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

I answered, �Yes,’ and she rejoined, �Allah spare thy blood given thou speak truth! An thou be a robber, thou art lost, more by token that thou art dressed in the Caliph’s habit and incensed with his scents. But, an thou be indeed Abu alHasan, thou art safe and no hurt shall happen to thee, for that thou art the friend of Shajarat al-Durr, who is my sister and ceaseth never to name thee and tell us how she took of thee money, yet wast thou not chagrined, and how thou didst follow her to the river bank and madest sign as thou wouldst kiss the earth in her honour; and her heart is yet more aflame for thee than is thine for her. But how camest thou hither? Was it by her order or without it? She hath indeed imperilled thy life[FN#361]. But what seekest thou in this assignation with her?’ I replied, �By Allah, O my lady, ‘tis I who have imperilled my own life, and my aim in foregathering with her is but to look on her and hear her pretty speech.’ She said, �Thou hast spoken well;’ and I added, �O my lady, Allah is my witness when I declare that my soul prompteth me to no offence against her honour.’ Cried she, �In this intent may Allah deliver thee!

Indeed compassion for thee hath gotten hold upon my heart.’ Then she called her handmaid and said to her, �Go to Shajarat al-Durr and say to her, �Thy sister saluteth thee and biddeth thee to her; so favour her by coming to her this night, according to thy custom, for her breast is straitened.’ The slavegirl went out and presently returning, told her mistress that Shajarat al-Durr said, �May Allah bless me with thy long life and make me thy ransom! By Allah, hadst thou bidden me to other than this, I had not hesitated; but the Caliph’s migraine constraineth me and thou knowest my rank with him.’ But the other said to her damsel, �Return to her and say, �Needs must thou come to my mistress upon a private matter between thee and her!’ So the girl went out again and presently returned with the damsel, whose face shone like the full moon. Her sister met her and embraced her; then said she, �Ho, Abu alHasan, come forth to her and kiss her hands!’ Now I was in a closet within the apartment; so I walked out, O Commander of the Faithful, and when my mistress saw me, she threw herself upon me and strained me to her bosom saying, �How camest thou in the Caliph’s clothes and his ornaments and perfumes? Tell me what hath befallen thee.’ So I related to her all that had befallen me and what I had suffered for affright and so forth; and she said, �Grievous to me is what thou hast endured for my sake and praised be Allah who hath caused the issue to be safety, and the fulfilment of safety is in thy entering my lodging and that of my sister.’ Then she carried me to her own apartment, saying to her sister, �I have covenanted with him that I will not be united to him unlawfully; but, as he hath risked himself and incurred these perils, I will be earth for his treading and dust to his sandals!’”—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

 

When it was the Nine Hundred and Sixty-third Night, She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that quoth the damsel to her sister, “I have covenanted with him that I will not be united to him unlawfully; but, as he hath risked himself and incurred these perils, I will be earth for his treading and dust to his sandals!” Replied her sister, “In this intent may Allah deliver him!”—“and my mistress rejoined, �Soon shalt thou see how I will do, so I may lawfully foregather with him and there is no help but that I lavish my heart’s blood to devise this.’ Now as we were in talk, behold, we heard a great noise and turning, saw the Caliph making for her chamber, so engrossed was he by the thought of her; whereupon she took me, O Prince of True Believers and hid me in a souterrain[FN#362] and shut down the trap-door upon me. Then she went out to meet the Caliph, who entered and sat down, whilst she stood between his hands to serve him, and commanded to bring wine. Now the Caliph loved a damsel by name Banjah, who was the mother of Al-Mu’tazz bi ‘llah[FN#363]; but they had fallen out and parted; and in the pride of her beauty and loveliness she would not make peace with him, nor would Al-Mutawakkil, for the dignity of the Caliphate and the kingship, make peace with her neither humble himself to her, albeit his heart was aflame with passion for her, but sought to solace his mind from her with her mates among the slavegirls and with going in to them in their chambers. Now he loved Shajarat al-Durr’s singing: so he bade her sing, when she took the lute and tuning the strings sang these verses,

 

�The world-tricks I admire betwixt me and her; * How, us parted, the World would to me incline:

I shunned thee till said they, �He knows not Love;’ * I sought thee till said they, �No patience is mine!’

Then, O Love of her, add to my longing each night, * And, O

Solace, thy comforts for Doomsday assign!

Soft as silk is her touch and her low sweet voice * Twixt o’er much and o’er little aye draweth the line: And eyne whereof Allah said �Be ye!’ and they * Became to man’s wit like the working of wine.’

