One Thousand and One Nights

by Richard Burton

  Meanwhile, Raadshah returned to his pavilion, where his chiefs came in to him and asked him of his adversary, and he said, ‘By the sparkling fire, never in my life saw I the like of yonder warrior! But to-morrow I will take him prisoner and lead him away, abject and humbled.’ Then they slept till daybreak, when the drums beat to battle and the fighting-men girt on their scimitars and mounting their stout horses, raised their war-cries and drew out into the field, filling all the hills and plains and wide places. The first to open the chapter of battle was the prince of cavaliers and the lion of war, King Gherib, who drove his steed between the two hosts and spurred to and fro, crying, ‘Who is for jousting, who is for fighting? Let no sluggard nor weakling come out to me to-day!’ Before he had made an end of speaking, out came Raadshah, riding on an elephant, as he were a vast tower, in a howdah girthed with silken bands; and between the elephant’s ears sat the driver, bearing in his hand a hook, wherewith he goaded the beast and directed him right and left. When the elephant drew near Gherib’s horse, the latter, seeing a creature it had never before set eyes on, took fright; wherefore Gherib dismounted and gave the horse to Kailjan. Then he drew El Mahic and advanced to meet Raadshah on foot.

  Now it was Raadshah’s wont, when he found himself overmatched, to mount an elephant, taking with him an engine called the noose, which was in the shape of a net, narrow at top and wide at bottom, with a running cord of silk passed through rings along its edges. With this he would attack horsemen and casting the net over them, draw the running noose and pull the rider off his horse and make him prisoner; and thus had he conquered many cavaliers. So, when Gherib came up to him, he raised his hand and casting the net over him, pulled him on to the back of the elephant and cried out to the latter to return to the Indian camp. But Kailjan and Courjan, who had not left Gherib, laid hold of the elephant and falling upon Raadshah, bound him wlth a rope of palm-fibres, whilst Gherib strove with the net, till he rent it in sunder. Thereupon the two armies drove at each other and met with a shock like two seas crashing or two mountains smiting together, whilst the dust rose to the confines of the sky and all eyes were blinded. The battle waxed fierce and the blood ran in streams, nor did they cease to wage war lustily with push of pike and stroke of sword, till the day departed and the night brought on the darkness, when the drums beat the retreat and the two hosts drew asunder.

  Now the Muslims were hard pushed that day by reason of the riders on elephants and giraffes, and many of them were slain and most of the rest wounded. This was grievous to Gherib, who commanded the wounded to be cared for and turning to his chief officers, asked them what they counselled. ‘O King,’ answered they, ‘it is but the elephants and giraffes that irk us; were we but quit of them, we should overcome the enemy.’ Quoth Kailjan and Courjan, ‘We two will draw our swords and fall on them and slay the most part of them.’ But there came forward a man of Oman, who had been privy counsellor to Julned, and said, ‘O King, I will be surety for the army, if thou wilt but hearken to me and follow my counsel.’ And Gherib turned to his captains and said to them, ‘Obey this wise man in whatsoever he shall say to you.’ And they answered, saying, ‘We hear and obey.’ So he chose out ten captains and said to them, ‘How many men have ye under your hands?’ And they replied, ‘Ten thousand fighting-men.’ Then he carried them into the armoury and armed [five thousand of them with arquebuses and other] five thousand with cross-bows and taught them to shoot therewith.

  As soon as it was day, the Indians came out to the field, armed cap-a-pie, with the elephants and giraffes in their van; whereupon Gherib and his men mounted and the drums beat and both hosts drew out in battle array. Then the counsellor cried out to the archers and arquebusiers to shoot, and they plied the elephants and giraffes with shafts and bullets. The arrows and the lead entered the beasts’ flanks, and they roared out and turning upon their own ranks, trampled them with their feet. Then the Muslims charged the misbelievers and set on them right and left, whilst the elephants and giraffes trampled them and drove them into the hills and deserts. Moreover, the Muslims followed hard upon them with the keen-edged sword and but few of the giraffes and elephants escaped.

