One Thousand and One Nights

by Richard Burton

  Meanwhile, the King’s son went in to waken his father, but found him slain and seeing the scroll, took it and read. Then he sought his sister and finding her not, betook himself to the old woman in the church, of whom he enquired of her, but she said, ‘I have not seen her since yesterday.’ So he returned to the troops and cried out, saying, ‘To horse, cavaliers!’ Then he told them what had happened, and they mounted and rode after the fugitives, till they drew near the pavilion. Presently, Husn Meryem looked up and saw a cloud of dust, which spread till it covered the prospect, then lifted and discovered her brother and his troops, crying aloud and saying, ‘Whither will ye fly, and we on your track!’ Then said she to Alaeddin, ‘Art thou steadfast in battle?’ ‘Even as the stake in bran,’ answered he; ‘I know not war nor battle, neither swords nor spears.’ So she pulled out the jewel and rubbed the fifth face, that on which were depictured a horse and his rider, and straightway a horseman appear out of the desert and driving at the pursuing host, ceased not to do battle with them and smite them with the sword, till he routed them and put them to flight. Then said the princess to Alaeddin, ‘Wilt thou go to Cairo or to Alexandria?’ And he answered, ‘To Alexandria.’ So they mounted the couch and she pronounced over it the conjuration, whereupon it set off with them and brought them to Alexandria in the twinkling of an eye. They alighted without the city and Alaeddin hid the women in a cavern, whilst he went into Alexandria and fetched them veils and outer clothing, wherewith he covered them. Then he carried them to his ship and leaving them in the room behind it, went forth to fetch them the morning meal, when he met Ahmed ed Denef coming from Baghdad. He saw him in the street and received him with open arms, embracing him and welcoming him. Ed Denef gave him the good news of his son Aslan and how he was now come to the age of twenty; and Alaeddin, in his turn, told the captain of the guard all that had befallen him, whereat he marvelled exceedingly. Then he brought him to his lodging, where they passed the night; and next day he sold his shop and laid its price with his other monies. Now Ed Denef had told him that the Khalif sought him; but he said, ‘I am bound first for Cairo, to salute my father and mother and the people of my house.’ So they all mounted the couch and it carried them to Cairo the Happy, where they alighted in the street called Yellow, where stood Shemseddin’s house. Alaeddin knocked at the door, and his mother said, ‘Who is at the door, now that we have lost our beloved?’ ‘It is I, Alaeddin,’ replied he; whereupon they came down and embraced him. Then he sent his wives and baggage into the house and entering himself with Ahmed ed Denef, rested there three days, after which he was minded to set out for Baghdad and his father said, ‘O my son, abide with me.’ But he answered, ‘I cannot brook to be parted from my son Aslan.’ So he took his father and mother and set out for Baghdad. When they came thither, Ahmed ed Denef went in to the Khalif and gave him the glad tidings of Alaeddin’s arrival and told him his story; whereupon the Prince went forth to meet him, accompanied by his son Aslan, and they met and embraced each other. Then the Khalif sent for Ahmed Kemakim and said to Alaeddin, ‘Up and avenge thee of thine enemy!’ So he drew his sword and smote off Ahmed’s head. Then the Khalif held festival for Alaeddin and summoning the Cadis and the witnesses, married him to the princess Husn Meryem; and he went in to her and found her an unpierced pearl. Moreover, the Khalif made Aslan Chief of the Sixty and bestowed upon him and his father sumptuous dresses of honour; and they abode in the enjoyment of all the comforts and pleasures of life, till there came to them the Destroyer of Delights and the Sunderer of Companies.

  John Payne’s translation: detailed table of contents

  HATIM ET TAÏ: HIS GENEROSITY AFTER DEATH.

  It is told of Hatim et Taï, that when he died, they buried him on the top of a mountain and set over his grave two boughs hewn out of two rocks and stone figures of women with dishevelled hair. At the foot of the hill was a stream of running water, and when wayfarers camped there, they heard loud crying in the night, from dark till daybreak; but when they arose in the morning, they found nothing but the girls carved in stone. Now when Dhoulkeraa, King of Himyer, going forth of his tribe, came to the valley, he halted to pass the night there and drawing near the mountain, heard the crying and said, ‘What lamenting is that on yonder hill?’ They answered him, saying, ‘This is the tomb of Hatim et Taï, over which are two troughs of stone and stone figures of girls with dishevelled hair; and all who camp in this place by night hear this crying and lamenting.’ So he said jestingly, ‘O Hatim et Taï, we are thy guests this night, and we are lank with hunger.’ Then sleep overcame him, but presently he awoke in affright and cried out, saying, ‘Help, O Arabs! Look at my beast!’ So they came to him and finding his she-camel struggling in the death-agony, slaughtered it and roasted its flesh and ate. Then they asked him what had happened and he said, ‘When I closed my eyes, I saw in my sleep Hatim et Taï, who came to me with a sword in his hand and said to me, “Thou comest to us and we have nothing by us.” Then he smote my she-camel with his sword, and she would have died, though ye had not come to her and cut her throat.’ Next morning the prince mounted the beast of one of his companions and taking the latter up behind him, set out and fared on till midday, when they saw a man coming towards them, mounted on a camel and leading another, and said to him, ‘Who art thou?’ ‘I am Adi, son of Hatim et Taï,’ answered he. ‘Where is Dhoulkeraa, prince of Himyer?’ ‘This is he,’ replied they, and he said to the prince, ‘Take this camel in place of thine own, which my father slaughtered for thee.’ ‘Who told thee of this?’ asked Dhoulkeraa, and Adi answered, ‘My father appeared to me in a dream last night and said to me, “Harkye, Adi; Dhoulkeraa, King of Himyer, sought hospitality of me and I, having nought to give him, slaughtered him his she-camel, that he might eat: so do thou carry him a she-camel to ride, for I have nothing.”’ And Dhoulkeraa took her, marvelling at the generosity of Hatim et Taï, alive and dead.

