and, as soon as she saw the wives of the Emirs and Wazirs and Grandees of the realm coming to call upon her, she arose to them on her feet and met them with courtesy, her handmaidens standing behind her, and she received them saying, "Ye be welcome!" The while she smiled in their faces so as to win their hearts; and she promised them all manner of good and seated them in their proper stations, as if she had been brought up with them; so all wondered at her beauty and loveliness and said to one another, "This damsel is none other than a Queen, the daughter of a King." Then they sat down, magnifying her worth and said to her, "O our lady, this our city is illumined by thee, and our country and abode and birthplace and reign are honoured by thy presence. The kingdom indeed is thy kingdom and the palace is thy palace, and we all are thy handmaids; so, by Allah, do not shut us out from thy favours and from the sight of thy beauty." And she thanked them for this. All this while the curtains were let down between Nuzhat al-Zaman and the women with her, on the one side, and King Sharrkan and the four Kazis and the merchant seated by him on the other. Presently King Sharrkan called to her and said, "O Queen, the glory of thine age, this merchant hath described thee as being learned and accomplished; and he claimeth that thou art skilled in all branches of knowledge, even to astrology: so let us hear something of all this he hath mentioned, and favour us with a short discourse on such subjects." She replied, saying: – "O King, to hear is to obey.259 The first subjects whereof I will treat are the art of government and the duties of Kings and what behoveth governors of commandments according to religious law, and what is incumbent on them in respect of satisfactory speech and manners. Know then, O King, that all men's works tend either to religious or to laical life, for none attaineth to religion save through this world, because it is the best road to futurity. Now the works of this world are not ordered save by the doings of its people, and men's doings are divided into four divisions, government, commerce, husbandry and craftmanship. Now government requireth perfect administration with just and true judgment; for government is the pivot of the edifice of the world, which world is the road to futurity; since Allah Almighty hath made the world for His servants as viaticum to the traveller for the attainment of his goal; and it befitteth each man that he receive of it such measure as shall bring him to Allah, and that he follow not herein his own mind and his individual lust. If folk would take of worldly goods with justice and equity, all cause of contention would be cut off; but they take thereof with violence and after their own desires, and their persistence therein giveth rise to contentions; so they have need of the Sultan, that he do justice between them and order their affairs; and, if the King restrain not his folk from one another, the strong will drive the weak to the wall. Hence Ardeshir260 saith, Religion and Kingship be twins; religion is a hidden treasure and the King is its keeper; and the Divine Ordinances and men's intelligence point out that it behoveth the people to adopt a Sultan who shall withhold oppressor from oppressed and do the weak justice against the strong and restrain the violence of the proud and the rebels against rule. For know, O King, that according to the measure of the Sultan's good morals, even so will be the time; as saith the Apostle of Allah (on whom be peace and salvation!), There be two classes who, if they be good, the people will be good; and if they be bad, the people will be bad, even the Olema and the Emirs. And it is said by a certain sage: – There be three kinds of Kings, the King of the Faith, the King who protecteth things to which reverence is due, and the King of his own lusts. The King of the Faith obligeth his subjects to follow their faith, and it behoveth he be the most faithful,261 for it is by him that they take pattern in the things of the Faith; and it becometh the folk to obey him in whatso he commandeth according to Divine Ordinance; but he shall hold the discontented in the same esteem as the contented, because of submission to the decrees of Destiny. As for the King who protecteth things to be reverenced, he upholdeth the things of the Faith and of the World and compelleth his folk to follow the Divine Law and to preserve the rights of humanity; and it fitteth him to unite Pen and Sword; for whoso declineth from what Pen hath written, his feet slip and the King shall rectify his error with the sharp Sword and dispread his justice over all mankind. As for the King of his own lusts, he hath no religion but the following his desire and, as he feareth not the wrath of his Lord who set him on the throne, so his Kingdom inclineth to deposition and the end of his pride is in the house of perdition. And sages say, The King hath need of many people, but the people have need of but one King; wherefore it beseemeth that he be well acquainted with their natures, that he reduce their discord to concord, that with his justice he encompass them all and with his bounties overwhelm them all. And know, O King, that Ardeshir, styled Jamr Shadíd, or the Live Coal, third of the Kings of Persia, conquered the whole world and divided it into four divisions and, for this purpose, gat for himself four seal-rings, one for each division. The first seal was that of the sea and the police of prohibition and on it was written, Alternatives. The second was the seal of tribute and of the receipt of monies, and on it was written, Building up. The third was the seal of the provisioning department and on it was written, Plenty. The fourth was the seal of the oppressed, and on it was written, Justice. And these usages remained valid in Persia until the revelation of Al-Islam. Chosroes also wrote his son, who was with the army: – Be not thou too open-handed with thy troops, or they will be too rich to need thee." – And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

