One Thousand and One Nights

by Richard Burton

  Meanwhile, the survivors of the defeated army reached Isbanir and went in to Sabour, crying out and saying, ‘Alas!’ and ‘Ruin!’ and ‘Woe worth the day!’ Quoth he, ‘What hath befallen you and who hath smitten you with his mischief?’ So they told him all that had passed and how his general Rustem had embraced Islam and fallen upon them in the darkness of the night and routed them. When the King heard this, he cast his crown to the ground and said, ‘There is no worth left to us!’ Then he turned to his son Werd Shah and said to him, ‘O my son, there is none for this affair but thou.’ ‘By thy life, O my father,’ answered Werd Shah, ‘I will assuredly bring Gherib and his chiefs of the people in chains and slay all who are with him.’ Then he numbered his army and found it eleven score thousand men. So they slept, intending to set forth on the morrow; but, next morning, as they were about to depart, a cloud of dust arose and spread till it covered the lands and baffled the sharpest sight.

  Now Sabour had mounted to take leave of his son, and when he saw this great dust, he despatched a runner to discover the cause thereof, who went and returned, saying, ‘O my lord, Gherib and his men are upon you;’ where-upon they unloaded their beasts and drew out in order of battle. When Gherib came up and saw the Persians drawn out in battalia, he cried out to his men, saying, ‘Charge, and the blessing of God be upon you!’ So they waved the standards and the Arabs and the Persians drove at each other and people fell upon people. The blood ran in streams and all souls saw death face to face; the brave advanced and pressed forward and the coward turned and fled and they ceased not from the battle till ended day, when the drums beat the retreat and the two hosts drew apart. Then Sabour commanded to pitch his camp before the city-gate, and Gherib set up his tents in front of theirs and every one went to his tent until the morning. As soon as it was day, the two hosts mounted their strong horses and couched their lances and donned their harness of war; then they raised their war-cries and drew out in battle-array, whilst all the lordly champions and the lions of war came forth.

  The first to open the chapter of battle was Rustem, who spurred his charger into the mid-field and cried out, saying, ‘God is Most Great! I am Rustem, chief of the champions of the Arabs and the Persians. Who is for jousting, who is for fighting? Let no sluggard or weakling come out to me to-day!’ Then there came forth to him a champion of the Persians and there befell between them a sore battle, till Rustem smote his adversary with a mace he had with him, seventy pounds in weight, and beat his head down upon his breast, and he fell to the earth, dead and drowned in his blood. This was grievous to Sabour and he commanded his men to charge; so they drove at the Muslims, invoking the aid of the light-giving Sun, whilst the Muslims called for help upon the Magnanimous King. But the infidels outnumbered the true believers and made them drink the cup of death; which when Gherib saw, he drew his sword El Maliic and crying out [his war-cry], fell upon the Persian; with Kailjan and Courjan at his either stirrup; nor did he leave tourneying amongst them with the sword till he hewed his way to the standard-bearer and smote him on the head with the flat of his sword, whereupon he fell down in a swoon and the two Marids carried him off to their camp. When the Persians saw the standard fallen, they turned and fled towards the gates of the city; but the Muslims followed them with the sword and they crowded together to enter the city, so that they could not shut the gates and there died of them much people. Then Rustem and Saadan and Jemrcan and Sehim and Kailjan and Courjan and all the Muslim braves and the champions of the Faith of Unity fell upon the misbelieving Persians in the gates and the blood of the infidels ran in the streets like a tide, till they threw down their arms and harness and called out for quarter; whereupon the Muslims stayed their hands from the slaughter and drove them to their tents, as one drives a flock of sheep.

  Meanwhile, Gherib returned to his pavilion, where he did off his harness and washed himself of the blood of the infidels; after which he donned his royal robes and sat down on his chair of estate. Then he called for the King of the Persians and said to him, ‘O dog of the Persian; what moved thee to deal thus with thy daughter? How seest thou me unworthy to be her husband?’ And Sabour answered, saying, ‘O King, be not wroth with me for that which I did; for I repent me and came out to thee in battle but in my fear of thee.’ When Gherib heard this, he bade throw him down and beat him. So they beat him, till he could no longer groan, and cast him among the prisoners. Then Gherib expounded Islam to the Persians and six-score thousand of them embraced he faith, and the rest he put to the sword. Moreover, all the townsfolk professed Islam and Gherib mounted and entered the city in great state.

