One Thousand and One Nights

by Richard Burton

  Still mayst thou last in glory and prosper, house of mine, As long as night shall darken, as long as lights shall shine!

  All at thy gates who enter good luck embrace and good From thee betide each comer in one unbroken line!

  And on the fourth was painted in yellow characters the following verse:

  This garden and this lake, a pleasant sitting-place, These, by the clement Lord, are all I ask of grace.

  Moreover, in that garden were birds of all kinds, turtle and cushat and culver and nightingale, each carolling his several song, and amongst them the lady, swaying gracefully to and fro and ravishing all who saw her with her beauty and grace and symmetry. ‘O man,’ said she to Mesrour, ‘what brings thee into a house other than thy house and wherefore comest thou in unto women other than thy women, without leave of their owner?’ ‘O my lady,’ answered he, ‘I saw this garden, and the goodliness of its verdure pleased me and the fragrance of its flowers and the singing of its birds; so I entered, thinking to gaze on it awhile and go my way.’ ‘With all my heart,’ said she. Mesrour was amazed at the sweetness of her speech and the amorous languor of her glances and the elegance of her shape, and transported by her beauty and grace and the pleasantness of the garden and the birds. So he recited the following verses:

  She shone, a moon, amongst the ways, midmost a garden fair, Wherein sweet jessamine and rose and fragrant basil were,

  And myrtle and anemones blood-red and eglantine And violets, compassing about the cassia-tree, blew there.

  The zephyr steals from it the scents, wherewith it laden is; Its perfume from the boughs exhaled, breathes fragrance everywhere.

  Hail, O thou garden, that all flowers and sweets doth comprehend, That perfect art in every grace and fashion of the fair!

  Under the shadow of thy boughs the full moon shineth bright And with the sweetest melodies the song-birds fill thine air.

  Thy ringdove and thy mocking-bird, yea, and thy turtle-dove And nightingales stir up my soul to longing and despair;

  And yearning harbours in my heart: dazed at thy goodliness Am I, and as one stupefied for drunkenness, I fare.

  Then she said to him, ‘Harkye, sirrah! Begone about thy business, for we are none of the women who are neither thine nor another’s.’ And he answered, ‘O my lady, I said nothing ill.’ Quoth she, ‘Thou soughtest to divert thyself with the sight [of the garden] and thou hast looked on it; so go thy ways.’ ‘O my lady,’ said he, ‘belike [thou wilt give me] a draught of water, for I am athirst.’ Quoth she, ‘How canst thou drink of a Jew’s water, and thou a Nazarene?’ But he replied, ‘O my lady, your water is not forbidden to us nor ours to you, for we are all [as] one creature.’ So she said to her slave-girl, ‘Give him to drink.’ And she did so. Then she called for the table of food, and there came four damsels, high-bosomed maids, bearing four trays [of meats] and four flagons full of old wine, as it were the tears of a slave of love for clearness, and [set them down before him on] a table around whose marge were graven the following verses:

  They set a table down before the boon companions’ eyne, For eating, borne on wroughten feet of gold and silver fine;

  The Garden of Eternity it seemed, the which unites All that the soul can weary for of costly meat and wine.

  Quoth she, ‘Thou soughtest to drink of our drink; so up and at our meat and drink!’ He could hardly credit his ears and set down forthright at the table; whereupon she bade her nurse give him a cup, that he might drink. Now her slave-girls were called, one Huboub, another Khutoub and the third Sukoub, and she who gave him the cup was Huboub. Presently, the breeze blew [on the lady] and the scarf fell from her head and discovered a fillet of glittering gold, set with pearls and jewels and jacinths; and on her breast was a necklace of all manner gems and precious stones, to which hung a sparrow of red gold, with feet of red coral and bill of white silver and [body] full of aloes and ambergris and odoriferous musk. Then he looked at the breast of her shift and saw thereon the following verse wroughten in red gold:

  The fragrance of musk, that breathes from the breasts of the fair, The zephyr borrows, to sweeten the morning air.