Now when it was the Sixty-first Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Chosroes wrote his son: – Be not thou too open-handed with thy troops, or they will be too rich to need thee; nor be thou niggardly with them, or they will murmur against thee. Give thy giving deliberately and confer thy favours advisedly; open thy hand to them in time of success and stint them not in time of distress. There is a legend that a desert Arab came once to the Caliph Al-Mansúr262 and said, Starve thy dog and he shall follow thee. When the Caliph heard his words, he was enraged with the Arab, but Abu 'l-Abbás of Tús said to him, I fear that if some other than thou should show him a scone, the dog would follow him and leave thee alone. Thereupon the Caliph Al-Mansúr's wrath subsided and he knew that the wild Arab had intended no offence and ordered him a present. And know, O King, that Abd al-Malik bin Marwán wrote to his brother Abd al-Aziz, when he despatched him to Egypt, as follows: – Pay heed to thy Secretaries and thy Chamberlains, for the Secretaries will acquaint thee with established matters and the Chamberlains with matters of official ceremony, whilst thine expenditure will make thy troops known to thee. Omar bin Al-Khattab263 (whom Allah accept!) when engaging a servant was in the habit of conditioning him with four conditions; the first that he should not ride the baggage-beasts, the second that he should not wear fine clothes, the third that he should not eat of the spoil and the fourth that he should not put off praying till after the proper period. It is said that there is no wealth more profitable than understanding, and there is no understanding like common sense and prudence, and there is no prudence like piety; that there is no means of drawing near to God like good morals, no measure like good breeding, no traffic like good works and no profit like earning the Divine favour; that there is no temperance like standing within the limits of the law, no science like that of meditation, no worship like obeying the Divine commands, no faith like modesty, no calculation like self-abasement and no honour like knowledge. So guard the head and what it containeth and the belly and what it compriseth; and think of death and doom ere it ariseth. Saith Ali (whose face Allah honour!), Beware of the wickedness of women and be on thy guard against them: consult them not in aught;264 but grudge not complaisance to them, lest they greed for intrigue. And eke quoth he, whoso leaveth the path of moderation his wits become perplexed; and there be rules for this which we will mention, if it be Allah's will. And Omar (whom Allah accept!) saith, there are three kinds of women, firstly the true-believing, Heaven-fearing, love-full and fruit-full, who helpeth her mate against fate, not helping fate against her mate; secondly, she who loveth her children but no more and, lastly, she who is a shackle Allah setteth on the neck of whom He will. Men be also three: the wise when he exerciseth his own judgement; the wiser who, when befalleth somewhat whereof he knoweth not the issue, seeketh folk of good counsel and acteth by their advice; and the unwise-irresolute ignoring the right way nor heeding those who would guide him straight. Justice is indispensable in all things; even slave-girls have need of justice; and men quote as an instance highway robbers who live by violenting mankind, for did they not deal equitably among themselves and observe justice in dividing their booty, their order would fall to pieces.265 In short, for the rest, the Prince of noble qualities is Beneficence-cum-Benevolence; and how excellent is the saying of the poet: —

By open hand and ruth the youth rose to his tribe's command; ✿ Go and do likewise for the same were easy task to thee.

