The Arabian Nights

by Padraic Colum

  But when Jawharah heard the words of Bedr Basim, she said within herself, On account of this base young wretch hath this event happened, and my father hath been made a captive, and his chamberlains and his attendants have been slain, and I have become separated from my palace, and come forth an exile from my country to this island. If now I employ not some stratagem with him, thereby to defend myself from him, he will gain possession of me, and attain his desire; for he is in love; and the lover, whatever he doth, is not to be blamed for it.—Then she beguiled him with words, and with soft discourse, and he knew not what artifices she had devised against him; and she said to him, O my master, and light of mine eye, art thou the King Bedr Basim, the son of the Queen Jullanar? So he answered her, Yes, O my mistress. And she said, May God cut off my father, and deprive him of his kingdom, and not comfort his heart, nor restore him from estrangement, if he desire a person more comely than thou, and aught more comely than these charming endowments! By Allah, he is of little sense and judgment!—She then said to him, O King of the age, blame not my father for that which he hath done. If the measure of thy love for me be a span, that of my love for thee is a cubit. I have fallen into the snare of thy love, and become of the number of thy victims. The love that thou hadst is transferred to me, and there remaineth not of it with thee aught save as much as the tenth part of what I feel.—Then she descended from the tree, and drew near to him, and came to him and embraced him. So when the King Bedr Basim saw what she did to him, his love for her increased. And he said to her, O Queen, by Allah, my uncle Salih did not describe to me the quarter of the tenth part of thy loveliness, nor the quarter of a kirat of four and twenty kirats.12 Then Jawharah pressed him close, and uttered some words not to be understood; after which, she said to him, Be changed from this human form into the form of a bird, the most beautiful of birds, with white feathers, and red bill and feet. And her words were not ended before the King Bedr Basim became transformed into the shape of a bird, the most beautiful that could be of birds; and he shook, and stood upon his feet, looking at Jawharah. Now she had with her a damsel, one of her female servants, named Marsineh, and she looked at her and said, By Allah, were it not that I fear on account of my father’s being a captive with his uncle, I had slain him, and may God not recompense him well; for how unfortunate was his coming unto us; all this disturbance having been effected by his means! But, O girl, take him, and convey him to the Thirsty Island, and leave him there that he may die of thirst.—So the servant took him, and conveyed him to the island, and was about to return from him; but she said within herself, By Allah, the person endowed with this beauty and loveliness deserveth not to die of thirst. Then she took him forth from the Thirsty Island, and brought him to an island abounding with trees and fruits and rivers, and, having put him upon it, returned to her mistress, and said to her, I have put him upon the Thirsty Island.—Such was the case of Bedr Basim.

  But as to Salih, the uncle of the King Bedr Basim, when he had got possession of the King Es-Semendel, and slain his guards and servants, and the King had become his captive, he sought Jawharah, the King’s daughter; but found her not. So he returned to his palace, to the presence of his mother, and said, O my mother, where is the son of my sister, the King Bedr Basim? She answered, O my son, by Allah, I have no knowledge of him, nor know I whither he hath gone; for when he was told that thou hadst fought with the King Es-Semendel, and that conflicts and slaughter had ensued between you, he was terrified, and fled. So when Salih heard the words of his mother, he grieved for the son of his sister, and said, O my mother, by Allah, we have acted negligently with respect to the King Bedr Basim, and I fear that he will perish, or that one of the soldiers of the King Es-Semendel may fall upon him, or that the King’s daughter, Jawharah, may fall upon him, and shame will betide us from his mother, and good will not betide us from her; for I took him without her permission. Then he sent guards and spies after him, through the sea and in other directions, but they met with no tidings of him; wherefore they returned, and informed the King Salih thereof; and his anxiety and grief increased, and his bosom became contracted on account of the King Bedr Basim.—Thus was it with them.

