Princess Almas’s rosebud-like lips blossomed into the flower of laughter upon hearing these auspicious words. She joyously called out,
“If I give up my life from happiness it would be proper
For these happy tidings have made my soul fully content.”
She ordered her palanquin and rode in it to Raad’s prison. Burq accompanied her in Ishrat’s guise. When they arrived at Faulad Iron-Puller’s camp, he came out and bowed before Princess Almas. She told him that which Burq had instructed. Faulad removed the fiery cordon from Raad’s prison and she went in and found solace in her beloved’s sight.
The false Ishrat stayed outside with sorcerer Faulad Iron-Puller, who offered him wine and meat. At first the false Ishrat coyly refused but, when Faulad insisted, he filled a goblet with red wine and secretly drugged it. He offered it to Faulad saying, “You must have a cup first, only then will I drink.” Faulad took the wine and drank it. The false Ishrat then offered drugged wine and drugged sweets to all of Faulad’s attendants too, saying, “Have a taste. These sweets are from the princess’s own table.” All of them ate the sweets and drank the wine and fell unconscious.
Burq the Frank immediately cut off their heads. The moment they died, darkness enveloped the place. A great hue and cry rose and Raad was released.
As Princess Almas felt frightened by the growing commotion, Raad said to her, “O Princess, you witnessed how easily Faulad was killed while you watched.” The princess too, marvelled at the alacrity of the trickster. While they still stood in shock, Burq came in and said to them, “O pair of lovers, we must now hurriedly depart lest Queen Surat Nigar hears these tidings and sends some calamity your way. She is camped only a few miles from this place.”
Princess Almas said, “O Burq, there’s a forest near my royal pavilion that no one frequents. Let both Raad and me proceed there to pack my belongings and rest. Then we will depart for Queen Mahrukh’s camp.” Burq said, “You will be provided all you need, but now’s not the time for that. It’s not safe to stay around any longer.” But Princess Almas insisted still, and Burq had no option but to give in to her wishes.
Princess Almas Fairy-Face brought Raad to her camp and seated him on a luxurious seat. She sent for all the paraphernalia of revel making. The wine service and salvers of kebabs for accompaniment were provided and the two began drinking.
The two of them to the pleasure chamber retired
Where a carpet of gold thread and bed awaited them
In that place, finally alone, they
Began kissing and fondling each other
While Raad made a thousand plaints
The princess his every request denied
While Raad’s desire and passion grew
She at once offered and denied herself to him
That fairy like beauty told her lover
“In your camp we will fulfill our desires.”
Dejected and unsuccessful, Raad finally said this,
“Bring me some wine then from the niche.”
With a hundred coquetries that beauty rose
And stretched her hand toward the niche
She took down the bottle of wine with one hand
And with the other a goblet picked
The two drank the wine and inebriated became
Intoxicated already from the ecstasy of love
One’s arms became the other’s pillow
One’s lips became the other’s solace
They drank and then drank some more
To all joys and sorrows indifferent,
They became oblivious of themselves
They became their own cupbearers and their drinkers
To his fairy-like beloved, Raad made love
Every too often they kissed and embraced
Now he took her in his arms to sleep
Now with his lips he fondled hers
Occupied while they were in these endearments
A sleeping menace became awake
That cruel woman, that tyrannical sorceress
To wit Surat Nigar Face-Maker, deceitful and sly
Came to learn that Raad was released from prison
And his guards and keepers all beheaded were
And that the cause of these terrible events
Was none other than her own daughter Almas
Who went to the prison without informing others
And dispatched to hell the prison keeper and guards
Hearing this report of her daughter’s doings
An enraged Surat Nigar burned like a blaze
She departed at once with fury filled
And arrived at the entrance of the princess’s pavilion
All the attendants and slaves of Princess Almas ran away in fear at the sight of Surat Nigar and she barged into the pavilion. Finding Almas lying in Raad’s embrace, she was overtaken by ecstasies of rage.
Surat Nigar recited a spell and struck her hands. The piece of ground on which the princess’s bed lay rose from the earth into the air. Surat Nigar also flew by invoking magic. Burq, who stood under the pavilion watching this calamity unfold, tearfully followed the flying piece of ground carrying Raad and the princess.
