Four thousand display horses strutted past next, bobbing their heads, caparisoned in gold cloth, wearing chains and sporting double aigrettes on their heads. Each horse was covered with steel armor and rump-guards. Their grooms walked beside them moving fly-whisks. Several thousand water-carriers wearing waistcloths of coarse red cotton and dressed in uniforms of gold brocade walked past behind them, sprinkling rosewater, keora-water,40 and essence of orange blossoms to settle the dust. The weeders accompanied them, cleaning the ground and picking up the stones and pebbles.
Then followed a group of children, whose cheeks had the radiance of flame, and whose foreheads were bright as the moon. Bearing gold and silver chaffing dishes over which they sprinkled powdered aloewood41 by the fistful, they made the wilderness the envy of the beauties of Tartary and the perfumer’s perfumery. They passed by with great elegance, showing their razzle-dazzle, clad in colorful costumes and wearing jewel-encrusted bracelets. The macebearers walked behind them, carrying their gold and silver vermiculated staffs and making proclamations before the prince’s conveyance.
Riding under a lion-headed standard, Prince Asad the mighty, rank-destroying, Valiant Lord of the Battlefield, finally appeared in the din of a thousand kettledrums adorned with enchanted armor and a turquoise coat of mail. Gold and silver pieces were showered over his head by the onlookers as sacrifice to ward off the evil eye from him. Forty thousand intrepid troopers brought up the rear of this magnificent retinue clad in body armor fitted with cuirasses, with swords stuck in their sword belts and heavy maces resting on their shoulders. Drunk on the wine of courage, they rode in twos, holding the reins high, with the short spears balanced between the horse’s ears.
Catching sight of Amir Hamza, Prince Asad saluted him, dismounted and presented himself before his grandfather. Amir Hamza embraced him. As he prayed for his grandson’s triumph and victory, Amir Hamza found himself overwhelmed by emotion. Prince Asad said to him, “Grandfather, I leave you in the care and protection of God Almighty.” All the commanders in Amir Hamza’s entourage warmly embraced the young prince. Before leaving, he asked his grandfather,
“O my venerable lord and master,
What are your injunctions for the journey?”
Amir Hamza answered,
“May you have an auspicious trek
And return in safety from your travels.
“May the Almighty God soon restore you to us. May you triumph over your foe in the tilism. Go forth now. I invoke the protection of the Almighty and Insuperable Lord of Both Worlds.”
Prince Asad kissed Amir Hamza’s feet. He mounted his steed and the army marched forth with great pomp and show and the ease and facility of a spring gale. As Amir Hamza turned back, his commanders wiped tears from the corners of their eyes. The women’s quarters already rang with cries. The prince’s attendants loaded and carted away tents, pavilions, luggage, furniture of the court, and the apparatus of hunt and chase. The musicians packed their lutes and rebecks.
Amir Hamza had not yet reached his pavilion when he heard the jingling of bells. As he looked up he saw the Prince of Tricksters, the worthy Amar Ayyar coming forward, wearing his commander’s cap, in the company of his four trickster disciples. Dressed in tricksters’ livery, short-coats of gold brocade and broadcloth shoes, they cut smart and alert figures. With snare ropes tied around their heads, slings wrapped around their arms, and a sack of sling stones hanging from their necks, the tricksters prostrated themselves and kissed Amir Hamza’s feet. As he embraced them, they shed copious tears at the prospect of separation from him.
Amar Ayyar said, “O renowned lord and just appreciator, do not forget this childhood companion of yours. Remember me in your prayers in consideration of my long service to you. The outcome of this campaign is unknown. We are headed to encounter the Emperor of Hoshruba, Afrasiyab. As I head for the tilism and put my life in the hands of destiny, I appoint my son Chalak as the head of the tricksters. You may assign him any service that you would have assigned me. I hope he will not fail you.”
Amir Hamza consented and gave the news to Chalak and other tricksters who had come to see Amar Ayyar off on his campaign. All of them sincerely and readily accepted the arrangement and Chalak was deputed as their commander. Then Amar Ayyar, too, left with Prince Asad’s army.
