The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, vol 9 by Sir Richard Francis Burton (best authors to read .TXT) 📖

said to himself, “By Allah, all my travail is lost! But needs must I wait to see how the case will be.” Then the damsels brought meat and drink and they ate and drank and washed their hands, after which they set her a royal chair and she sat down; and all played on instruments of music and with ravishing voices incomparably sang. Presently, out ran an old woman, a duenna, and clapped hands and danced, whilst the girls pulled her about, till the curtain was lifted and forth came Jamilah laughing. Ibrahim gazed at her and saw that she was clad in costly robes and ornaments, and on her head was a crown set with pearls and gems. About her long fair neck she wore a necklace of unions and her waist was clasped with a girdle of chrysolite bugles, with tassels of rubies and pearls.

The damsels kissed ground before her, and, ‘When I considered her” (quoth Ibrahim), “I took leave of my senses and wit and I was dazed and my thought was confounded for amazement at the sight of loveliness whose like is not on the face of the earth.

So I fell into a swoon and coming to myself, weeping eyed, recited these two couplets,

 

‘I see thee and close not mine eyes for fear * Lest their lids prevent me beholding thee:

An I gazed with mine every glance these eyne * Ne’er could sight all the loveliness moulding thee.’”

 

Then said the old Kahramanah[FN#323] to the girls, “Let ten of you arise and dance and sing.” And Ibrahim when looking at them said in himself, “I wish the lady Jamilah would dance.” When the handmaidens had made an end of their pavane, they gathered round the Princess and said to her, “O my lady, we long for thee to dance amongst us, so the measure of our joy may be fulfilled, for never saw we a more delicious day than this.” Quoth Ibrahim to himself, “Doubtless the gates of Heaven are open[FN#324] and Allah hath granted my prayer.” Then the damsels bussed her feet and said to her, “By Allah, we never saw thee broadened of breast as to day!” Nor did they cease exciting her, till she doffed her outer dress and stood in a shift of cloth of gold,[FN#325]

broidered with various jewels, showing breasts which stood out like pomegranates and unveiling a face as it were the moon on the night of fullness. Then she began to dance, and Ibrahim beheld motions he had never in his life seen their like, for she showed such wondrous skill and marvellous invention, that she made men forget the dancing of bubbles in wine-cups and called to mind the inclining of the turbands from head[FN#326]-tops: even as saith of her the poet[FN#327],

 

“A dancer whose form is like branch of Ban! * Flies my soul well nigh as his steps I greet:

While he dances no foot stands still and meseems * That the fire of my heart is beneath his feet.”

 

And as quoth another,[FN#328]

 

“A dancer whose figure is like a willow-branch: my soul almost quitteth me at the sight of her movements.

No foot can remain stationary at her dancing, she is as though the fire of my heart were beneath her feet.”

 

Quoth Ibrahim, “As I gazed upon her, she chanced to look up and caught sight of me whereupon her face changed and she said to her women, ‘Sing ye till I come back to you.’ Then, taking up a knife half a cubit long, she made towards me, crying, ‘There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious the Great!’ Now when I saw this, I well-nigh lost my wits but, whenas she drew near me and face met face, the knife dropped from her hand, and she exclaimed, ‘Glory to Him who changeth men’s hearts!’ Then said she to me, ‘O youth, be of good cheer, for thou art safe from what thou dost fear!’ Whereupon I fell to weeping, and she to wiping away my tears with her hand and saying, ‘O youth, tell me who thou art, and what brought thee hither’ I kissed the ground before her and seized her skirt; and she said, No harm shall come to thee; for, by Allah, no male hath ever filled mine eyes[FN#329] but thyself! Tell me, then, who thou art.’ So I recited to her my story from first to last, whereat she marvelled and said to me, ‘O my lord, I conjure thee by Allah, tell me if thou be Ibrahim bin al-Khasib?’ I replied, ‘Yes!’ and she threw herself upon me, saying, ‘O my lord, ‘twas thou madest me averse from men; for, when I heard that there was in the land of Egypt a youth than whom there was none more beautiful on earth’s face, I fell in love with thee by report, and my heart became enamoured of thee, for that which reached me of thy passing comeliness, so that I was, in respect of thee, even as saith the poet,

 

‘Mine ear forewent mine eye in loving him; * For ear shall love before the eye at times.’