  John Payne’s translation: detailed table of contents

  MAAN BEN ZAÏDEH AND THE THREE GIRLS.

  It is told of Maan ben Zaïdeh that, being out one day a-hunting, he became athirst and would have drunk, but his men had no water with them. Presently, he met three damsels, bearing three skins of water; so he begged drink of them, and they gave him to drink. Then he sought of his men somewhat to give the damsels; but they had no money; so he gave each girl ten golden-headed arrows from his quiver. Whereupon quoth one of them to her mates, ‘Harkye! These fashions pertain to none but Maan ben Zaïdeh; so let each of us recite somewhat of verse in his praise.’ Then said the first:

  He heads his shafts with gold and shooting at his foes, Dispenses

  thus largesse and bounties far and wide,

  Giving the wounded man wherewith to get him cure And

  grave-clothes unto him must in the tombs abide.

  And the second:

  A warrior, for the great excess of his magnificence, both friends

  and foes enjoy the goods his liberal hands dispense.

  His arrowheads are forged of gold, that so his very wars May not

  estop his generous soul from its munificence.

  And the third:

  With arrows he shoots at his foes, of his generosity, Whose heads

  are fashioned and forged of virgin gold, in steel’s room;

  That those whom he wounds may spend the price of the gold for

  their cure And those that are slain of his shafts may buy

  them the wede of the tomb.

  John Payne’s translation: detailed table of contents

  MAAN BEN ZAÏDEH AND THE BEDOUIN.

  It is told also of Maan ben Zaïdeh that he went forth one day to the chase with his company, and they came upon a herd of gazelles. So they separated in pursuit of them and Maan was left alone in chase of one of the gazelles. When he had made prize of it, he alighted and slaughtered it; and as he was thus engaged, he espied a man coming towards him on an ass. So he remounted and riding up to the new-comer, saluted him and asked him whence he c
ame. Quoth he, ‘I come from the land of Cuzaäh, where we have had a two years’ dearth; but this year it was a season of plenty and I sowed cucumbers. They came up before their time, so I gathered the best of them and set out to carry them to the Amir Maan ben Zaïdeh, because of his well-known generosity and notorious munificence.’ ‘How much cost thou hope to get of him?’ asked Maan, and the Bedouin answered, ‘A thousand diners.’ ‘What if he say, “This is too much”?’ quoth Maan. ‘Then I will ask five hundred diners,’ said the Bedouin. ‘And if he say, “Too much”?’ said Maan. ‘Then three hundred,’ replied the other. ‘And if he say yet, “Too much”?’ ‘Then two hundred.’ ‘And yet, “Too much”?’ ‘Then one hundred.’ ‘And yet, “Too much”?’ ‘Then fifty.’ ‘And yet, “Too much”?’ ‘Then thirty.’ ‘And if he still say, “Too much”?’ said Maan ben Zaïdeh. ‘Then,’ answered the Bedouin, ‘I will make my ass set his feet in his sanctuary and return to my people, disappointed and empty-handed.’ Maan laughed at him and spurring his horse, rode on till he came up with his suite and returned home, when he said to his chamberlain, ‘If there come a man with cucumbers, riding on an ass, admit him.’ Presently up came the Bedouin and was admitted to Maan’s presence, but knew him not for the man he had met in the desert, by reason of the gravity and majesty of his aspect and the multitude of his servants and attendants, for he was seated on his chair of estate, with his officers about him. So he saluted him and Maan said to him, ‘O brother of the Arabs, what brings thee?’ ‘I hoped in the Amir,’ answered the Bedouin, ‘and have brought him cucumbers out of season.’ ‘And how much cost thou expect of us?’ asked Maan. ‘A thousand diners,’ answered the Bedouin. ‘Too much,’ said Maan. Quoth the Bedouin, ‘Five hundred;’ but Maan repeated, ‘Too much.’ ‘Then three hundred,’ said the Bedouin. ‘Too much,’ said Maan. ‘Two hundred.’ ‘Too much’ ‘One hundred.’ ‘Too much’ ‘Fifty.’ ‘Too much.’ At last the Bedouin came down to thirty diners; but Maan still replied, ‘Too much.’ ‘By Allah,’ cried the Bedouin, ‘the man I met in the desert brought me ill luck! But I will not go lower than thirty diners.’ The Amir laughed and said nothing; whereupon the Bedouin knew that it was he whom he had met and said, ‘O my lord, except thou bring the thirty diners, there is the ass tied ready at the door and here sits Maan.’ At this, Maan laughed, till he fell backward, and calling his steward, said to him, ‘Give him a thousand diners and five hundred and three hundred and two hundred and one hundred and fifty and thirty and leave the ass where he is.’ So the Bedouin, to his amazement, received two thousand and nine score diners, and may God have mercy on them both!

  John Payne’s translation: detailed table of contents