 

When the Caliph heard these verses, he was pleasured with exceeding pleasure, and I also, O Commander of the Faithful, was pleasured in my hiding-place, and but for the bounty of Almighty Allah, I had cried out and we had been disgraced. Then she sang also these couplets,

 

�I embrace him, yet after him yearns my soul * For his love, but can aught than embrace be nigher?

I kiss his lips to assuage my lowe; * But each kiss gars it glow with more flaming fire;

�Tis as though my vitals aye thirst unquencht * Till I see two souls mixt in one entire.’

 

The Caliph was delighted and said, �O Shajarat al-Durr, ask a boon of me.’ She replied, �O Commander of the Faithful, I ask of thee my freedom, for the sake of the reward thou wilt obtain therein.’[FN#364] Quoth he, �Thou art free for the love of Allah;’ whereupon she kissed ground before him. He resumed, �Take the lute and sing me somewhat on the subject of my slavegirl, of whom I am enamoured with warmest love: the folk seek my pleasure and I seek hers.’ So she took the lute and sang these two couplets,

 

�My charmer who spellest my piety[FN#365] * On all accounts I’ll have thee, have thee,

Or by humble suit which besitteth Love * Or by force more fitting my sovranty.’

 

The Caliph admired these verses and said, �Now, take up thy lute and sing me a song setting out my case with three damsels who hold the reins of my heart and make rest depart; and they are thyself and that wilful one and another I will not name, who hath not her like.’[FN#366] So she took the lute and playing a lively measure, sang these couplets,

 

�Three lovely girls hold my bridle-rein * And in highest stead my heart overreign.

I have none to obey amid all mankind * But obeying them I but win disdain:

This is done through the Kingship of Love, whereby * The best of my kingship they made their gain.’

 

The Caliph marvelled with exceeding marvel at the aptness of these verses to his case and his delight inclined him to reconciliation with the recalcitrant damsel. So he went forth and made for her chamber whither a slavegirl preceded him and announced to her the coming of the Caliph. She advanced to meet him and kissed the ground before him; then she kissed his feet and he was reconciled to her and she was reconciled to him. Such was the case with the Caliph; but as regards Shajarat al-Durr, she came to me rejoicing and said, �I am become a free woman by thy blessed coming! Surely Allah will help me in that which I shall contrive, so I may foregather with thee in lawful way.’ And I said, �Alhamdolillah!’ Now as we were talking, behold her Mameluke-eunuch entered and we related to him that which had passed, when he said, �Praised be Allah who hath made the affair to end well, and we implore the Almighty to crown His favours with thy safe faring forth the palace!’ Presently appeared my mistress’s sister, whose name was F�tir, and Shajarat al-Durr said to her, �O my sister, how shall we do to bring him out of the palace in safety; for indeed Allah hath vouchsafed me manumission and, by the blessing of his coming, I am become a free woman.’ Quoth Fatir, �I see nothing for it but to dress him in woman’s gear.’ So she brought me a suit of women’s clothes and clad me therein; and I went out forthwith, O Commander of the Faithful; but, when I came to the midst of the palace, behold, I found the Caliph seated there, with the eunuchs in attendance upon him. When he saw me, he misdoubted of me with exceeding doubt, and said to his suite, �Hasten and bring me yonder handmaiden who is faring forth.’ So they brought me back to him and raised the veil from my face, which when he saw, he knew me and questioned me of my case. I told him the whole truth, hiding naught, and when he heard my story, he pondered my case awhile, without stay or delay, and going into Shajarat al-Durr’s chamber, said to her, �How couldst thou prefer before me one of the sons of the merchants?’ She kissed ground between his hands and told him her tale from first to last, in accordance with the truth; and he hearing it had compassion upon her and his heart relented to her and he excused her by reason of love and its circumstances. Then he went away and her eunuch came in to her and said, �Be of good cheer; for, when thy lover was set before the Caliph, he questioned him and he told him that which thou toldest him, word by word.’ Presently the Caliph returned and calling me before him, said to me, �What made thee dare to violate the palace of the Caliphate?’ I replied, �O Commander of the Faithful, ‘twas my ignorance and passion and my confidence in thy clemency and generosity that drave me to this.’ And I wept and kissed the ground before him. Then said he, �I pardon you both,’ and bade me be seated. So I sat down and he sent for the Kazi Ahmad ibn Abi Duw�d[FN#367] and married me to her. Then he commanded to make over all that was hers to me and they displayed her to me[FN#368] in her lodging. After three days, I went forth and transported all her goods and gear to my own house; so every thing thou hast seen, O Commander of the Faithful, in my house and whereof thou misdoubtest, is of her marriage-equipage. After this, she said to me one day, �Know that Al-Mutawakkil is a generous man and I fear lest he remember us with ill mind, or that some one of the envious remind him of us; wherefore I purpose to do somewhat that may ensure us against this.’ Quoth