One Thousand and One Nights

by Richard Burton

  So he said to the king, ‘O my brother, knowest thou of what woman this is the portraiture, that we may seek for her?’ ‘Not I, by Allah, O my brother,’ answered Seif: and Saïd said, ‘Come and read this writing.’ So Seif read it and cried out from his inmost heart, saying, ‘Alas! Alas! Alas!’ Quoth Saïd, ‘O my brother, if the original of the portrait exist and her name be Bediya el Jemal and she be in the world, I will make haste to seek her, that thou mayst without delay attain thy desire. But, God on thee, O my brother, leave this weeping, that the officers of the state may come in, to do their service to thee, and in the forenoon, do thou summon the merchants and fakirs and travellers and pilgrims and enquire of them concerning this city and the garden of Irem; it may be, by the help and blessing of God (extolled and exalted be He!), some one of them will direct us thither.’

  So, when it was day, Seif el Mulouk went forth and mounted the throne, hugging the tunic in his arms, for he could neither stand nor sit without it, nor would sleep visit him, except it were with him; and the amirs and viziers and grandees and officers came in to him. When they were all assembled in their places and the Divan was complete, he said to his vizier, ‘Go to them and tell them that the king is sick and hath passed the night in ill case.’ So Saïd went forth and told the folk what he said; which when the old king heard, he was concerned for his son and summoning the physicians and astrologers, carried them in to Seif el Mulouk.

  They looked at him and prescribed him draughts and simples and medicinal waters and wrote him charms and incensed him with aloes-wood and ambergris three days’ space; but his malady persisted three months, till King Aasim was wroth with the physicians and said to them, ‘Out on you, O dogs! Can none of you cure my son? Except ye heal him forthright, I will put you all to death.’ ‘O king of the age,’ replied the chief physician, ‘we know that this is thy son and thou knowest that we fail not of diligence in tending a stranger; so how much more with thy son? But thy son is afflicted with a grievous malady, which if thou desire to know, we will discover it to thee.’ Quoth Aasim, ‘What find ye then to be my son’s malady?’ ‘O king of the age,’ answered the physician, ‘thy son is in love and with one to whose enjoyment he hath no way of access.’ At this the king was wroth and said, ‘How know ye that my son is in love and how came love to him?’ ‘Ask his vizier and brother Saïd,’ answered they; ‘for he knoweth his case.’

  So the king called Saïd into his privy closet and said to him, ‘Tell me the truth of my son’s malady.’ But Saïd replied, ‘I know it not.’ Then King Aasim said to the headsman, ‘Take Saïd and bind his eyes and strike off his head.’ Whereupon Saïd feared for himself and said, ‘O king of the age, grant me immunity.’ ‘Speak,’ answered the king; ‘and thou shalt have it.’ Then said Saïd, ‘Thy son is in love.’ ‘With whom is he in love?’ asked the old king: and Saïd replied, ‘With a king’s daughter of the Jinn, whose portait he saw wroughten on the tunic that was in the wrapper given thee by Solomon, prophet of God.’

  When the king heard this, he rose, and going in to his son, said to him, ‘O my son, what is this portrait whereof thou art enamoured and why didst thou not tell me?’ ‘O my father,’ answered Seif el Mulouk, ‘I was ashamed to name this to thee and could not bring myself to discover aught thereof to any; but now thou knowest my case, look how thou mayest do to cure me.’ ‘What is to be done?’ rejoined his father. ‘Were she of the daughters of men, we might find a means of coming at her; but she is a king’s daughter of the Jinn and who can avail to her, except it be Solomon son of David, and hardly he? Wherefore, O my son, do thou arise forthright and take heart and mount and ride out a-hunting or to the games in the tilting-ground. Divert thyself with eating and drinking and put away grief and concern from thy heart, and I will bring thee a hundred kings’ daughters; for thou hast no call to the daughters of the Jinn, over whom we have no power and who are not of our kind.’ But Seif said, ‘I cannot renounce her nor will I seek another than her.’ ‘How then shall we do, O my son?’ asked King Aasim; and Seif said, ‘Bring us all the merchants and travellers and pilgrims in the city, that we may question them of the city of Babel and the garden of Irem. Peradventure, God will guide us thereto.’