  Next, with regard to Bedr Basim’s mother, Jullanar of the Sea, when her son had descended into the sea with his uncle Salih, she waited expecting him; but he returned not to her, and tidings of him were long kept from her. So she remained many days expecting him; after which she arose, and descended into the sea, and came to her mother; and when her mother saw her, she rose to her, and kissed her and embraced her, as did also the daughters of her uncle. She then asked her mother respecting the King Bedr Basim, and her mother answered her, O my daughter, he came with his uncle, and his uncle took jacinths and jewels and went with them, he and Bedr Basim, to the King Es-Semendel, and demanded in marriage his daughter: but the King assented not to his proposal, and he was violent to thy brother in his words. I therefore sent to thy brother about a thousand horsemen, and a conflict ensued between them and the King Es-Semendel; but God aided thy brother against them, and he slew his guards and his troops, and made the King Es-Semendel a captive. So tidings of this event reached thy son, and apparently he feared for himself; wherefore he fled from us without our will, and he returned not to us after that, nor have we heard any tidings of him.—Then Jullanar inquired of her respecting her brother Salih, and she informed her, saying, He is sitting upon the throne of the kingdom in the place of the King Es-Semendel, and he hath sent in every direction to search for thy son and the Queen Jawharah. So when Jullanar heard the words of her mother, she mourned for her son violently, and her anger was fierce against her brother Salih, because he had taken her son and descended with him into the sea without her permission. She then said, O my mother, verily I fear for our kingdom; for I came to you and informed not anyone of the people of the empire, and I dread, if I remain long away from them, that the kingdom will be alienated from us, and that the dominion will depart from our hands. The right opinion is, that I should return, and govern the empire until God shall order for us the affair of my son; and forget not ye my son, nor neglect his case: for if mischief befall him, I perish inevitably; since I regard not the world save in connection with him, nor delight save in his life.—So her mother replied, With feelings of love and honor will I comply, O my daughter. Inquire not what we suffer by reason of his separation and absence.—Then her mother sent to search for him, and Bedr Basim’s mother returned with mourning heart and weeping eye to the empire. The world had become strait to her, her heart was contracted, and her case was grievous.

  Now again as to the King Bedr Basim, when the Queen Jawharah had enchanted him, and sent him with her servant to the Thirsty Island, saying to her, Leave him upon it to die of thirst—the servant put him not save upon a verdant, fruitful island, with trees and rivers. So he betook himself to eating of the fruits, and drinking of the rivers; and he ceased not to remain in this state for a period of days and nights, in the form of a bird, not knowing whither to go, nor how to fly. And while he was one day upon that island, lo, there came thither a fowler, to catch something wherewith to sustain himself; and he saw the King Bedr Basim in the form of a bird, with white feathers and with red bill and feet, captivating the beholder, and astonishing the mind. So the fowler looked at him, and he pleased him, and he said within himself, Verily this bird is beautiful: I have not seen a bird like it in its beauty, nor in its form. Then he cast the net over him, and caught him, and he went with him into the city, saying within himself, I will sell it, and receive its price. And one of the people of the city met him, and said to him, For how much is this bird to be sold, O fowler? The fowler said to him, If thou buy it, what wilt thou do with it? The man answered, I will kill it and eat it. But the fowler said to him, Whose heart would be pleased to kill this bird and eat it? Verily I desire to present it to the King, and he will give me more than the sum that thou wouldst give me as its price, and will not kill it, but will divert himself with beholding it, and observing its beaut
y and loveliness; for during my whole life, while I have been a fowler, I have not seen the like of it among the prey of the sea nor among the prey of the land. If thou be desirous of it, the utmost that thou wouldst give me as its price would be a piece of silver; and I, by Allah the Great, will not sell it.—Then the fowler went with him to the palace of the King; and when the King saw him, his beauty and loveliness pleased him, and the redness of his bill and his feet; so he sent a servant to purchase the bird. The servant asked him, Wilt thou sell this bird? The fowler answered, No; it is for the King, as a present from me unto him. The servant therefore took him, and went with him to the King, and acquainted him with that which he had said; whereupon the King took the bird, and gave to the fowler ten pieces of gold; and he received them, and kissed the ground, and departed. The servant then brought the bird to the King’s pavilion, put him in a handsome cage, hung it up, and put with him what he might eat and drink. And when the King came down, he said, Where is the bird? Bring it that I may see it. By Allah, it is beautiful!—So the man brought him, and put him before the King; and he saw that, of the food that was with him, he had not eaten aught; wherefore the King said, By Allah, I know not what it will eat, that I may feed it. Then he gave orders to bring the repast. The tables therefore were brought before him, and the King ate of the repast; and when the bird looked at the flesh-meat and other viands, and the sweetmeats and fruits, he ate of all that was upon the table before the King, and the King was amazed at him, and wondered at his eating, as did also the other persons who were present. And upon this the King said to the servants who were around him, In my life I have never seen a bird eat like this bird.