  Then he went into the King’s palace and sitting down on his throne, gave gifts and largesse and distributed the booty and treasure among the Arabs and Persians, wherefore they loved him and wished him power and victory and length of days. But Fekhr Taj’s mother remembered her daughter and raised the voice of mourning for her, and the palace was filled with crying and lamentation. Gherib heard this and entering the harem, asked the women what ailed them, whereupon the princess’s mother came forward and said, ‘O my lord, thy presence put me in mind of my daughter and how she would have joyed in thy coming, had she been alive.’ Gherib wept for her and sitting down on his throne, called for Sabour, and they brought him, stumbling in his shackles. Quoth Gherib to him, ‘O dog of the Persians, what didst thou with thy daughter?’ ‘I gave her to such an one and such an one,’ answered the King, ‘saying, “Drown her in the river Jihon.”’ So Gherib sent for the two men and said to them, ‘Is what he saith true?’ ‘Yes, O King,’ answered they; ‘yet did we not drown her, but took pity on her and left her on the banks of the Jihon, saying, “Save thyself and do not return to the city, lest the King put thee to death and us with thee.” This is all we know of her.’ When Gherib heard this, he summoned the astrologers and said to them, ‘Draw me a geomantic figure and find out what is come of Fekhr Taj and whether she is still in the chains of life or dead.’ So they levelled a table of sand and drawing a geomantic figure, said, ‘O King, the princess is alive and hath borne a male child; but she is with a tribe of the Jinn and will be absent from thee twenty years; look, therefore, how many years thou hast been absent.’ So he reckoned up the years of his absence and found them eight years and said, ‘There is no power and no virtue but in God the Most High, the Supreme!’ Then he sent for all Sabour’s governors of towns and strongholds and they came and did him homage.

  One day after this, as he sat in his palace, a cloud of dust appeared in the distance and spread till it covered the whole country and darkened the horizon. So he despatcbed the two Marids to reconnoitre, and they went forth and snatching up a horseman of the advancing army, returned and set him down before Gherib, saying, ‘Ask this fellow, for he is of the army.’ Quoth Gherib, ‘Whose army is this?’ And the man answered, ‘O King, it is the army of Khired Shah, King of Shiraz, who is come to do battle with thee.’ Now the manner of Khired Shah’s coming was on this wise. When Gherib defeated Sabour’s army, as hath been related, and took the King himself, the latter’s son fled, with a handful of his father’s men, to Shiraz, where he went in to King Khired Shah and kissed the earth before him, whilst the tears ran down his cheeks. When the King saw him in this case, he said to him, ‘Lift thy head, O youth, and tell me what makes thee weep.’ ‘O King,’ answered the prince, ‘a King of the Arabs, by name Gherib, hath fallen on us and taken the King my father prisoner and slain the Persians and made them drink the cup of death.’ And he told him all that had befallen. Quoth Khired Shah, ‘Is my wife well?’ And the prince answered, saying, ‘Gherib hath taken her.’ ‘As my head liveth,’ cried the King, ‘I will not leave a Bedouin or a Muslim on the face of the earth!’ So he wrote letters to his governors, who levied their troops and joined him with an army of fourscore and five thousand men. Then he opened his armouries and distributed arms and armour to the troops, after which he set out with them and journeyed till he came to Isbanir and encamped before the city-gate.

 
With this Kailjan and Courjan came in to Gherib and kissing his knee, said to him, ‘O King, heal our hearts and give us this army to our share!’ And he said, ‘Up and at them!’ So they flew up into the air and lighting down in the pavilion of the King of Shiraz, found him seated on his chair of estate, with the Prince of Persia sitting on his right hand, and about him his captains, with whom he was taking counsel for the slaughter of the Muslims. Kailjan caught up the Prince and Courjan the King and flew back with them to Gherib, who caused beat them, till they fainted. Then the Marids returned to the Shirazi camp and drawing their swords, which no mortal man might wield, fell upon the infidels, and God hurried their souls to the fire and evil was the abiding-place [to which they went], whilst they saw nothing but two swords flashing and reaping men, as a husbandman reaps corn. So they forsook their tents and mounting their horses bare-backed, fled for their lives. The Marids pursued them two days and slew of them much people, after which they returned and kissed Gherib’s hand. He thanked them for that which they had done and said to them, ‘The spoil of the infidels is yours alone: none shall share with you therein.’ So they called down blessings on him and going forth gathered the booty together and abode in their own place.