After travelling some distance, Amar said to his four disciples, “My brothers, we must all act on our individual impulses and follow our own counsel. We must separately cross the distance and enter the tilism from different points. This has the advantage that if one of us runs into the hazardous or is captured, the others can help and rescue him. If we were to travel together, we might all be captured together and left helpless.”
The tricksters separated at Amar’s orders. Qiran the Ethiope took one direction, Burq the Frank another, Zargham headed along one path and Jansoz took a different one. Amar Ayyar did not follow the route taken by the prince’s procession but proceeded forward, leaping and bounding on a separate track.
OF PRINCE ASAD ENTERING THE TILISM AND ARRIVING IN THE CITY OF DISREGARD
The prince of auspicious fortune crossed the borders of Mount Agate with his grand equipage and retinue and arrived at the mountain between the fortress kingdom of Mount Agate and Hoshruba. He saw the high mountain rise for leagues into the skies and disappear into the heavens. Neither the lasso of imagination could snare its summit, nor the bird of thought fly above its peak.
The noble prince stopped by the mountain and his truth-discerning eyes regarded that wonder of God’s creation. From the top of the mountain to its foot, koriyala 42 flowers grew in abundance. Their black petals were the envy of black tulips, and their white spots the dreams in the eyes of stars. The scene recalled to his mind a bouquet of spring blossoms. Waterfalls cascaded down the mountain. The cock pheasants laughed and the pining nightingale trilled its notes.
Atop the mountain stood the magic gong used by Suleiman Amber-Hair and Afrasiyab for communication. Beside it sat a hundred-year-old man.
As Prince Asad was about to enter the mountain pass, the old man cried out, “O youth, desist from your disastrous ambition. Do not step into a dragon’s mouth with open eyes. The tilism lies beyond this mountain. It is a land full of perils. Those who enter never leave. They find no exit but the door of doom. Take pity on your young years. Turn back or you will part with your sweet life!”
The prince retorted, “Hear O foolish dotard that braves don’t fear death. They do not retreat once they have stepped forward with courage. I am Prince Asad, Conqueror of the Tilisms of this planet of marvels, and the grandson of Amir Hamza. I have wagered my life on this campaign. Your words of warning will not make me turn back.”
When the old man heard the name of the noble prince, he called out, “If it is your intention and resolve to destroy the tilism, go forward in the name of Allah! Who will dare stop you! Sally forth and fulfil your purpose!”
The prince rode on. As he entered the mountain pass with his army, magic birds rose, flying from the mountain, and the gong sounded. The birds took news to Afrasiyab that the Conqueror of the Tilism, Prince Asad, had entered Hoshruba with a large army.
Afrasiyab immediately dispatched messages to the border guards to arrest Prince Asad on sight. Every sorcerer learned of Prince Asad’s entry into the tilism and resolved to stop him and take him prisoner.
After Prince Asad came out of the mountain pass, he arrived in a lush field of captivating air where green pastures stretched for miles on end, redolent with the perfume of wild flowers. The dense and lush bushes were the envy of the locks of mistresses. A river ran through the pasture. The undulation of the waves smote the heart as it recalled to mind the gait of beloveds. The greenery was like the Virgin of the Ethereal Sphere.43
Accompanied by his virtuous companions, the prince of lofty attributes went onward admiring the landscape. They came upon a garden and Prince Asad’s companions said to him, “Your Honor should enter this garden and admire its flowers and fr
agrant herbs.” Asad headed toward it and saw that the entrance of the garden was carved out of porphyry, black stone and minerals and shone like a mirror. The portals of the entrance hung open like the longing arms of a lover. The garden had neither guard nor warden; spring was its only keeper. The prince and his entourage entered and beheld all manner of flowers in bloom, lakes criss-crossing its expanse, and burbling fountains. They saw bejewelled columns, balustrades made of inlaid gold and sacks of gold tissue covering the clusters of fruit that hung from grapevines. Trees swayed in the breeze like creatures overtaken by frenzy. The fruits exchanged kisses as they brushed together. The branches of the trees were neatly balanced and trimmed into wondrous shapes. Crystal walkways surrounded the lake, and next to them, dazzling grassy patches put the brightness of emeralds to shame. The melodious gurgling of fountains in the lakes would have made even a nightingale’s heart cry with envy. The clarity of the water was enticing. The garden was a paradise where every flower and bud lived contented and fulfilled by the bounty of the gentle breeze laden with the fragrance of ambergris.
