Supplemental Nights to The Book of the Thousand and One Nights by Sir Richard Francis Burton (suggested reading .TXT) 📖

that thou sing me a song, so I may go to thy palace and question its Haunters[FN#203] concerning the plight of thy lord after thee and return to thee; and know, O Tohfat al-Sudur, that between thee and thy lord be a distance of fifty years’ journey for the bon� fide traveller.” She rejoined, “Indeed, thou grieves” me anent him between whom and me is fifty years’ journey;” but the Head[FN#204] cried to her, “Be of good cheer and of eyes cool and clear, for the sovrans of the Jann will restore thee to him in less than the twinkling of an eye.”

Quoth she, “I will sing thee an hundred songs, so thou wilt bring me news of my lord and that which betided him after me.” And quoth the Head, “Do thou favour me and sing me a song, so I may go to thy lord and fetch thee tidings of him, for that I desire, before I go, to hear thy voice, so haply my thirst[FN#205] may be quenched.” So she took the lute and tuning it, sang these couplets:—

 

“They have marched, yet no empty stead left they: They are gone, nor heart grieves me that fled be they: My heart forebode the bereaval of friends; Allah ne’er bereave steads wherefrom sped be they!

Though they hid the stations where led were they, * I’ll follow till stars fall in disarray!

Ye slumber, but wake shall ne’er fly these lids; * ‘Tis I bear what ye never bore—well-away!

It had irked them not to farewell who fares * With the parting-fires that my heart waylay.

My friends,[FN#206] your meeting to me is much * But more is the parting befel us tway:

You’re my heart’s delight, or you present be * Or absent, with you is my soul for aye!”

 

Thereupon the Head wept exceeding sore and cried, “O my lady, indeed thou hast solaced my heart, and I have naught but my life; so take it.” She replied, “Nay, an I but knew that thou wouldst bring me news of my lord Al-Rashid, ‘twere fainer to me than the reign of the world;” and the Head answered her, “It shall be done as thou desirest.” Then it disappeared and returning to her at the last of the night, said, “O my lady, know that I have been to thy palace and have questioned one of its Haunters of the case of the Commander of the Faithful and that which befel him after thee; and he said, ‘When the Prince of True Believers came to Tohfah’s apartment and found her not and saw no sign of her, he buffeted his face and head and rent his raiment.’ Now there was in thy chamber the Castrato, the chief of thy household, and the Caliph cried out at him, saying, ‘Bring me Ja’afar the Barmaki and his father and brother at this very moment!’ The Eunuch went out, bewildered in his wit for fear of the King, and when he stood in the presence of Ja’afar, he said to him, ‘Come to the Commander of the Faithful, thou and thy father and thy brother.’

So they arose in haste and betaking themselves to the presence, said, ‘O Prince of True Believers what may be the matter?’ Quoth he, ‘There is a matter which passeth description. Know that I locked the door and taking the key with me, betook myself to my uncle’s daughter, with whom I lay the night; but, when I arose in the morning and came and opened the door, I found no sign of Tohfah.’ Quoth Ja’afar, ‘O Commander of the Faithful have patience, for that the damsel hath been snatched away, and needs must she return, seeing that she took the lute with her, and ‘tis her own lute. The Jinns have assuredly carried her off, and we trust in Allah Almighty that she will return.’ Cried the Caliph, ‘This[FN#207] is a thing which may nowise be!’ And he abode in her apartment, nor eating nor drinking, while the Barmecides besought him to fare forth to the folk; and he weepeth and tarrieth on such fashion till she shall return. This, then, is that which hath betided him after thee.” When Tohfah heard his words, they were grievous to her and she wept with sore weeping; whereupon quoth the Head to her, “The relief of Allah the Most High is nearhand; but now let me hear somewhat of thy speech.” So she took the lute and sang three songs, weeping the while. The Head exclaimed, “By Allah, thou hast been bountiful to me, the Lord be with thee!” Then it disappeared and the season of sundown came: so she rose and betook herself to her place in the hall; whereupon behold, the candles sprang up from under the earth and kindled themselves. Then the kings of the Jann appeared and saluted her and kissed her hands and she greeted them with the salam. Presently appeared Kamariyah and her three sisters and saluted Tohfah and sat down; whereupon the tables were brought and they ate; and when the tables were removed there came the wine-tray and the drinking-service. So Tohfah took the lute and one of the three queens filled the cup and signed to the Songstress. Now she had in her hand a violet, so Tohfah improvised these couplets:—

 

“I’m clad in a leaf-cloak of green; * In an honour-robe ultramarine:

I’m a wee thing of loveliest mien * But all flowers as my vassals are seen:

An Rose title her ‘Morn-pride,’ I ween * Nor before me nor after she’s Queen.”

 

The queen drank off her cup and bestowed on Tohfah a dress of cloth-of-pearl, fringed with red rubies, worth twenty thousand ducats, and a tray whereon were ten thousand sequins. All this while Maymun’s eye was upon her and presently he said to her, “Harkye, Tohfah! Sing to me.” But Queen Zalzalah cried out at him, and said “Desist,[FN#208] O Maymun. Thou sufferest not Tohfah to pay heed to us.” Quoth he, “I will have her sing to me:” and many words passed between them and Queen Zalzalah cried aloud at him. Then she shook and became like unto the Jinns and taking in her hand a mace of stone, said to him, “Fie upon thee!