In the meanwhile, both Raad and Princess Almas awoke from their dream of oblivion. Raad tried to recite a spell and fly away with Princess Almas but Surat Nigar’s spell kept him from remembering any. He said to the princess, “It appears we have become captives of magic.” The princess started crying and washing her face with tears of remorse, saying, “O unfaithful, unloving heavens, you could not bear even a short happy union between two lovers. You robbed us of it in no time.” She complained about their tyrannical fate at times and, at other times, they cried in each other’s embrace.
She would cry,
“What a hand, O Fate, you dealt me
My lover you took from me
Before whom should I make my complaint
That you left me unhappy and forlorn?
That you put to sword my desire’s house
Ah my comely lover, alas! Alas!”
While the princess made these laments, sorceress Surat Nigar recited another spell and the flying piece of ground broke into two pieces, separating Raad and Princess Almas, and the two pieces went flying in different directions.
The heart of the princess became cleft with grief and laden with a thousand sorrows. The two lovers were in a state of shock and grief that cannot be described. Even the pen that composes this breaks into dark tears.
When the two of them separated in that manner, Burq the Frank, who followed them on the ground, could not decide whether to follow Raad or Princess Almas. In the end, he ran back to his camp and gave the news to sorceress Mehshar Lightning-Bolt.
Unnerved by the terrible news about her son, she speedily flew by magic and reached the piece of ground that carried Princess Almas.
Sorceress Mehshar thunderously flashed and swooped down, catching Princess Almas in her magic claw. But Surat Nigar quickly reached her side and cast a spell at which thousands of magic slaves flew up and caught Mehshar. She tried to break free by reciting spells; she thrashed about and fluttered her wings, but to no avail. Surat Nigar put a magic incarceration spell on Mehshar and took her and Princess Almas to a horrible, dreadful wilderness.
SORCERER ZALIM BLACK-FACE
Once she landed in the wilderness, Surat Nigar recited a spell and directed it skywards. The piece of ground carrying Raad came flying down and descended beside her.
Surat Nigar wrote a spell and gave it to a magic slave. It disappeared and, after a few moments, the earth cleft and a sorcerer emerged from it. He bowed respectfully to Surat Nigar and stood awaiting orders. Surat Nigar said to him, “O sorcerer Zalim Black-Face, I have summoned you so that you may keep these three as your prisoners. It would not have been wise to keep them prisoner in the camp since my daughter is among them and everyone high and low would come to learn that sorcerer Musavvir’s daughter was kept in captivity because of her love. Moreover, the tr
icksters would infiltrate the camp and secure the release of their commanders and companions. Therefore, I brought them here to put them in your custody.”
After that, sorceress Surat Nigar flew away toward her camp. Sorcerer Zalim Black-Face made a magic tower and imprisoned Raad, Princess Almas and sorceress Mehshar inside. We will hear more of them before long.
Now we return to give an account of sorceress Surat Nigar. After returning to her camp, she ordered her army to prepare to march. Packing and loading their tents and pavilions, she and her defeat-incarnate army headed for Empress Heyrat’s camp.
The magic birds conveyed the news to Heyrat that sorceress Surat Nigar and her army were approaching to present themselves in her service. Upon hearing this, Heyrat took her nobles and ministers along and went out to welcome the sorceress. The empress ordered that carpets inlaid with jewels be spread in the path of Surat Nigar. Heyrat received her warmly and brought her to the court with great esteem and honor. Surat Nigar’s army was camped beside Heyrat’s own and the empress gave commands that all comforts be provided to Surat Nigar’s commanders and men. And in this manner, her army set up camp in great comfort.
Surat Nigar said to Heyrat, “I have returned after imprisoning Princess Almas Fairy-Face and Raad. Your daughter Khubsurat the Beauty is enamored of Mahrukh’s son Shakeel, and mine of Mehshar’s son Raad. The same adverse fate has marked both of us. O Heyrat, I wish you to strike the drums of war so that tomorrow I may wipe out the rebels and avenge the blood of my son.”