  Then Gherib and his folk returned, rejoicing in their victory; and on the morrow they divided the spoil and rested five days; after which King Gherib sat down on his throne and sending for his brother Agib, said to him, ‘O dog, how hast thou assembled the kings against us! But He who hath power over all things hath given us the victory over thee. Wherefore do thou embrace Islam and thou shalt be saved, and I will forbear to avenge my father and mother on thee. Moreover, I will make thee King again as thou wast and will myself be under thy hand.’ But Agib said, ‘I will not leave my faith.’ So Gherib bade lay him in irons and appointed a hundred stalwart slaves to guard him; after which he turned to Raadshah and said to him. ‘How sayst thou of the faith of Islam?’ ‘O my lord,’ answered Raadshah, ‘I will enter thy faith, for, were it not a true faith and a goodly, thou hadst not carried it over us. So put forth thy hand and I will testify that there is no god but God and that Abraham the Friend is His apostle.’ At this Gherib rejoiced and said to him ‘Is thy heart indeed stablished in the sweetness of the Faith?’ And he answered, saying, ‘Yes, O my lord!’ Then said Gherib, ‘O Raadshah, wilt thou go to thy country and thy kingdom?’ ‘O my lord,’ replied he, ‘my father will put me to death, for that I have left his faith.’ Quoth Gherib, ‘I will go with thee and make thee King of the country and constrain the folk to obey thee, by the help of God the Bountiful, the Beneficent.’ And Raadshah kissed his hands and feet. Then Gherib rewarded the counsellor, who had been the cause of the rout of the infidels, and gave him great riches; after which be turned to Kailjan and Courjan and said to them, ‘O chiefs of the Jinn, it is my will that ye carry me, together with Raadshah and Jemrcan and Saadan, to the land of Hind.’ ‘We hear and obey,’ answered they. So Courjan took up Jemrcan and Saadan, whilst Kailjan took Gherib and Raadshah, and flew on with them from sundown till the end of the night, when they set them down on the terrace of King Terkenan’s palace at Cashmere.

  Now news was come to Terkenan of the rout of his army and that his son [was a prisoner], whereat he was sore troubled and slept not neither took delight in aught. As he sat in his harem, pondering his case, behold, Gherib and his company descended the stairways of the palace and came in to him; and when he saw his son and those who were with him, he was confounded and fear took him of the Marids. Then Raadshah turned to him and said, ‘How long wilt thou persist in thy frowardness, O traitor and worshipper of the Fire? Woe to thee! Leave worshipping the fire and serve the Magnanimous King, Creator of night and day, whom no sight attaineth.’ When Terkenan heard his son’s speech, he cast at him an iron mace he had by him; but he avoided it and it fell upon a buttress of the palace and smote out three stones. Then said the King, ‘O dog, thou hast destroyed my troops and forsaken thy faith and comest now to make me do likewise!’ With this Gherib stepped up to him and dealt him a buffet on the neck, that knocked him down; whereupon the Marids bound him fast and all the women fled.

  Then Gherib sat down on the throne and said to Raadshah, ‘Do thou justice upon thy father.’ So Raadshah turned to him and said, ‘O perverse old man, become a Muslim and thou shalt be saved from the fire and the wrath of the Almighty.’ And Terkenan said, ‘I will die in my own faith.’ Whereupon Gherib drew El Mahic and smote him therewith, and he fell to the earth in two piece; and God hurried his soul to the fire and ill was the abiding-place [to which he went]. Then Gherib bade hang his body over the gate of the palace and they hung one-half on the right hand and the other on the left and waited tilt day, when Gherib caused Raadshah don the royal habit and sit down on his father’s throne, with himself on his right hand and Jemrcan and Saadan and the Marids standing right and left; and he said to Kailjan and Courjan,’Whoso entereth of the princes and officers, seize him and bind him, and let not a single captain escape you.’ And they answered, saying, ‘We hear and obey.’

/>   Presently, the officers made for the palace, to do their service to the King, and the first to appear was the chief captain, who, seeing Terkenan’s dead body cut in half and banging on either side the gate, was seized with horror and amazement. Then Kailjan laid hold of him by the collar and dragged him into the palace and bound him; and before sunrise they had bound three hundred and fifty captains and set them before Gherib, who said to them, ‘Have you seen your King hanging at the palace-gate?’ Quoth they, ‘Who hath done this thing?’ And he answered, ‘I did it, by the help of God the Most High; and whoso gainsayeth me, I will do with him likewise.’ Then said they, ‘What is thy will with us?’ ‘I am Gherib, King of Irak,’ answered he, ‘he who slew your warriors; and now Raadshah has embraced the faith of submission and is become a mighty king and ruler over you. So do ye become true believers and all shall be well with you; but, If you refuse, you shall repent it.’ So they pronounced the profession of the faith and were numbered of the people of felicity. Then said Gherib, ‘Are your hearts indeed stablished in the sweetness of the Faith?’ And they answered, ‘Yes;’ whereupon he bade release them and clad them in robes of honour, saying, ‘Go to your people and expound Islam to them. Whosoever accepts the faith, spare him; but, if he refuse, slay him.’ So they went out and assembling the men under their command, expounded Islam to them, and they all professed, except a few, whom they put to death; after which they returned and told Gherib, who praised God the Most High and glorified Him, saying, ‘Praised be God who hath made this thing easy to us without strife!’