  Mesrour marvelled at this with an exceeding wonder and was confounded at her charms and amazement got hold upon him. Then said she to him, ‘Begone from us and go about thy business, lest the neighbours hear of and even us with the lewd.’ ‘By Allah, O my lady,’ replied he, ‘suffer me to enjoy the sight of thy beauty and grace.’ With this she was wroth with him and leaving him, walked in the garden, followed by her maids [Khutoub and Sukoub], whilst Huboub abode by the curtain with Mesrour, who entered into discourse with her and presently said to her, ‘O Huboub, hath thy mistress a husband or not?’ ‘She hath a husband,’ answered the damsel; ‘but he is presently abroad on a journey with merchandise of his.’

  When he heard that her husband was abroad on a journey, his heart lusted after her and he said, ‘O Huboub, extolled be the perfection of Him who created this damsel and fashioned her! How sweet is her beauty and her grace and her shape and symmetry! Verily, my heart is in sore travail for her. O Huboub, [look] how I may come to enjoy her, and thou shalt have of me what thou wilt of money and what not else.’ ‘O Nazarene,’ answered Huboub, ‘if she heard thee speak thus, she would kill thee, or else she would kill herself, for she is the daughter of a champion of the Jews nor is there her like amongst them. Moreover, she hath no need of money and keepeth herself still cloistered, discovering not her case to any.’ Quoth Mesrour, ‘O Huboub, an thou wilt but bring me to enjoy her, I will be thy slave and thy servant and will serve thee all my life and give thee whatsoever thou seekest of me.’

  But she said, ‘O Mesrour, this woman hath no desire for money nor yet for men, for my lady Zein el Mewasif is straitly cloistered, going not forth of the door of her house, lest the folk see her; and but that she forbore thee by reason of thy strangerhood, she had not suffered thee to pass her threshold; no, not though thou wert her brother.’ ‘O Huboub,’ rejoined he, ‘be thou our go-between and thou shalt have of me an hundred gold dinars and a dress worth as much more, for that the love of her hath gotten possession of my heart.’ And she said, ‘O man, let me go about with her in talk and I will return thee an answer and acquaint thee with what she saith. Indeed, she loves those who berhyme her and set forth her charms and her grace and beauty in verse, and we may not avail against her save by beguilement and soft speech and craft.’

  Then she rose and going up to her mistress, talked with her privily of this and that and presently said to her, ‘O my lady, look at yonder young man, the Nazarene; how sweet is his discourse and how elegant his shape!’ When Zein el Mewasif heard this, she turned to her and said, ‘An his comeliness like thee, love him thyself. Art thou not ashamed to bespeak the like of me with these words? Go, bid him begone about his business; or it shall be the worse for him.’ So Huboub returned to Mesrour, but acquainted him not with that which her mistress had said. Then the latter bade her go to the door and look if she saw any of the folk, lest foul befall them. So she went and resuming, said, ‘O my lady, there are folk in plenty without and we cannot let him go forth to-night.’ Quoth Zein el Mewasif, ‘I am troubled because of a dream I have had and am fearful by reason thereof.’ And Mesrour said, ‘What sawest thou [in thy dream?] May God not trouble thy heart!’ ‘I was asleep in the middle of the night,’ answered she, ‘and behold an eagle swooped down upon me from the highest of the clouds and would have carried me off from behind the curtain, wherefore I was affrighted at him. Then I awoke from sleep and bade my women bring me meat and drink, so haply, when I had drunken, the terror of the dream would cease from me.’

  When he heard this, he smiled and told her his dream and how he had caught the dove, whereat she marvelled exceedingly. Then he went on to talk with her and said, ‘Now am I certified of the truth of my dream, for thou art the dove and I the eagle, and needs must this be, for, whenas I set eyes on thee, thou tookest possession of my vitals and settest my heart on fire for love
of thee!’ Thereupon Zein el Mewasif became exceeding wroth and said to him, ‘God forfend that this should be! God on thee, begone about thy business, ere the neighbours see thee and there betide us sore reproach.’ Then, ‘Harkye, fellow!’ added she. ‘Let not thy soul covet that it shall not attain to. Thou weariest thyself [in vain]; for I am a merchant’s wife and a merchant’s daughter and thou art a druggist; and when sawst thou a druggist and a merchant’s daughter on this wise?’ ‘O my lady,’ answered he, ‘never lacked love between folk [of different condition]; so cut thou not off from me hope of this and whatsoever thou seekest of me of money and raiment and trinkets and what not else, I will give thee.’

