He asked Amar, “Where do you work?” The false water-carrier replied, “These days I have no employment. I request you as a fellow water-carrier to find me work with your master.” He said, “Watercarriers are needed to sprinkle water around the camp. I will be able to find you work.” Amar asked, “Why do you eat at this late hour?” The water-carrier replied, “My brother, it’s because I find no time to eat between carrying and sprinkling water.” Amar commented, “Sometimes commanders have strange notions. What could be accomplished by sprinkling water around the camp?” The water-carrier told him everything about the two kinds of magic water and their properties.
After obtaining this information, Amar made some small talk then took out some sweetmeats from his pocket and offered them to the water-carrier, saying, “Have some.”
The water-carrier ate the sweets that were drug-laced and fell unconscious. Amar hid him in a corner of the tent and after disguising himself as the man and wearing his clothes, he went before Hoshiar and said, “Your Honor, all the water was used up. I now need some more for my waterskin.”
Hoshiar gave Amar the magic water to make people unconscious. Amar said, “Also, give me some of the other kind.” Hoshiar asked, “Didn’t you receive some earlier?” Amar answered, “It was my brother who received it. Now he is exhausted and I do his work.”
Hoshiar gave him some of the restorative magic water, which Amar rubbed on his body. He then poured some magic water into his hand. Hoshiar shouted, “What are you doing, O dolt? You must mix it in the waterskin.” Amar answered, “Regard what I do now! You will soon realize who is a dolt.”
Amar splashed the water from his hand into Hoshiar’s face. He fell down unconscious without a word and Amar speedily cut off his head. Hoshiar’s magic spirits screamed and a tumult ensued. Amar immediately took hold of Hoshiar’s water carafes. From all corners a chorus of voices shouted “Catch them! Slay them!” Amar released Zargham and Jansoz, who pulled out the needles stuck in the tongues of Princess Mahrukh and Bahar. Once released, they helped their companions become free while Amar looted the pavilion with the Net of Ilyas.
The noises made by Hoshiar’s magic spirits sent Hoshiar’s attendants running to his pavilion, along with Hoshiar’s mother, sorceress Mugheela. She charged into his pavilion, recited a spell, and hammered the ground with clenched fists, which made Amar sink up to his waist into the earth. As Mugheela rushed forward to carry Amar away, Qiran, who still stood at his post as Hoshiar’s attendant, called out, “Here!” As Mugheela turned to look, Qiran hit out with his cleaver. Mugheela’s brains flew all over the place and her skull was smashed into a thousand pieces. As she rolled in agony and died, the terrible noises of her magic spirits filled the air. Amar was released from the ground and resumed looting the pavilion. In the meanwhile, all the commanders of Queen Mahjabeen’s camp were set free and started fighting Hoshiar’s companions.
Prince Bahar now invoked her magic and created a veritable picture of spring. Gardens filled with flowers and aromatic herbs manifested themselves. The entranced enemy sorcerers waxed poetic in praise of spring.
Bahar ordered them to charge and put Heyrat’s camp to the sword. Hoshiar’s army immediately attacked Heyrat’s forces.
Unmindful and oblivious to the revolutions of the fickle heavens, Empress Heyrat was giving audience surrounded by her sorcerer ministers when Hoshiar’s forces targeted them. Thousands were killed in Heyrat’s camp in the first charge. Chilli necklaces, needle clusters, and magic arrows were exchanged on both sides and steel magic balls were hurled at each other by the sorcerers of the two armies. Thunderous noises of magic spirits rose, lightning bolts struck, ice slabs fell from the skies, black clouds billowed up and clustered over as a terrible darkness in which not even a hand could distinguish its pair spread over the combatants.
Heyrat stood on her throne in a panic and shouted, “Light the magic torches!” As her sorcerers and sorceresses recited spells to light the magic torches, Mahrukh invoked powerful magic that extinguished all of them. A wholesale carnage of Heyrat’s forces now began and blood flowed onto the ground in such quantities that – except for the tulip or the calamus draco108 – no grass would ever sprout there again.
Heaven’s mercy! A day like doomsday was unleashed on Heyrat’s camp. Hoshiar’s forces, specially trained for combat duty by the Emperor of Hoshruba, killed thousands of Heyrat’s men. Prince Asad the valiant also slew hundreds with his relentless sword.