  Then he abode in Cashmere forty days, till he had ordered the affairs of the country and cast down the shrines and temples of the Fire and built mosques and places of worship in their stead, whilst Raadshah made ready for him gifts and treasures beyond count and despatched them to Irak in ships. Then Gherib mounted on Kailjan’s back and Jemrcan and Saadan on that of Courjan, after they had taken leave of Raadshah, and before daybreak they were in Oman, where their troops met them and saluted them and rejoiced in them. Then they set out for Cufa, where Gherib called for his brother Agib and commanded to crucify him on the city-gate and shoot at him with arrows. So Sehim brought hooks of iron and driving them into the tendons of Agib’s heels, hung him over the gate; and they riddled him with arrows, till be was like a porcupine.

  Then Gherib entered his palace and sitting down on the throne of his kingship, passed the day in ordering the affairs of the state. At nightfall he went in to his harem, where Morning Star came to meet him and embraced him and gave him joy, she and her women, of his safety. He lay the night with her and on the morrow, after he had washed and prayed the morning prayer, he sat down on his throne and commanded preparation to be made for his marriage with Mehdiyeh. So they slaughtered three thousand head of sheep and two thousand oxen and a thousand goats and five hundred camels and the like number of horses, beside four thousand fowls and great store of geese; never was such a wedding in Islam to that day. Then he went in to Mehdiyeh and did away her maidenhead and abode with her ten days; after which he committed the kingdom to his uncle Damigh, charging him to rule the people justly, and journeyed with his women and warriors, till he came to the ships laden with presents, which Raadshah had sent him, and divided the treasure among his troops. Then they fared on till they reached the city of Babel, where he bestowed on Sehim a dress of honour and appointed him Sultan of the city. He abode with him ten days, at the end of which time he set out again and journeyed till he reached the castle of Saadan the Ghoul, where they rested five days.

  Then said Gherib to Kailjan and Courjan, ‘Go ye to Isbanir el Medain, to the palace of Chosroës, and find what is come of Fekhr Taj and bring me one of the King’s kinsmen, who shall acquaint me with what has passed.’ ‘We hear and obey,’ answered they and set out forthright for Isbanir. As they flew between heaven and earth, they caught sight of a mighty army, as it were the swollen sea, and Kailjan said to Courjan, ‘Let us descend and see what is this army.’ So they alighted and walking among the troops, found them Persians and questioned the soldiers whose men they were and whither they were bound; to which they made answer, saying, ‘We are bound for Irak, to kill Gherib and all who are with him.’ When the Marids heard this, they repaired to the pavilion of the Persian general, whose name was Rustem, and waited till the soldiers slept, when they took up Rustem, bed and all, and made for Gherib’s camp. They arrived there by mid night and going to the door of the King’s pavilion, said, ‘Permission;’ which when the latter heard, he sat up and said, ‘Enter.’ So they entered and set down the couch with Rustem asleep thereon. Quoth Gherib, ‘Who is this?’ and they answered, ‘This is a Persian prince, whom we met coming with a great host, thinking to slay thee and thine; and we have brought him to thee, that he may tell thee what thou hast a mind to know.’ ‘Fetch me a hundred men,’ said Gherib, and they fetched them; whereupon he made them draw their swords and stand at Rustem’s head.