Heyrat feted and regaled Surat Nigar all day. When the revolutions of heaven brought about a change and the face of the bride of the sky became darkened with the blackness of the night, the sound of war drums rose from Heyrat’s camp as per sorceress Surat Nigar’s wishes.
The spies took this intelligence to Queen Mahrukh and conveyed it to her after singing her adulations and praises. The clarions of war answered the call to war from Mahrukh’s camp as well. Both camps prepared magic weapons and readied their arms and armor.
Be it known to the readers that thousands of battles take place in this story. Therefore, the humble narrator has given their description with an eye to brevity. Lengthening a narrative unnecessarily is an idle exercise. Thus only those battles that are entertaining and take place between renowned, illustrious sorcerers will be described in detail. The rest will be mentioned in passing so that neither the audience nor the readers of this tale become weary and disinterested.
Now we return to our story.
All night long the two camps bustled with the preparations for battle. When the sun, flying its golden standard in Earth’s every corner, appeared and showed its majestic sight to the world, Surat Nigar and Empress Heyrat led their armies into the battlefield with great stateliness.
Queen Mahrukh Magic-Eye and Princess Bahar arrived from the other side with the champions of the world and decorated the battlefield with their presence. They settled the dust clouds with magic rain. The battle arrays were formed. The criers made their calls and withdrew, and the proclaimers made their proclamations and retreated. Surat Nigar rode out on a magic dragon and challenged her opponents.
Princess Bahar came out to answer her challenge. Surat Nigar hurled a magic coconut that exploded and released thousands of portraits. These portraits crept like shadows and wrapped themselves around Bahar.
In answer to Surat Nigar’s spell, Bahar took off her bracelet and threw it toward the sky. Immediately, everyone saw a pearl-strung cord appear that hung down from the heavens to the Earth. Bahar climbed it and reached high into the air from where she invoked her magic. A flame shot down like a sunburst and burned up all the shadows wrapped around her body.
When Surat Nigar witnessed this, she drew a portrait and threw it at the pearl-strung cord. The portrait fell to the ground and came alive, releasing flames from its mouth that burned up the pearl-strung cord. Bahar dropped to the ground but, with her magic, she survived the fall.
She plucked a few hairs from her head and threw them at the portrait. Those hairs ensnared the portrait like a snare rope and dragged it before Bahar, who cut it up with scissors.
Then Bahar took out a bouquet of flowers and hurled it at Surat Nigar. Gold and silver flowers rained down on Surat Nigar and her companions, all of whom fell under their spell. They swayed in ecstasy and sang praises to Bahar.
At that moment, the earth cleft and magic slave girls emerged. They gleaned the flowers from Bahar’s bouquet and called out, “O Queen Surat Nigar, to fall under the spell of a chit of a girl like Bahar ill becomes the wife of Sorcerer Musavvir. Beware!”
At these words, Surat Nigar came to her senses. She drew her magic sword and attacked Bahar. The two sorceresses engaged in magic swordplay. In the meanwhile, Empress Heyrat ordered her army commanders to attack and sorcerers charged from all sides. Queen Mahrukh too, advanced with her warriors and the two armies merged and a pitched battle was fought. Clouds that made magic showers rose by the sorcerers’ spells from both sides. Tempests blew with great violence; fire and stones rained. The cries of “O Sameri! O Jamshed!” rose from the battleground. Corpse piled over corpse, and the dead lay in heaps. The sorcerers on both sides targeted each other with steel magic balls and the floor of the forest became red with blood as a powerful turmoil unfurled into wholesale carnage.
When the golden-robed emperor137 moved to its westerly court and the King of Stars138 – the adornment of heavens – with its starry hordes, ascended the seat of the sky, the armies disengaged themselves from their opponents and returned to their resting places in their respective camps.
Surat Nigar said to Heyrat, “I will now make portraits of Mahrukh’s commanders because today I suffered great ignominy at the hands of that inconsequential girl Bahar. None of them will escape my wrath.” Heyrat answered, “You may take all the steps you deem appropriate.”
While they conversed, the ground cleft and a magic slave appeared and handed a letter to Heyrat. It was from Emperor Afrasiyab, who had written:
“O Empress, I need to consult you on a matter of importance. Come to the Dome of Light and ask Surat Nigar to postpone the battle for the present.”