From her throne, Empress Heyrat dove into the ground. Presently, the whole world juddered and the mountains collided with each other as if something had shaken the Earth from its foundations. Princesses Mahrukh and Bahar sought counsel together, concluding that they must satisfy themselves with the God-gifted victory obtained over Hoshiar’s forces and declare the cessation of hostilities, since they could not combat Heyrat’s magic.
The magic fife from Mahjabeen’s camp announced the end of combat. Mahrukh and her commanders separated themselves from their adversaries and returned triumphant and victorious. The tricksters, who had escaped after killing the sorcerers, also reported back to their camp. When Mahjabeen’s dispersed forces, which had retreated into the forests and mountains, heard of their commanders’ return, they too, began returning to the camp. Before long, the camp’s bazaars opened up, the pavilions were filled, and Mahjabeen sat on her throne watching a dance recital.
In the enemy camp, Empress Heyrat emerged from the ground and was received by her army commanders, who stood at the ready to lay down their lives in her service. A part of Heyrat’s surviving forces had absconded, others had dispersed. She gathered all of them in the Hall of Assembly while her army pitched their tents and bivouacked once more.
Heyrat sat in her court awhile with knitted brow. Then she handed the charge of her forces to her deputies and flew back to Afrasiyab astride her magic peacock.
Afrasiyab had recently returned from the Dome of Light to the Apple Garden when Empress Heyrat’s conveyance arrived. The courtiers rose to pay their respects. Heyrat sat beside Afrasiyab and gave him the entire account, from the slaughter of the sorcerers’ army to the circumstances in which Hoshiar had met his death. When Afrasiyab consulted the Book of Sameri, he saw it written there:
“It was your magic water that was employed by Amar
Ayyar to kill Hoshiar and Mugheela.”
Afrasiyab trembled with rage when he learned this and said, “O Empress, you may return to the camp. This time I will send terrible calamity upon the despicable rebels. They will die a horrible death.”
As directed by Afrasiyab, Heyrat returned to the camp. Her servants and attendants received her with great deference and she resumed her seat on the throne.
SORCERESS KHATIF LIGHTNING-BOLT
It is recounted that Hoshruba had seven sorceresses who lived in the form of lightning bolts. They struck as noisily as claps of thunder and burned the enemy alive on the battlefield with powerful bolts. After Heyrat left, Afrasiyab sent for them. No sooner did the Emperor of Hoshruba issue his orders than a crimson cloud containing the seven flashing lightning bolts materialized in the sky. As it approached the cloud descended and the seven lightning bolts rolled onto the ground and acquired the forms of gold-skinned females. The names of these sorceresses were Mehshar, Lamae, Khatif, Shola Bar, Chashmak Zan, Satial Nur and Saiqa Bar. They were richly dressed and covered with gold and jewels. They greeted the emperor and asked, “Why has Your Excellency sent for his slave girls?”
Afrasiyab said, “One of you must depart to help Empress Heyrat in her campaign, and the rest will await orders at your stations.”
Sorceress Khatif Lightning-Bolt answered, “This slave girl will march against the rebels and punish them.” Afrasiyab conferred a robe of departure on Khatif and the seven sorceresses returned to their lands.
Sorceress Khatif Lightning-Bolt mustered a hundred-thousand-strong army of sorcerers and, with all the tents and pavilions loaded on conveyances, she advanced thunderously an
d with great razzle dazzle to join Empress Heyrat. The sorcerers cast spells to transform their faces into monstrous shapes and forms and the entire army rose into the sky riding clouds and carrying fiery weapons. The loud and frightening cracks of thunder flying past turned the gall of men to water.
Ugly of face and uglier of nature
Hideous of mien, unsightly, evil-spirited
Tyrannical, ruthless, drunken louts
Foul-mouthed and bursting with vanity
Wicked-hearted, pitiless warriors
The sorcerers departed to battle their foe
Meanwhile, in the court of the Emperor of Hoshruba, the trickster girls Sarsar and Saba Raftar presented themselves after sorceress Khatif Lightning-Bolt had departed. To express his displeasure, Afrasiyab turned his face away from them. The trickster girls said, “What is our crime, Your Excellency?” Afrasiyab replied, “You were retained and received sustenance to serve the empire and obtained your salaries without moving a finger. Regard Amar and his companions! They killed several of my renowned sorcerers after entering the tilism. You, however, never killed any rebel commanders or brought even a single one of them a prisoner to me.”