  Then they awoke him and he opened his eyes and finding a vault of steel over his head, shut them again, saying, ‘What is this foul dream?’ But Kailjan pricked him with his sword-point and he sat up and said ‘Where am I?’ Quoth Sehim, ‘Thou art in the presence of King Gherib, son-in-law of the King of the Persians. What is thy name and whither goest thou?’ When Rustem heard Gherib’s name, he bethought himself and said, ‘Am I asleep or on wake?’ Whereupon Sehim dealt him a buffet, saving, ‘Why dost thou not answer?’ And he raised his head and said, ‘Who brought me from my tent out of the midst of my men?’ Quoth Gherib, ‘These two Marids brought thee.’ So he looked at them and voided in his hose [for affright]. Then the Marids fell upon him, baring their tusks and brandishing their swords, and said to him, ‘Wilt thou not rise and kiss the earth before King Gherib?’ and he trembled at them and was assured that he was not asleep; so he stood up and kissed the earth before Gherib, saying, ‘The blessing of the Fire be on thee, O King, and long be thy life!’ ‘O dog of the Persians,’ answered Gherib, ‘fire is not worshipful, for that it is harmful and profiteth not save for [cooking] food.’ ‘Who then is worshipful?’ asked Rustem; and Gherib replied, saying, ‘God alone is worshipworth, who made thee and formed thee and created the heavens and the earth.’ Quoth the Persian, ‘What shall I say, that I may become of the party of this Lord and enter thy faith?’ ‘Say,’ rejoined Gherib, ‘“There is no god but God, and Abraham is the friend of God.”’ So Rustem pronounced the profession of the faith and was written of the people of felicity.

  Then said he to Gherib, ‘Know, O my lord, that thy father-in-law, King Sabour, seeks to kill thee and hath sent me with a hundred thousand men, charging me to spare none of you.’ Quoth Gherib, ‘Is this my reward for having delivered his daughter from death and dishonour? God will requite him his evil intent. But what is thy name?’ And the Persian answered, saying, ‘My name is Rustem, general of Sabour.’ Quoth Gherib, ‘Thou shalt have the like rank in my army. But tell me, O Rustem, how is it with the princess Fekhr Taj?’ ‘May thy head live, O King of the age!’ answered Rustem. ‘What was the cause of her death?’ asked Gherib; and Rustem said, ‘O my lord, no sooner badst thou left us, than one of the princess’s women went in to King Sabour and said to him, “O my lord, didst thou give Gherib leave to lie with the princess my mistress?” “ No, by the virtue of the fire!” answered he, and drawing his sword, went in to his daughter and said to her, “O filthy baggage, why didst thou suffer yonder Bedouin to lie with thee, without wedding or dower?” “O my father,” answered she, “thou gavest him leave to lie with me.” “Did he have to do with thee?” asked he. But she was silent and hung down her head. Then he cried out to the midwives and slave-girls, saying, “Bind this harlot’s hands behind her and look at her privy parts!” So they did as he bade and said to him, “O King, she hath lost her maidenhead.” Whereupon he ran at her and would have slain her, but her mother threw herself between them, saying, “O King, slay her not, lest thou be for ever dishonoured; but shut her in a cell till she die.” So he cast her
into prison till nightfall, when he called two of his officers and said to them, “Carry her afar off and cast her into the river Jihon and tell none.” They did his commandment, and indeed her memory is forgotten and her time is past.’

  When Gherib heard this, he said, ‘By the virtue of Abraham the Friend, I will assuredly go to yonder dog and destroy him and lay waste his kingdom!’ Then he sent letters to Jemrcan and to the governors of Mosul and Meyya Farikin and turning to Rustem, said to him, ‘How many men hadst thou in thine army?’ ‘A hundred thousand Persian horse,’ answered he. And Gherib said, ‘Take ten thousand horse and go to thy people and occupy them with war.’ So Rustem took ten thousand Arab horse and departed, saying in himself, ‘I will do a thing that shall whiten my face with King Gherib.’ So he fared on seven days, till there remained but half a day’s journey between him and the Persian camp; when he divided his men into four troops and bade them attack the Persians from different sides and fall on them with the sword. So they rode on from even-tide till midnight, when they came to the camp of the Persians, who were asleep in security, and fell upon them, shouting, ‘God is Most Great!’ Whereupon the Persians started up from sleep and their feet slipped and the sabre went round amongst them; for the All-knowing King was wroth with them, and Rustem wrought amongst them as fire in dry firewood, till, by the end of the night, the whole of the Persian host was slain or wounded or fled, and the Muslims made prize of their tents and baggage and horses and camels and treasure-chests. Then they alighted and rested in the tents of the beaten army, till Gherib came up and seeing what Rustem had done, invested him with a dress of honour and said to him, ‘O Rustem, it was thou didst put the Persians to the rout; wherefore all the spoil is thine.’ So he kissed Gherib’s hand and thanked him, and they rested till the end of the day, when they set out for King Sabour’s capitaL