  Then he abode with her in discourse and chiding whilst she still redoubled in anger, till nightfall, when he said to her, ‘O my lady, take this dinar and fetch me a little wine, for I am athirst and heavy at heart.’ So she said to Huboub, ‘Fetch him wine and take nought from him, for we have no need of his dinar.’ [So she went to fetch the wine, whilst] Mesrour held his peace and bespoke not Zein el Mewasif, who improvised the following verses:

  Harkye, O man! Desist from this thou dost design Nor to the crooked ways of frowardness incline.

  Love is a net, and if thou fall into its snare, The day thereafterward for weariness thou’lt pine

  Occasion to our spy thou’lt give for talk and all The people will reproach me with this love of thine.

  Small marvel ’tis if thou a fair one love: gazelles Thou seest lions chase and in their snares entwine.

  And he answered her with these:

  O cassia-branch, delight of garth and knoll, Spare thou my heart, who dost possess my soul.

  The cup of death for love thou’st made me drain, Clad me in wede of abjectness and dole.

  How shall I be consoled, since thou hast taken My heart, for love of thee a red-hot coal!

  ‘Away from me!’ cried she. ‘Quoth the adage, “He who giveth loose to his eyes wearieth his heart.” By Allah, I am tired of discourse with thee and chiding, and indeed thy soul coveteth that which shall never be thine; nay, though thou gavest me my weight in gold, thou shouldst not get thy wish of me; for, by the bounty of God the Most High, I know nought of the things of the world, save pleasant life.’ ‘O my lady Zein el Mewasif,’ answered he, ‘ask of me what thou wilt of the goods of the world.’ Quoth she, ‘What shall I ask of thee? For sure thou wilt go out into the highway [and discover my case to the folk] and I shall become a laughing-stock among them and they will make a byword of me in verse, me who am the daughter of the chief of the merchants and whose father is known of the notables of the people. I have no need of money or raiment and this love will not be hidden from the folk and I shall be brought to shame, I and my family.’

  With this Mesrour was confounded and could make her no answer; but presently she said, ‘Indeed, the skilful thief, if he steal, stealeth not but what is worth [the adventuring of] his neck, and every woman who doth lewdness with other than her husband is styled a thief; so, if it must be thus and no help, thou shalt give me whatsoever my heart desireth of money and raiment and trinkets and what not.’ Quoth he, ‘An thou soughtest of me the world and all that is therein, from East to West, it were but a little thing, compared with thy favour.’ And she said, ‘I will have of thee three suits, each worth a thousand dinars, and pearls and jewels and jacinths, and I require of thee, to boot, that thou swear to me that thou wilt keep my secret nor discover it to any and that thou wilt company with none but me; and I in turn will swear to thee a true oath that I will never play thee false.’

  So he swore to her the oath she required and she swore to him, and they agreed upon this; after which she said to her nurse Huboub, ‘To-morrow go thou with Mesrour to his lodging and seek somewhat of musk and ambergris and aloes and rose-water and see what he hath. If he be a man of condition, we will take him into favour; else will we leave him.’ Then said she to him, ‘O Mesrour, I desire somewhat of musk and ambergris and aloes-wood; so do thou send it me by Huboub.’ And he answered, ‘I hear and obey; my shop is at thy commandment.’ Then the wine went round between them and their session was pleasant; but Mesrour’s heart was troubled for the passion and longing that possessed him; and when Zein el Mewasif saw him in this plight, she said to her slave-girl Sukoub, ‘Arouse Mesrour from his stupor; mayhap he will awake.’ ‘Willingly,’ answered Sukoub and sang the following verses:

  An if thou be in love, bring gold and gear and in thy lays Set forth thy love, so thou mayst win the aim of thine essays

  And taste the favours of a fawn, soft-eyed and smiling-lipped, Whose shape is as the cassia-branch, when to the breeze it sways.

  Look on her; in her charms thou’lt see matter for wonderment And pour thy life out, ere the term appointed to thy days.

  These be the attributes of love, an thou but knewst thereof; But, if the gold delude thee, leave the gold and go thy ways.

  Mesrour apprehended [her meaning] and said, ‘I hear and understand. Never was stress but after came relief, and He who afflicteth will order [the issue].’ Whereupon Zein el Mewasif recited the following:

  Awake, O Mesrour, from love’s stupor; for lo, I fear lest our love bring thee travail and woe.

  Sure proverbs on us East and West shall be made And the folk our report for a wonder shall know.