Sarsar was chagrined by the emperor’s angry words of censure. She bowed her head in shame and replied, “I shall depart and do all I can to capture Prince Asad, who styles himself the Conqueror of the Tilism, as well as Mahjabeen Diamond-Robe, who is the queen of the rebels. It would break the spirits of the rebels and rob them of their figurehead and driving force. May the emperor forgive my mistakes and cleanse his pure heart of any rancour toward his slave girl.”
Afrasiyab was pleased by Sarsar’s speech. He conferred robes of departure on the trickster girls and sent them on their mission. Then he occupied himself with pleasant diversions.
OF THE CAPTURE OF THE LION OF THE FOREST OF VALOR, PRINCE ASAD AND QUEEN MAHJABEEN BY THE FOXINESS OF THE TRICKSTER GIRLS; OF MAHRUKH MAGIC-EYE BECOMING THE QUEEN BY AMAR’S COUNSEL AND OF THEIR ENCOUNTER WITH SORCERESS KHATIF LIGHTNING-BOLT; OF THE DEFEAT OF MAHRUKH MAGIC-EYE’S ARMY AND OF THE TRICKSTERS TARGETTING THE SORCERESSES
Those held captive by the chain of narrative and bound in the discourse that augments the pleasure of the assembly capture this episode in these words, and imprison it thus in the writing of a fable:
The trickster girls Sarsar and Saba Raftar sped on their mission to capture Prince Asad. They crossed the River of Flowing Blood and arrived near Mahrukh’s camp.
Sarsar disguised herself as a macebearer. She carried a golden mace, wore a short-coat, and sported a turban pinned with a medallion worn with one end hanging loose. She made rounds of the camp looking for an opportunity to perform her trickery.
Saba Raftar dressed like a farm owner. She wore a knee-length waistcloth and a quilted coat, with a towel wrapped around her head.
The trickster girls found the camp a model of organization and discipline. The camp magistrate was busy making his rounds and the shops carried on their business in an orderly fashion. A brisk trade took place between smartly attired buyers and well dressed sellers. There was a bazaar before every pavilion and a constant traffic of commanders and sorcerers flowed in the passageways.
The trickster girls roamed in the camp in disguise until the World-Illuminating Wanderer109 finished his trek to settle in the land of the west, and the planetary fixtures opened and bedecked their shops in the field of sky.
Queen Mahjabeen Diamond-Robe adjourned her court after a long session and the commanders returned to their pavilions. Asad and Mahjabeen returned to the bedchamber in their private pavilion and sat on a luxurious couch. The trickster girls took up positions at the entrance of their pavilion and observed the Turkic, Calmuck Tartar and Nubian slave girls going about their daily tasks in and out of the pavilion.
Saba Raftar followed a Nubian slave girl and greeted her, saying, “I am a farm owner. The queen has raised my taxes and reverted the title for the land given me for my services to her. My case has been sent to the tribunal for Princess Mahrukh Magic-Eye’s decision. I would be forever grateful if you could put in a good word for me with the princess.” Then Saba Raftar offered a platter laden with fruit and several hundred gold pieces to the slave girl. She was most pleased by the false farm owner’s generosity and promised him she would intercede with Princess Mahrukh to have the case decided in his favor. She filled her pockets with the gold pieces and started eating the fruit. But the fruit was laced with drugs and in no time she dropped unconscious.
Saba Raftar carried the Nubian slave girl to a deserted corner, stripped her and put on her clothes and disguised herself in her likeness. She hid the slave girl there and entered Mahjabeen’s bedchamber.
In the meanwhile, Sarsar had marked another slave girl for her target. She approached the girl in the macebearer’s disguise and said, “Why did you curse and abuse the macebearers yesterday?” The slave girl answered, “You don’t know me, O pimp and wittol! Watch your tongue if you don’t want me to snatch your mace and have you severely rebuked by the queen.” The false macebearer caught the girl’s hand, saying, “I must take you to my officer.” As the slave girl cursed loudly, the false macebearer slapped her with a drug-filled hand. The slave girl fell unconscious.