  So King Aasim summoned all the merchants and strangers and sea-captains in the city and enquired of them for the city of Babel and its peninsula and the garden of Irem; but none of them knew these places nor could any give him tidings thereof. However, when the session broke up, one of them said to the king, ‘O king of the age, if thou hast a mind to know this thing, get thee to the land of China; for it is a vast and safe country, wherein are store of rarities and things of price and folk of all kinds [and nations] and thou shalt not come to the knowledge of this city and garden but from its people; it may be one of them will direct thee to that thou seekest.’ Whereupon quoth Seif el Mulouk, ‘O my father, equip me a ship, that I may journey to the land of China.’

  ‘O my son,’ replied the old king, ‘abide thou on the throne of thy kingship and rule thy subjects, and I myself will make the voyage to China and enquire for thee of the city of Babel and the garden of Irem.’ But Seif rejoined, saying, ‘O my father, this affair concerneth me and none can prosecute the search after it like myself: so, come what will, if thou give me leave to make the voyage, I will depart and travel in foreign countries awhile. If I find tidings of her, my desire will be attained, and if not, belike the voyage will dilate my breast and recruit my spirits; and peradventure by foreign travel my case will be made easy to me, and if I live, I shall return to thee whole and sound.’

  The old king looked at his son and saw nothing for it but to do what he wished; so he fitted him out forty ships, manned with twenty thousand men, besides servants, and gave him great plenty of treasures and necessaries and warlike gear, as much as he required. When the ships were laden with water and victual and arms and troops, Seif’s father and mother bade him farewell and the former said, ‘Depart, O my son, and travel in health and weal and safety. I commend thee to Him who disappointeth not those that put their trust in Him.’ So the prince embarked, with his brother Saïd, and they weighed anchor and sailed till they came to the City of China.

  When the people heard of the coming of forty ships, full of armed men and stores, they doubted not but they were enemies come to make war on them and beleaguer them; so they shut the gates of the town and made ready the mangonels. But Seif, hearing of this, despatched two of his chief officers to the King of China, bidding them say to him, ‘This is Seif el Mulouk, son of King Aasim of Egypt, who is come to thy city as a guest, to divert himself by viewing thy country awhile, and not for battle or contention; so, an thou wilt receive him, he will come ashore to thee: else he will return and will not disquiet thee nor the people of thy city.’ So they presented themselves at the gates of the city and said, ‘We bear a message from King Seif el Mulouk.’ Whereupon the townsfolk opened the gates and carried them to their king, whose name was Feghfour Shah and between whom and King Aasim there had been acquaintance erewhen. So, when he heard that the new-comer was the son of King Aasim, he bestowed dresses of honour on the messengers and bidding open the gates, made ready guest-gifts and went forth, with the chief officers of his realm, to meet Seif el Mulouk.

  The two kings embraced and Feghfour said to Seif, ‘Welcome and fair welcome to him who cometh to us! I am thy servant and thy father’s servant: my city is at thy disposal and whatsoever thou seekest shall be brought to thee.’ Then he presented him with the guest-gifts and victual, and they took horse, with the Vizier Saïd and the chiefs of their officers and the rest of their troops, and rode from the sea-shore to the city, which they entered with drums beating and cymbals clashing, in token of rejoicing. There they abode forty days, in the enjoyment of fair hospitality, at the end of which time the King of China said to Seif el Mulouk, ‘O son of my brother, how is it with thee? Doth my country please thee?’ Quoth Seif, ‘May God the Most High long honour it with thee, O King!’ And Feghfour said, ‘Nought hat
h brought thee hither save some need that hath betided thee; [so tell me] what thou desirest of my country, and I will accomplish it to thee.’ ‘O king,’ answered Seif, ‘my case is a rare one,’ and told him how he had fallen in love with the portrait of Bediya el Jemal.