And yet the prince and his companions found the garden completely deserted. Neither man nor beast could be seen there. From the center of the garden rose a canopied platform a hundred yards long, surrounded on all sides by tulip gardens. The prince settled down on the platform while his army bivouacked around him.
Hardly a few moments had passed when a loud cackle was heard. The tulips in the flowerbeds suddenly blossomed and dragon heads darted out from each flower. Before anyone could take stock of the marvel, the dragons spewed fire and inhaled. The entire camp of Prince Asad, along with the men, tents and equipage went flying into the dragons’ mouths. Prince Asad alone remained on the platform. As he stepped down and rushed after his companions, he heard a thunderous crack behind him. He turned and saw his horse grow wings and fly away.
As the prince stood confounded by these marvels, the garden and the tulip beds returned to their original form.
Prince Asad shed tears in the memory of his companions and cried out, “O fickle heavens! O capricious universe! You could not bear to see me in the company of friends! You marked me to endure the hardships of this wilderness alone!” He grabbed his sword’s hilt in anger many times, and rose to smite someone to vent his rage. But there was no one there.
The sight of that garden now appeared to him like that of a thorn. There was not a single friendly face to be seen. Feeling powerless, he sat down on that platform and thought, O Asad, this is a tilism. Many such adventures and trials lie before you still. The sorcerers of the tilism will test you in many encounters. One must not become flustered at the very first ordeal. Go forward with courage and seek the way to your destination by yourself.
The prince looked around the garden and found another gate from which he exited and headed onwards. He walked for three days and three nights but saw not a single place to rest or lodge. Even the flowers growing in that tilism’s wilderness presented him with unkindly faces. His feet broke into blisters and his tongue into lamentations. The prince carried on his way reciting this couplet:
“Help O Khizr, this wilderness is a calamity
I find it impossible to ford this catastrophe”
Finally, on the third day, Prince Asad saw the precincts of a city and with great difficulty arrived there. The glowing city walls were made of crystal and adorned with intricate patterns and portraits of kings and sovereigns. The artistic depiction of hunting grounds, forests, mountains and rivers seemed all but real.
The gate of the city stood open and the portal swayed on its hinges like a rutting elephant. Thousands of fearsome sorcerers stood wielding steel magic balls. Their foreheads were marked with tilaks44 and their bodies were adorned with skulls carved of sandalwood. They had changed form by magic into animals with human heads, and humans with elephant, dragon and lion heads. They busied themselves making oblations of lard in the crackling bonfires to prepare spells. The citadel stood close to the city gate. It had thousands of towers guarded by brazen-bodied and elephant-bodied sorcerers. Bells and gongs rang loudly and salutations to sorcerer gods Sameri and Jamshed were chanted.
Nobody stopped Prince Asad as he entered the gate witnessing these marvels. He found the city bustling with life. The alleys and quarters shone like the hearts of lovers. The spotless shops and markets sparkled. The nobility and the laity both occupied themselves in commerce. People milled about and money and goods exchanged hands. Every shop in the market was decorated and well organized. The goldsmiths were established in one quarter with cowries, coins, dirhams and dinars45 lying in piles on cloth sheets spread before them. The drapers and mercers had their own area where they sat displaying open rolls of silk and satin. The sweetmeat vendors sold all kinds of choice and delicious sweets on salvers of gold and silver. Bakers, greengrocers, butchers and peddlers each had a section marked for them where they were congregated. The florists’ shops presented a picture of spring, and the coquettish wine-sellers and elegant courtesans delighted the onlookers with their flirtations and airs.
Young women wore gold brocade skirts wrapped in the manner of waistcloths, some were clad in saris of which they used one half as mantles, yet others were covered in mantles decorated with gold-brocade borders which dazzled brighter than the sun. They sported tight and true fitting tops adorned with gold-lace which framed the knobs of their breasts, wore jewel-encrusted bracelets, three-tiered anklets, and showed their coquettish ways that enchanted the hearts of lovers. As greengrocers they weighed out the fruits in scales made of vermiculated gold and silver, and refreshed the eyes of those of an amorous bent with the pomegranates of their breasts and the apples of their chins.