And quoth another: —

In ruth and mildness surety lies and mercy wins respect; ✿ And Truth is best asylum for the man of soothfast soul:Whoso for wealth of gold would win and wear the world's good word, ✿ On glory's course must ever be the first to gain the goal.

And Nuzhat al-Zaman discoursed upon the policy of Kings till the bystanders said, "Never have we seen one reason of rule and government like this damsel! Haply she will let us hear some discourse upon subject other than this." When she heard their words and understood them she said, "As for the chapter of good breeding, it is wide of comprehension, being a compend of things perfect. Now it so happened that one day there came to the Caliph Mu'áwiyah266 one of his companions, who mentioned the people of Irak and the goodness of their wit; and the Caliph's wife Maysun, mother of Yezid, heard his words. So, when he was gone, she said to the Caliph: – O Prince of the Faithful, I would thou let some of the people of Irak come in and talk to thee, that I may hear their discourse. Therewith Mu'awiyah said to his attendants, See who is at the door? And they answered, The Banu Tamím. Let them come in, said he. So they came in and with them Al-Ahnaf son of Kays.267 Then quoth Mu'awiyah: – Enter, O Abu Bahr, and drew a curtain between himself and Maysun, that she might hear what they said without being seen herself; then he said to Al-Ahnaf: – O Son of the Sea, draw near and tell me what counsel thou hast for me. Quoth Al-Ahnaf, Part thy hair and trim thy moustachio and pare thy nails and pluck thine armpits and shave thy pubes268 and ever use the toothstick because therein be two-and-seventy virtues, and make the Ghusl or complete ablution on Friday, as an expiation for all between the Fridays." – And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

Now when it was the Sixty-second Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Ahnaf bin Kays replied to Al-Mu'awiyah's269 question, "And ever use the toothstick, because therein be two-and-seventy virtues and make the complete Friday ablution as an expiation for all between the two Fridays." Quoth Mu'awiyah, "What is thy counsel to thyself?" "To set my feet firmly on the ground, to move them deliberately and watch over them with mine eyes!" "How dost thou order thyself when thou goest in to one not of the nobles of thy tribe?" "I lower mine eyes modestly and I salute first; I avoid what concerneth me not and I spare my words!" "And how when thou goest in to thine equals?" "I give ear to them when they speak and I do not assail them when they err!" "When thou goest in to thy chiefs?" "I salute without making any sign and await the reply: if they bid me draw near, I draw near; and if they draw off from me I withdraw!" "How dost thou with thy wife?" Quoth Ahnaf, "Excuse me from answering this, O Commander of the Faithful!"; but Mu'awiyah cried, "I conjure thee inform me." He said, "I entreat her kindly and show her familiarity and am large in expenditure, for woman was created of a crooked rib."270 "And how dost thou when thou hast a mind to lie with her?" "I bid her perfume herself and kiss her till she is moved to desire; then, should it be as thou knowest,271 I throw her on her back. If the seed abide in her womb I say: – O Allah make it blessed and let it not be a wastrel, but fashion it into the best of fashions!272 Then I rise from her to ablution and first I pour water over my hands and then over my body and lastly, I praise Allah for the joy He hath given me." Said Mu'awiyah, "Thou hast answered right well and now tell me what be thy requirements?" Said Ahnaf, "I would have thee rule thy subjects in the fear of Allah and do even-handed justice between them." Thereupon Ahnaf rose to his feet and left the Caliph's presence, and when he had gone Maysun said, "Were there but this man in Irak, he would suffice to it." Then continued Nuzhat al-Zaman, "And all this is a section of the chapter of good-breeding, and know O King, that Mu'aykib was intendant of the public treasury during the Caliphate of Omar bin al-Khattáb," – And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.