  Meanwhile, the remains of the beaten army drew not bridle, till they reached the city of Shiraz and there lifted up the voice of weeping for those that had been slain of them. Now King Khired Shah had a brother by name Siran the Sorcerer, than whom there was no greater wizard in his day, and he lived apart from his brother in a certain stronghold, called the Castle of Fruits, in a place abounding in trees and streams and birds and flowers, half a day’s journey from Shiraz. So the fugitives betook them thither and went in to Siran, weeping and crying out. Quoth he, ‘O folk, what ails you to weep?’ And they told him all that had happened, whereupon the light in his eyes became darkness and he said, ‘By the virtue of my faith, I will slay Gherib and all his men and leave not one alive to tell the tale!’ Then he pronounced certain magical words and summoned the Red King, who appeared and Siran said to him, ‘Go to Isbanir and fall on Gherib, as he sits upon his throne.’ ‘I hear and obey,’ answered the genie, and gathering his troops, repaired to Isbanir and set upon Gherib. When the latter saw him, he drew his sword El Mahic and he and Kailjan and Courjan fell upon the army of the Red King and slew of them five hundred and thirty and wounded the King himself grievously; whereupon he and his people fled and stayed not in their flight, till they reached the Castle of Fruits and went in to Siran, crying out and saying, ‘Woe!’ and ‘Ruin!’ And the Red King said to Siran, ‘O sage, Gherib hath with him the enchanted sword of Japhet son of Noah, whomsoever he smites withal, he cuts him in sunder, and with him also are two Marids from the Mountain Caf, given him by King Muraash. He it is who slew the Blue King and Bercan, lord of the Cornelian City, and did to death much people of the Jinn.’

  When Siran heard this, he dismissed the Red King and conjuring up a Marid, by name Zuazia, gave him a drachm of powdered henbane and said to him, ‘Take the form of a sparrow and go to King Gherib’s palace at Isbanir. Wait till he is asleep and there is none with him; then put the henbane up his nostrils and bring him to me.’ ‘I hear and obey,’ answered the Marid and changing himself into a sparrow, flew to Isbanir, where he perched on a window of the palace and waited till all Gherib’s attendants retired and the King himself slept. Then he flew down and going up to Gherib, blew the powdered henbane into his nostrils, till he lost his senses, whereupon he wrapped him in the coverlet of the bed and flew off with him, like the storm-wind, to the Castle of Fruits; where he arrived at midnight and laid his prize before Siran. The enchanter thanked him and would have put Gherib to death, as he lay senseless; but a man of his people withheld him, saying, ‘O sage, if thou slay him, his friend King Muraash will fall on us with all his Jinn and lay waste our realm.’ ‘How then shall we do with him? asked Siran. ‘Cast him into the Jihon,’ answered the other, ‘and he will ho drowned and none will know who threw him in.’ And Siran bade the Marid take Gherib and cast him into the Jihon. So he carried him down to the river-bank, but it was grievous to him to drown him, wherefore he made a raft of wood and binding it with cords, pushed it and Gherib thereon out into the current, which carried it away.

  Meanwhile, when Gherib’s people awoke in the morning and went in to do their service to their King, they found him not and seeing his rosary on the throne, awaited him awhile, but he came not. So they sought out the chamberlain and said to him, ‘Go into the harem and look for the King; for it is not his wont to tarry till this time.’ Accordingly, the chamberlain entered the harem and enquired for the King, but the women said, ‘We have not seen him mince yesterday.’ So he returned and told the officers, who were confounded and said, ‘Let us see if he have gone to take his pleasure in the gardens.’ Then they went out and questioned the gardeners if they had seen the King, and they answered, ‘No;’ whereat they were sore concerned and searched all the gardens till the end of the day, when they returned, weeping. Moreover, the Marids sought for him all round the town, but returned after three days, without having come on any tidings of him. So the people donned black and made their complaint to the Lord of all Creatures, who doth what pleaseth Him.