What art thou that thou shouldst bespeak us thus? By Allah, but for the respect due to kings and my fear of troubling the session and the festival and the mind of the Shaykh Iblis, I would assuredly beat the folly out of thy head!” When Maymun heard these her words, he rose, with the fire shooting from his eyes, and said, “O daughter of Iml�k, what art thou that thou shouldst outrage me with the like of this talk?” Replied she, “Woe to thee, O dog of the Jinn, knowest thou not thy place?” So saying, she ran at him, and offered to strike him with the mace, but the Shaykh Iblis arose and casting his turband on the ground cried, “Out on thee, O Maymun! Thou dost always with us on this wise.

Wheresoever thou art present, thou troublest our pleasure! Canst thou not hold thy peace until thou go forth of the festival and this bride-feast be accomplished? When the circumcision is at an end and ye all return to your dwellings, then do as thou willest.

Fie upon thee, O Maymun! Wottest thou not that Imlak is of the chiefs of the Jinn? But for my goodname, thou shouldst have seen what would have betided thee of humiliation and chastisement; yet on account of the festival none may speak. Indeed thou exceedest; dost thou not ken that her sister Wakhimah is doughtier[FN#209]

than any of the Jann? Learn to know thyself: hast thou no regard for thy life?” So Maymun was silent and Iblis turned to Tohfah and said to her, “Sing to the kings of the Jinns this day and to-night until the morrow, when the boy will be circumcised and each shall return to his own place.” Accordingly she took the lute and Kamariyah said to her (now she had a citron in hand), “O my sister, sing to me somewhat on this citron.” Tohfah replied, “To hear is to obey,” and improvising, sang these couplets, “I’m a dome of fine gold and right cunningly dight; And my sweetness of youth gladdeth every sight: My wine is ever the drink of kings And I’m fittest gift to the friendliest sprite.

 

At this Queen Kamariyah rejoiced with joy exceeding and drained her cup, crying, “Brava! O thou choice Gift of hearts!”

Furthermore, she took off a sleeved robe of blue brocade, fringed with red rubies, and a necklace of white jewels worth an hundred thousand ducats, and gave them to Tohfah. Then she passed the cup to her sister Zalzalah, who hent in her hand herb basil, and she said to Tohfah, “Sing to me somewhat on this basil.” She replied, “Hearing and obeying,” and improvised and sang these couplets, “I’m the Queen of herbs in the s�ance of wine * And in Heaven Na’�m are my name and sign:

And the best are promised, in garth of Khuld, * Repose, sweet scents and the peace divine:[FN#210]

What prizes then with my price shall vie? * What rank even mine, in all mortals’ eyne?”

 

Thereat Queen Zalzalah rejoiced with joy exceeding and bidding her treasuress bring a basket, wherein were fifty pairs of bracelets and the same number of earrings, all of gold, crusted with jewels of price, whose like nor mankind nor Jinn-kind possessed, and an hundred robes of vari-coloured brocades and an hundred thousand ducats, gave the whole to Tohfah. Then she passed the cup to her sister Shararah, who had in her hand a stalk of narcissus; so she took it from her and turning to the Songstress, said to her, “O Tohfah, sing to me somewhat on this.”

She replied, “Hearkening and obedience,” and improvised these couplets,

 

“With the smaragd wand doth my form compare; * ‘Mid the finest flowers my worth’s rarest rare: My eyes are likened to Beauty’s eyne, * And my gaze is still on the bright part�rre.”

 

When she had made an end of her song, Shararah was moved to delight exceeding, and drinking off her cup, said to her, “Brava, O thou choice Gift of hearts!” Then she ordered her an hundred dresses of brocade and an hundred thousand ducats and passed the cup to Queen Wakhimah. Now she had in her hand somewhat of Nu’uman’s bloom, the anemone; so she took the cup from her sister and turning to the Songstress, said to her, “O Tohfah, sing to me on this.” Quoth she, “I hear and I obey,” and improvised these couplets,

 

“I’m a dye was dyed by the Ruthful’s might; * And all confess me the goodliest sight:

I began in the dust and the clay, but now * On the cheeks of fair women I rank by right.”

 

Therewith Wakhimah rejoiced with joy exceeding and drinking off the cup, ordered her twenty dresses of Roum� brocade and a tray, wherein were thirty thousand ducats. Then she gave the cup to Queen Shu’�‘ah,[FN#211] Regent of the Fourth Sea, who took it and said, “O my lady Tohfah, sing to me on the gillyflower.” She replied, “Hearing and obeying,” and improvised these couplets, “The time of my presence ne’er draws to a close, * Amid all whose joyance with mirth o’erflows;

When topers gather to sit at wine * Or in nightly shade or when morning shows,

I filch from the flagon to fill the bowls * And the crystal cup where the wine-beam glows.”

 

Queen Shu’a’ah rejoiced with joy exceeding and emptying her cup, gave Tohfah an hundred thousand ducats. Then up sprang Iblis (whom Allah curse!) and cried, “Verily, the dawn lighteneth;”