She was carried by Sarsar to a deserted place. There, the trickster girl made herself into the girl’s exact likeness. She removed the unconscious girl’s clothes and put them on herself. After hiding the girl there, Sarsar also entered Mahjabeen’s bedchamber.
She saw Asad and Mahjabeen sitting beside each other on a luxurious couch, taking pleasure from the ambrosial assembly and each other’s company. The wine tray lay close at hand and they drank together. Melodious songsters of Venusian charm sang, and a jewel-studded bed was ready with all luxuries and comforts. Sarsar now disguised herself as a slave girl and joined the attendants and diligently performed any task given her. While Sarsar drugged the wine as she brought it from the cellar, Saba Raftar drugged the food she served in the Nubian slave girl’s disguise. Prince Asad and Mahjabeen were finally drugged. They struggled to rise and walked unsteadily to the bed where they dropped unconscious. Their companions and attendants, who had had the same drugged food and wine, also lost consciousness. Next Saba Raftar drugged the retainers and guards as well.
Sarsar picked Prince Asad up from the bed and tied him up in her trickster’s mantle while Saba Raftar rolled up Mahjabeen into a similar bundle. They left the others lying unconscious and headed out of the bedchamber. With a trickster’s usual cunning and concealment, they hid themselves from the eyes of the vigil squads and reached the outer limits of Mahjabeen’s camp. From there they sped like the wind and passed over the River of Flowing Blood, arriving quick as lightning in the Apple Garden, where they spent the remaining hours of the night.
Finally, the sun’s flare lit the bedchamber of the juggling heavens to remove the dizziness cast over the sleepers; the caravan of night passed, the bright day showed its face, and the oblivion of sleep was dispelled from the sleeping.
The magic trumpets blew. Afrasiyab’s courtiers assembled and the Emperor of Hoshruba gave audience. The two trickster girls presented themselves and placed the bundles they had brought at the emperor’s feet. They said, “The sinners Mahjabeen and Asad are presented before Your Excellency as ordered.”
Afrasiyab was jubilant and said to his courtiers, “Put a spell on the rebels so that they cannot rise. Then restore them to consciousness.”
The sorcerers carried out the emperor’s orders.
Prince Asad opened his eyes and found himself in Afrasiyab’s court where a throng of renowned sorcerers was assembled. The Emperor of Hoshruba gave audience surrounded by his ministers, who sat on fire-spewing thrones. Prince Asad called out, “I offer peace and greetings to those in this assembly who consider God to be One and without partner, and believe Muhammad to be His prophet and humble servant.”
The sorcerers stuffed their fingers into their ears at Asad’s praising the unseen god.
/> Angered by Asad’s greeting, Afrasiyab sent for an executioner to behead him. Then Afrasiyab advised Mahjabeen to renounce her love for Asad. But Mahjabeen would not hear of it and said, “Even if I had a thousand lives, I would sacrifice them all for Prince Asad.”
She recited,
“I announce this to the whole world
He is the envy of the rose and I his nightingale
He is the cypress and I his ringdove
I sing of a grieving heart
I pledged my troth to the prince
I wouldn’t hear of another’s name
I wouldn’t let even the angels and houris
Come near me in his absence.”
Afrasiyab ordered the executioner to take Mahjabeen into his custody as well.
Their hair dishevelled, their eyes welling up with tears, Asad and Mahjabeen, the lover and the beloved, gazed mournfully at each other. Each asked the other’s forgiveness for any grief unintentionally caused. Mahjabeen then turned her heart to thoughts of the Almighty God and prayed with great humility and meekness, seeking His protection and soliciting His aid in releasing them from their calamity.
The arrow of prayer flew from the bow of her lips and sank into the target of divine acceptance.
The ministers and nobles approached Afrasiyab before he could give the final order to the executioner. The emperor asked, “What is it that you desire?” They replied, “If Your Excellency would grant us leave to speak, we would like to express our thoughts.” Afrasiyab said, “You may speak without fear of harm. Say what you wish that is cordial and affable and the emperor will grant your wishes.”
In view of the emperor’s munificence, the courtiers said, “The founders of the tilism did not write that the Conqueror of the Tilism would be immediately executed. May your Excellency consult the Book of Sameri and act as it guides.”
Hoshruba Page 39