  Meanwhile, the current bore the raft along for five days, till it brought it to the salt sea, where the waves played with Gherib and his stomach, being troubled, threw up the henbane. Then he opened his eyes and finding himself in the midst of the sea, tossed about by the waves, said, ‘There is no power and no virtue but in God the Most Uigh, the Supreme! I wonder who hath done this thing with me!’ Presently, as he lay, knowing not what to make of his case, he caught sight of a ship and signalled with his sleeve to the sailors, who came to him and took him up, saying, ‘Who art thou and whence comest thou?’ Quoth he, ‘Do ye feed me and give me to drink, till I recover myself, and after I will tell you who I am.’ So they brought him water and victual, and he ate and drank and God restored his reason to him. Then said he to them, ‘O folk, what countrymen are ye and what is your faith? ‘We are from Kerej,’ answered they, ‘and worship an idol called Mincash.’ ‘Perdition to you and your idol!’ cried Gherib. ‘O dogs, none is worthy of worship save God who created all things, who saith to a thing “Be!” and it is.’ When they heard this, they fell upon him in great wrath and would have seized him. Now he was unarmed, but whomsoever he struck, he smote down and deprived of life, till he had felled forty men, after which they overcame him by force of numbers and bound him fast, saying. ‘We will not put him to death save in our own country, that we may [first] show him to our King.’

  Then they sailed on till they came to the city of Kerej, the builder whereof was a fierce Amalekite and set up at each gate of the city a magical figure of brass, which, whenever a stranger entered, blew a blast on a trumpet, that all in the city heard it and fell upon the stranger and slew him, except he embraced their faith. When Gherib entered the city, the brazen figure stationed at the gate blew such a terrible blast that the King was affrighted and going in to his idol, found fire and smoke issuing from its eyes and mouth and nostrils. Now a devil had entered the belly of the idol and speaking as with its tongue, said to the King of the city, ‘O King, there is come to thy city one Gherib, King of Irak, who uses to bid the folk quit their faith and worship his Lord; wherefore, when they bring him before thee, look thou spare him not’ So the King went out and sat down on his throne; and presently, the sailors brought in Gherib, saying, ‘O King, we found this youth shipwrecked in the midst of the sea, and he believeth not in our gods.’ Then they told him all that had passed and the King said, ‘Carry him to the house of the great idol and cut his throat before him, so haply he may look favourably upon us.’ But the Vizier said, ‘O King, it befits not to slaughter him thus, for he would die forthright; rather let us burn him with fire.’

  So the King commanded to cast Gherib into prison and caused wood to be brought; and they made a great pyre and set fire to it, and it burnt till the morning. Then t
he King and the people of the city came forth and the King sent to fetch Gherib; but his men found him not; so they returned and told the King, who said, ‘How made he his escape?’ Quoth they, ‘We found the doors locked and the chains and shackles cast down.’ Whereat the King marvelled and said, ‘Hath this fellow flown up to heaven or sunk into the earth?’ And they said, ‘We know not.’ Then said the King, ‘I will go and ask my god, and he will tell me whither he is gone.’ So he rose and went in, to prostrate himself to his idol, but found it not and began to rub his eyes and say, ‘Am I asleep or awake?’ Then he turned to his Vizier and said to him, ‘Where is my god and where is the prisoner? By my faith, O dog of Vmziers, hadst thou not counselled me to burn him, I had slaughtered him; for it is he who hath stolen my god and fled; and needs must I be avenged of him I’ Then he drew his sword and cut off the Vizier’s head.

  Now there was a strange cause for Gherib’s escape, and it was on this wise. When they had shut him up in a cell adjoining the temple of the idol, he rose to pray, calling upon the name of God the Most High and seeking deliverance of Him, may He be exalted and glorified! The Marid who had charge of the idol and spoke in its name, heard him and fear gat hold upon his heart and he said, ‘Confusion! Who is this that seeth me and whom I see not?’ So he went in to Gherib and throwing himself at his feet, said to him, ‘O my lord, what must I say that I may become of thy company and enter thy religion?’ ‘Say,’ answered Gherib, “‘There is no god but God, and Abraham is the Friend of God.”’ So the Marid pronounced the profession of the faith and was written of the people of felicity. Now his name was Zelzal, son of El Muzelzel, one of the chief of the Kings of the Jinn. Then he unbound Gherib and taking him and the idol, made for the upper air.