The prince walked around the city seeing these sights. Because he was hungry he stopped at a sweetmeat vendor and gave him a fistful of gold pieces for a salver of sweets. The vendor threw back the gold pieces he was given by Asad, saying, “Save your gold, O stranger! I do not accept it.” Asad took it back and asked, “What fault do you find with it?” He replied, “I have heaps and heaps of these gold pieces. Children play with them like pebbles.”
The vendor addressed one of his employees, who brought out a mass of gold and jewels in the skirts of his robe to show Asad.
When Asad inquired who exercised writ over the land, the vendor answered, “Emperor Afrasiyab.” Asad next asked the name of the city and money used for trade. The vendor replied, “This is the City of Disregard. We use paper money for trade.”
He took out a rupee from his money box to show Asad, and said, “This is our currency.” The piece of paper was impressed with the portrait of a king on one side and florid patterns on the other.
The sweetmeat vendor said to him, “If you pay me in this money you may have what you like. If not, you can try your luck elsewhere.”
Asad walked away and stopped at another shop where he tried to buy some food but received the same answer. Asad became angry and said to himself, After all, this place is called the City of Disregard. I, too, should plunder the whole marketplace and revolt against them.
Asad grabbed a salver of sweets from a vendor who raised cries of “Thief! Thief!” People quickly gathered from all corners. When they approached, Asad caught them by their necks and bashed their heads together, dispatching a few men to hell. A hue and cry arose and the magistrate rushed to the scene. Asad drew his sword and wounded a few men. Then he took a sweetmeat vendor’s bench, placed it in the middle of the thoroughfare and, placing the salver of sweets in his lap, sat down to eat. He soundly thrashed anyone who dared approach.
EMPRESS HEYRAT
The shopkeepers went as a body to complain before the ruler of the city, sorceress Empress Heyrat.
Emperor Afrasiyab had populated the City of Disregard in the region of Zahir for his empress so that she could have access to all amenities and services when she visited Zahir. A three-tiered, domed tower called the Dome of Light stood in the region of Zahir and gave one a view of the tilism. The first tier
was inhabited by twelve thousand sorcerers. Several thousand bells and gongs were installed in the second tier. If struck by the gong-ringers the denizens of the tilism fell unconscious. The third tier was reserved for Empress Heyrat, who was at that moment seated there viewing the sights of the tilism. A dance recital was underway at the Dome of Light and seventeen hundred slave girls adorned with jewels stood humbly before her.
Suddenly, cries of “Help! Redress!” broke out in the assembly. Heyrat asked her sorceress-aide, Zamarrud, to inquire who had been wronged and to bring her the details of the matter. Zamarrud spoke to the plaintiffs and led them under the Dome of Light for an audience with the empress. At the inquiring of the empress, the citizens complained of Asad’s high handedness. Empress Heyrat dispatched her female attendant, Gulshan, to arrest the thief so that he could be suitably chastised.
Gulshan left with the plaintiffs and upon reaching the bazaar beheld a comely youth sitting on a bench in the middle of the thoroughfare. His beauty was the envy of the Moon of Canaan.46 He wielded a sword in one hand and ate sweets with the other. The whole marketplace dazzled with the resplendence of his luminous beauty. From its light every nook and corner of the place had become the envy of the Valley of Ayman.47 No one had ever seen or heard of such beauty.
The moment Gulshan set eyes on Prince Asad she fell head-over-heels in love with him. She called out, “Who are you, O stranger, who inflicts tyranny on the subjects of our empress and steals from them to feed yourself?” Prince Asad looked up and saw a sorceress dressed in a sari coming toward him. She carried a sorcerer’s sack around her neck and her forehead was marked with a cinnabar tilak. The prince thought, It is certain that she would take me captive by using a magic spell. Then all my show and might will come to nought. It would be best to use deception to chastise this strumpet.
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