When Heyrat read the message she said to the magic slave, “Inform the emperor that his command will be carried out.” Heyrat asked Surat Nigar to postpone the battle until her return then she sent away the magic slave and dressed and adorned herself for the journey to the Dome of Light.
Heyrat gave injunctions to Sarsar, saying “You are a trickster girl. Make sure that no tricksters attack and cause the least grief to Queen Surat Nigar with their deceptions.” Sarsar answered, “Rest assured, no trickster would dare show his face here.” After making all these arrangements, Heyrat finally departed and Sarsar remained in the camp to keep watch.
After the armies returned from the battlefield, the tricksters set out on their mission, resolved to attack and kill sorceress Surat Nigar at the first opportunity. Each infiltrated her camp in a different disguise.
Amar entered Surat Nigar’s court disguised as a carpet-keeper and started trimming the wicks of the candles. He put drugs on the burning candles and the rising fumes spread, rendering many people unconscious.
Sarsar recognized Amar and said to Surat Nigar, “There is Amar, disguised as the keeper of carpets, trimming the candlewicks.” Surat Nigar recited a spell. Two magic slaves emerged from the ground and caught Amar. When they brought him before Surat Nigar, she asked, “Who are you?” Amar answered, “I am the Angel of Death, who extracts sorcerers’ souls.” Surat Nigar asked, “Didn’t you feel the least bit afraid you would forfeit your life by breaking into my camp?” Amar replied, “No one can kill me but God Almighty.”
Enraged at these words, Surat Nigar decided to put Amar to death. At that moment, Sarsar said, “Put him in my custody. I will take this trickster before Empress Heyrat.” Surat Nigar replied, “Very well, take him.”
Meanwhile, cries of “Amar is caught!” had risen from Surat Nigar’s camp when
Amar was captured by the sorceress. All the tricksters present there in disguise heard this.
Burq the Frank quickly changed his disguise to the trickster girl Saba Raftar and headed for Surat Nigar’s pavilion. He saw Sarsar bring Amar from the other side. The false Saba Raftar greeted Sarsar and said, “Where do you take this wretch?” She answered, “To the Dome of Light.” The false Saba Raftar said, “You can stay behind and keep watch on the camp. Put him in my custody. I’ll take him there.” Sarsar was fooled and handed Amar to the false Saba Raftar. Burq led Amar away and after they had gone some distance he cut off Amar’s handcuffs and fetters and said, “Master, it’s me, your own Burq the Frank.”
Amar was greatly pleased at Burq’s cunning. Then Burq returned to guard Mahrukh’s camp. Now, Amar disguised himself as Saba Raftar and returned to Heyrat’s camp, where he ran into Sarsar again. She asked, “O Saba Raftar, how did you return so quickly?” The false Saba Raftar answered, “I was on my way to the Dome of Light when a magic claw came down and carried Amar Ayyar away, crying, ‘I was sent by Emperor Afrasiyab!’”
At this explanation, Sarsar did not ask further questions.
The false Saba Raftar said, “I have a headache. I should get some sleep.” She then lay down to rest.
Now hear of the real Saba Raftar. She disguised herself as the trickster Zargham and headed for Queen Mahrukh’s camp to arrest Burq the Frank. She saw Burq standing outside his camp and called out to him. But Burq recognized Saba Raftar in Zargham’s disguise and rushed at her, dagger drawn. Saba Raftar shot an arrow at Burq, who jumped into the air to dodge it, but the arrow struck and injured his big toe. Yet, Burq continued chasing Saba Raftar. She ran toward her camp, removing Zargham’s disguise as she ran, lest her camp mistake her for the enemy trickster, and sought refuge in Surat Nigar’s pavilion.
Surat Nigar and Sarsar had recently seen Amar in Saba Raftar’s disguise. When they saw another Saba Raftar enter the pavilion they arrested her. When Saba Raftar told Sarsar the secret codes with which the trickster girls recognized each other, Sarsar realized that she was the real Saba Raftar.
Hoshruba Page 52