  The King then commanded that his wife should come to divert herself with the sight of him. So a servant went to bring her; and when he saw her, he said to her, O my mistress, the King desireth thy presence, in order that thou mayest divert thyself with the sight of this bird that he hath bought; for when we brought the repast, it flew from the cage, and pitched upon the table, and ate of all that was upon it. Arise then, O my mistress; divert thyself with the sight of it; for it is beautiful in appearance, and it is a wonder among the wonders of the age.—Therefore when she heard the words, she came quickly; but as soon as she looked at the bird, and discovered him, she veiled her face, and turned back. So the King rose and followed her, and said to her, Wherefore didst thou cover thy face, when there are not in thy presence any but the women who serve thee, and thy husband? And she answered, O King, verily this is not a bird; but it is a man like thee. But when he heard the words of his wife, he said to her, Thou utterest falsehood. How much dost thou jest! How can it be aught but a bird?—She replied, By Allah, I jested not with thee, nor did I tell thee anything but truth. Verily this bird is the King Bedr Basim, the son of the King Shah-Zeman, lord of the countries of the Persians, and his mother is Jullanar of the Sea.—And how, said he, hath he become transformed into this shape? She answered him, The Queen Jawharah, the daughter of the King Es-Semendel, hath enchanted him. Then she related to him what had happened to him from first to last, telling him that he had demanded Jawharah in marriage of her father, and that her father consented not thereto, and that his maternal uncle Salih had fought with the King Es-Semendel, and that Salih had overcome him, and made him a captive. And when the King heard the words of his wife, he wondered extremely. Now this Queen, his wife, was the most skillful in enchantment among the people of her age. The King therefore said to her, By my life, I conjure thee to free him from his enchantment, and not leave him tormented. May God (whose name be exalted!) cut off the hand of Jawharah! How vile is she, and how little is her religion, and how great are her deceit and her artifice!—His wife replied, Say to him, O Bedr Basim, enter this closet. So the King ordered him to enter the closet; and when he heard the King’s words, he entered it. Then the wife of the King arose, and, having veiled her face, took in her hand a cup of water, and entered, the closet; and she uttered over the water some words not to be understood, and sprinkling him with it said to him, By virtue of these great names, and excellent verses of the Kur’an, and by the power of God (whose name be exalted!), the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and the Reviver of the dead, and the Distributor of the means of subsistence and the terms of life, quit this form in which thou now art, and return to the form in which God created thee! And her words were not ended when he shook violently, and returned to his original form, whereupon the King beheld him a comely young man, than whom there was not upon the face of the earth one more beautiful.

  When the King Bedr Basim beheld this thing, he said, There is no deity but God: Mohammad is the Apostle of God! Extolled be the perfection of the Creator of all creatures, and the Ordainer of their means of subsistence and their terms of life!—Then he kissed the hands of the King, and prayed for long life for him; and the King kissed the head of Bedr Basim, and said to him, O Bedr Basim, relate to me thy story from beginning to end. So he related to him his story, not concealing from him aught; and the King wondered thereat, and said to him, O Bedr Basim, God hath delivered thee from enchantment; what then doth thy good pleasure demand, and what dost thou desire to do? He answered him, O King of the age, I desire of thy beneficence that thou wouldst prepare for me a ship, and a company of thy servants, and all that I require; for I have been absent a long time, and I fear that the empire may depart from me. Moreover, I imagine not that my mother is alive, on account of my separation. What seems most probable to me is, that she hath died in consequence of her mourning for me; since she knoweth not what hath happened to me, nor whether I be living or dead. I therefore beg thee, O King, to complete thy beneficence to me by granting that which I have requested of thee.—And when the King considered his beauty and loveliness and his eloquence, he replied and said to him, I hear and obey. He then prepared for him a ship, transported to it what he required, and dispatched with him a company of his servants. So he embarked in the ship, after he had bidden farewell to the King, and they proceeded over the sea.