 

‘So praised be Allah who hath shown thy face! But, by the almighty, had it been other than thou, I had crucified the keeper of the garden and the porter of the Khan and the tailor and him who had recourse to them!’ And presently she added, ‘But how shall I contrive for somewhat thou mayst eat, without the knowledge of my women?’ Quoth I, ‘With me is somewhat we may eat and drink;’ and I opened the bag before her. She took a fowl and began to morsel me and I to morsel her; which when I saw, it seemed to me that this was a dream. Then I brought out wine and we drank, what while the damsels sang on; nor did they leave to do thus from morn to noon, when she rose and said, ‘Go now and get thee a boat and await me in such a place, till I come to thee: for I have no patience left to brook severance.’ I replied, ‘O my lady, I have with me a ship of my own, whose crew are in my hire, and they await me.’ Rejoined she, ‘This is as we would have it,’ and returning to her women,”—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

 

When it was the Nine Hundred and Fifty-eighth Night, She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Lady Jamilah returned to her women, she said to them, “Come, let us go back to our palace.” They replied, “Why should we return now, seeing that we use to abide here three days?” Quoth she, “I feel an exceeding oppression in myself, as though I were sick, and I fear lest this increase upon me.”[FN#330] So they answered, “We hear and obey,” and donning their walking dresses went down to the river-bank and embarked in a boat; whereupon behold, the keeper of the garden came up to Ibrahim and said to him, knowing not what had happened, “O Ibrahim, thou hast not had the luck to enjoy the sight of her, and I fear lest she have seen thee, for ‘tis her wont to tarry here three days.” Replied Ibrahim, “She saw me not nor I her; for she came not forth of the pavilion.”[FN#331] Rejoined the keeper, “True, O my son, for, had she seen thee, we were both dead men: but abide with me till she come again next week, and thou shalt see her and take thy fill of looking at her.” Replied the Prince, “O my lord, I have with me money and fear for it: I also left men behind me and I dread lest they take advantage of my absence.”[FN#332] He retorted, “O my son ‘tis grievous to me to part with thee;” and he embraced and farewelled him. Then Ibrahim returned to the Khan where he lodged, and foregathering with the doorkeeper, took of him all his property and the porter said, “Good news, Inshallah!”[FN#333]

But Ibrahim said, “I have found no way to my want, and now I am minded to return to my people.” Whereupon the porter wept; then taking up his baggage, he carried them to the ship and abade him adieu. Ibrahim repaired to the place which Jamilah had appointed him and awaited her there till it grew dark, when, behold, she came up, disguised as a bully-boy with rounded beard and waist bound with a girdle. In one hand she held a bow and arrows and in the other a bared blade, and she asked him, “Art thou Ibrahim, son of al-Khasib, lord of Egypt?” “He I am,” answered the Prince; and she said, “What ne’er-do-well art thou, who comes to debauch the daughters of Kings? Come: speak with the Sultan.”[FN#334]

“Therewith” (quoth Ibrahim) “I fell down in a swoon and the sailors died[FN#335] in their skins for fear; but, when she saw what had betided me, she pulled off her beard and throwing down her sword, ungirdled her waist whereupon I knew her for the Lady Jamilah and said to her, ‘By Allah, thou hast rent my heart in sunder!’[FN#336] adding to the boatmen, ‘Hasten the vessel’s speed.’ So they shook out the sail and putting off, fared on with all diligence; nor was it many days ere we made Baghdad, where suddenly we saw a ship lying by the river-bank. When her sailors saw us, they cried out to our crew, saying, ‘Ho, such an one and such an one, we give you joy of your safety!’ Then they drave their ship against our craft and I looked and in the other boat beheld Abu al-Kasim al-Sandalani who when he saw us exclaimed ‘This is what I sought: go ye in God’s keeping; as for me, I have a need to be satisfied!’ Then he turned to me and said, ‘Praised be Allah for safety! Hast thou accomplished shine errand? I replied, ‘Yes!’ Now Abu al-Kasim had a flambeau before him; so he brought it near our boat,[FN#337] and when Jamilah saw him, she was troubled and her colour changed: but, when he saw her, he said, ‘Fare ye in Allah’s safety. I am bound to Bassorah on business for the Sultan; but the gift is for him who is present.’[FN#338] Then he brought out a box of sweetmeats, wherein was Bhang and threw it into our boat: whereupon quoth I to Jamilah, ‘O coolth of mine eyes, eat of this.’ But she wept and said, ‘O Ibrahim, wottest thou who that is?’ and said I, ‘Yes, ‘tis such an one.’ Replied she, ‘He is my first cousin, son of my father’s brother[FN#339] who sought me aforetime in marriage of my sire; but I would not accept of him. And now he is gone to Bassorah and most like he will tell my father of us.’ I rejoined, ‘O my lady he will not reach Bassorah, till we are at Mosul.’ But we knew not what lurked for us in the Secret Purpose.

“Then” (continued Ibrahim) “I ate of the sweetmeat, but hardly had it reached my stomach when I smote the ground with my head; and lay there till near dawn, when I sneezed and the Bhang issued from my nostrils. With this, I opened my eyes and found myself naked and cast out among ruins; so I buffeted my face and said in myself, ‘Doubtless this is a trick al-Sandalani hath played me.’

But I knew not whither I should wend, for I had upon me naught save my bag-trousers.[FN#340] However, I rose and walked on a little, till I suddenly espied the Chief of Police coming towards me, with a posse of