  When the King of China heard his story, he wept for pity and solicitude for him and said, ‘And what wouldst thou have now, O Seif el Mulouk?’ Quoth Seif, ‘I would have thee bring me all the pilgrims and travellers and seafarers in the country, that I may question them of the original of this portrait; belike one of them may give me tidings of her.’ So Feghfour Shah sent out his lieutenants and officers and chamberlains, to fetch all the pilgrims and travellers in the land, and they brought them before the two kings, and they were a numerous company. Then Seif el Mulouk questioned them of the City of Babel and the Garden of Irem, but none of them returned him an answer, wherefore he was confounded and knew not what to do; but one of the sea-captains said to him, ‘O king, if thou wouldst know of this city and garden, get thee to the Islands of the Indian Sea.’

  So Seif bade repair the ships; which being done, they launched them on the sea and freighted them with victual and water and all that they needed, and Seif el Mulouk and his Vizier Saïd re-embarked, with all their men, after they had taken leave of King Feghfour Shah. They sailed the seas with a fair wind, in safety and security, four months, till, one day, there came out upon them a wind and the waves smote on them from all sides. The rain and hail descended on them and the sea was troubled for the violence of the wind; by reason whereof the ships drove one against another and broke up, as did the boats, and all on board were drowned, except Seif el Mulouk and some of his servants, who saved themselves in a little boat. Then, by the decree of God the Most High, the wind fell and the sun shone out; whereupon Seif opened his eyes and seeing no sign of the ships nor aught but sky and water, said to those who were with him in the boat, ‘Where are the ships and boats and where is my brother Saïd?’ ‘O king of the age,’ answered they, ‘there remain nor ships nor boats nor those who were therein; for they are all drowned and become food for fishes.’

  When he heard this, he cried aloud and repeated the words which whoso saith shall not be confounded, and they are, ‘There is no power and no virtue save in God the Most High, the Supreme!’ Then he fell to buffeting his face and would have cast himself into the sea, but his men withheld him, saying, ‘O king, what will this profit thee? Thou hast brought all this on thyself; for, hadst thou hearkened to thy father’s words, nought thereof had befallen thee. But this was fore-ordained from all eternity by the will of the Creator of Souls, that the creature might accomplish that which God hath decreed unto him. And indeed, at the time of thy birth, the astrologers predicted to thy father that all manner of troubles should befall thee. So there is nothing for it but patience till God the Most High deliver us from this our strait.’ ‘There is no power and no virtue save in God the Most High, the Supreme!’ replied the prince. ‘Neither is there refuge nor fleeing from that which He decreeth!’ And he sighed and recited the following verses:

  By the Compassionate, I’m dazed about my case, for lo! Troubles and grief beset me sore; I know not whence they grow.

  I will be patient, so the folk, that I against a thing, Bitt’rer than very aloes’ self, enduréd have, may know.

  Less bitter than my patience is the taste of aloes-juice; I’ve borne with patience what’s more hot than coals with fire aglow.

  In this my trouble what resource have I, save to commit My case to Him who orders all that is, for weal or woe?

  Then he became drowned in the sea of melancholy thought and his tears ran down upon his cheeks, like a great rain. He slept awhile of the day, after which he awoke and sought food. So they set food before him and he ate till he had enough whilst the boat drove on with them they knew not whither. It drifted with them night and day, at the winds’ and waves’ will, a great while, till their victual was spent and they knew not what to do and were reduced to the last extremity for hunger and thirst and weariness. At last they sighted an island afar off and the breezes drove them on, till they came thither and making the boat fast to the shore, landed. They left one in the boat, to guard it, and fared on into the island, where they found abundance of fruits of all kinds and ate of them, till they were satisfied.

  Presently, they saw a man sitting among the trees, and he was of strange aspect, long-faced and white of beard and body. He called to one of the servants by his name, saying, ‘Eat not of those fruits, for they are not ripe; but come hither to me, that I may give thee to eat of these that are ripe.’ The man looked at him and thought that he was one of the shipwrecked folk, who had made his way to the island; so he rejoiced greatly at sight of him and went up to him, knowing not what was decreed to him in the secret purpose of God nor what was written on his forehead. But, when he drew near the stranger, he leapt upon his shoulders and twisting one of his legs about his neck, let the other hang down upon his back, saying, ‘Go on; for there is no escape for thee from me and thou art become my ass.’ Thereupon the man fell a-weeping and cried out to his fellows, saying, ‘Alas, my lord! Flee forth of this wood and save yourselves, for one of the dwellers therein hath mounted on my shoulders, and the rest seek you, that they may ride you likewise.’