  The wind aided them, and they ceased not to proceed for ten days successively; but on the eleventh day, the sea became violently agitated, the ship began to rise and pitch, and the sailors were unable to manage her. They continued in this state, the waves sporting with them, until they drew near to one of the rocks of the sea, and the ship fell upon that rock, and broke in pieces, and all who were in her were drowned, except the King Bedr Basim; for he mounted upon one of the planks, after he had been at the point of destruction. The plank ceased not to bear him along the sea, and he knew not whither he was going, nor had he any means of checking the motion of the plank: it carried him with the water and the wind, and continued to do so for a period of three days. But on the fourth day, the plank was cast with him upon the shore of the sea, and he found there a city, white as a very white pigeon, built upon an island by the shore of the sea, with lofty angles, beautiful in construction, with high walls, and the sea beat against its walls. So when the King Bedr Basim beheld the island upon which was this city, he rejoiced greatly; and he had been at the point of destruction by reason of hunger and thirst. He therefore landed from the plank, and desired to go up to the city; but there came to him mules and donkeys and horses, numerous as the grains of sand, and they began to strike him, and to prevent his going up from the sea to the city. So he swam round behind that city, and landed upon the shore, and he found not there anyone; wherefore he wondered, and said, To whom doth this city belong, not having a King nor anyone in it, and whence are these mules and donkeys and horses that prevented me from landing? And he proceeded to meditate upon his case as he walked along, not knowing whither to go.

  Then, after that, he saw a sheykh, a grocer; and when the King Bedr Basim saw him, he saluted him; and the sheykh returned the salutation, and, looking at him, saw him to be a comely person: so he said to him, O young man, whence hast thou come, and what brought thee to this city? He therefore related to him his story from beginning to end; and he wondered at it, and said to him, O my son, didst t
hou not see anyone in thy way? He answered him, O my father, I only wonder at this city seeing that it is devoid of people. And the shekyh said to him, O my son, come up into the shop, lest thou perish. So Bedr Basim went up, and seated himself in the shop. And the sheykh arose, and brought him some food, saying to him, O my son, come into the inner part of the shop. Extolled be the perfection of Him who hath preserved thee from this she-devil!—The King Bedr Basim therefore feared violently. He then ate of the food of the sheykh until he was satisfied, and washed his hands, and, looking at the sheykh, said to him, O my master, what is the reason of these words? For thou hast made me to be frightened at this city and its people.—And the sheykh answered him, O my son, know that this city is the City of the Enchanters, and in it is a Queen who is an enchantress, like a she-devil; she is a sorceress, a great enchantress, abounding in artifice, exceedingly treacherous, and the horses and mules and donkeys that thou sawest, all these are like me and thee of the sons of Adam; but they are strangers; for whoever entereth this city, and is a young man like thyself, this infidel enchantress taketh him, and she remaineth with him forty days, and after the forty days she enchanteth him, and he becometh a mule or a horse or a donkey, of these animals that thou hast seen upon the shore of the sea. Therefore when thou desiredst to land, they feared for thee lest she should enchant thee like them, and they said to thee by signs, Land not, lest the enchantress see thee—in pity for thee; for perhaps she might do unto thee as she did unto them.—And the grocer said, She got possession of this city from her family by enchantment: and her name is the Queen Lab; the meaning of which in Arabic is Esh-Shems (that is, The Sun).