  When they heard this, they all fled down to the boat and pushed off to sea; whilst the islanders followed them into the water, saying, ‘Whither go ye? Come, bide with us and we will ride on your backs and give you meat and drink, and you shall be our asses.’ With this, they redoubled their efforts, till they left them in the distance and fared on, trusting in God the Most High; nor did they leave going a whole month, till they came to another island and landed. Here they found fruits of various kinds and busied themselves with eating of them. Presently, they saw, afar off, somewhat lying in the road, as it were a column of silver. So they went up to it and one of the men gave it a push with his foot, when, lo, it was a creature of hideous aspect, long-eyed, cleft-headed and hidden under one of his ears, for he was used, whenas he lay down to sleep, to spread one ear under his head and cover himself with the other. He snatched up the man who had kicked him and carried him off into the inward of the island, and behold, it was all full of ghouls who eat men. So the man cried out to his fellows, saying, ‘Flee and save yourselves, for this is the island of the man-eating ghouls, and they mean to tear me in pieces and eat me.’

  When they heard this, they fled back to the boat, without gathering any store of the fruits, and putting out to sea, fared on some days till they came to another island, where they found a high mountain. So they climbed to the top and found there a thick wood. Now they were anhungred; so they fell to eating of the fruits; but, before they aware, there came upon them from among the trees black men of terrible aspect, each fifty cubits high, with teeth like elephants’ tusks protruding from their mouths, and laying hands on Seif el Mulouk and his company, carried them to their king, whom they found seated on a piece of black felt laid on a rock, and about him a great company of blacks, standing in his service. Quoth the blacks to him, ‘We found these birds among the trees;’ and he was anhungred; so he took two of the servants and killed them and ate them; which when Seif saw, he feared for himself and wept and repeated these verses:

  Troubles familiar with my heart are grown and I with them, Erst shunning; for the generous are sociable still.

  Not one mere kind of woe alone doth lieger with me lie; Praised be God! there are with me thousands of kinds of ill.

  Then he sighed and repeated these also:

  Fate with afflictions still hath so beshotten me, With shafts, as with a sheath, my entrails are o’erlaid;

  And thus in such a case am I become that, when An arrow striketh me, blade breaketh upon blade.

  When the king heard his weeping and wailing, he said, ‘Verily, these birds have sweet voices and their song pleaseth me: put them in cages.’ So they set them each in a cage and hung them up at the king’s head, that he might he
ar their song. On this wise Seif and his men abode a great while, and the blacks gave them to eat and drink: and now they wept and now laughed, now spoke and now were silent, whilst the king of the blacks delighted in the sound of their voices.

  Now this king had a daughter married in another island, who, hearing that her father had birds with sweet voices, sent to him to seek of him some of them. So he sent her, by her messenger, Seif el Mulouk and three of his men in four cages; and when she saw them, they pleased her and she commanded to hang them up in a place over her head. Then Seif fell to marvelling at that which had befallen him and calling to mind his former high estate and weeping for himself; and the three servants wept for themselves, whilst the king’s daughter deemed that they sang. Now it was her wont, whenever any one from the land of Egypt or elsewhere fell into her hands and he pleased her, to advance him to high estate with her; and by the ordinance of God the Most High, it befell that, when she saw Seif el Mulouk, his beauty and grace and symmetry pleased her, and she commanded to loose him and his companions from their cages and bade entreat them with honour.

  One day she took Seif apart and would have him lie with her; but he refused, saying, ‘O my lady, I am an exile and distraught with passion for a beloved one, nor will I consent to love-delight with other than her.’ Then she coaxed him and importuned him, but he held aloof from her, and she could not anywise approach him nor get her desire of him. At last, when she was weary of courting him in vain, she waxed wroth with him and his men and commanded that they should serve her and fetch her wood and water.