  Leave loving my like, or for sure thou’lt have blame. — Why cleav’st thou to me of all women? I trow,

  One well-born shouldst thou love. — Thou’lt a byword become And find not a pitying friend high or low

  I’m a Pharisee’s child and the folk fear my wrath: Would the term of my life were accomplished, heigho!

  And Mesrour answered her with these verses:

  Leave me to my affliction; to love thee I’m content; And blame me not, for censure my passion doth augment.

  Over my heart ye lord it in tyrant-wise, whilst I Fare westward neither eastward for very languishment.

  Forbidden ’tis to slay me of passion’s law; they say, ‘The slain of love’s a victim, oppressed and innocent.’

  Were there a judge in passion, to him I’d make my moan, Mayhap he’d do me justice in his arbitrament.

  They ceased not from chiding and discourse till the morning beamed, when Zein el Mewasif said to him, ‘O Mesrour, it is time for thee to depart, lest one of the folk see thee and foul befall us.’ So he arose and going forth, fared on, accompanied by Huboub, till they came to his lodging, where he talked with her and said to her, ‘All thou seekest of me thou shalt presently have, so but thou wilt bring me to her enjoyment.’ Quoth Huboub, ‘Comfort thy heart;’ whereupon he rose and gave her a hundred dinars, saying, ‘O Huboub, I have by me a dress worth a hundred dinars.’ ‘O Mesrour,’ answered she, ‘make haste with the dresses and what not else thou didst promise her, ere she change her mind, for we may not avail to take her save with craft and beguilement, and she loveth the recitation of verses.’ Quoth he, ‘I hear and obey,’ and bringing her the musk and ambergris and aloes-wood and rose-water, returned with her to Zein el Mewasif and saluted her. She returned his greeting with the sweetest of speech, and he was confounded at her beauty and improvised the following verses:

  O sun, midmost the dark that shinest in the skies, O thou that hast benumbed my wit with great black eyes,

  O loveling sweet, that com’st with neck surpassing fair, Whose cheek the garden-rose eclipses and outvies,

  Blind not with thy disdain our sights, for thy disdain A grievous matter is, the heart that terrifies.

  Passion took up its stead with me, and ’tis forbid To it to carry off the life’s last lingering sighs.

  Indeed, the love of you doth lord it in my heart, And save to you, I find no issue anywise.

  Yet haply thou’lt relent towards a lover sad; So shall his darkness flee and morning bright arise.

  When she heard his verses, she cast at him a look, that bequeathed him a thousand regrets and his heart and soul were ravished thereby and answered him as follows:

  Th
ink not from her, of whom thou art enamoured, aye To win delight; so put desire from thee away.

  Leave that thou hop’st, for ‘gainst her rigours whom thou lov’st Among the fair, in vain is all thou canst essay.

  My looks to lovers bring discomfiture and woe: Indeed, I make no count of that which thou dost say.

  When he heard this, he dissembled and took patience, saying in himself, ‘There is nothing for it but patience against calamity;’ and on this wise they abode till night-fall, when she called for food and they set before her a tray, wherein were all manner meats, quails and pigeons and mutton and so forth, of which they ate till they had enough. Then she bade take away the tables and they did so and brought washing gear. So they washed their hands, after which she ordered her women to bring the candlesticks, and they set on candlesticks and candles therein of camphorated wax.

  Then said she, ‘By Allah, my breast is straitened to night and I am fevered.’ Quoth Mesrour, ‘May God dilate thy breast and do away thy trouble!’ And she aaid, ‘O Mesrour, I am used to play at chess: knowest thou aught of the game?’ ‘Yes,’ answered he, ‘I am skilled therein;’ whereupon she bade her maid Huboub fetch her the chessboard. So she went away and presently returning with the board, set it before her, and behold, it was of ebony inlaid with ivory, with squares traced out in glittering gold, and its pieces were of pearl and ruby. Mesrour was amazed at this and she said to him, ‘Wilt thou have red or white?’ ‘O princess of fair ones and adornment of the morning,’ answered he, ‘do thou take the red, for they are handsome and fitter for the like of thee, and leave me the white.’ ‘So be it,’ answered she and taking the red pieces, ranged them opposite the white, then put out her hand to make the first move.

  He looked at her fingers, which were white as paste, and was confounded at their beauty and elegant shape; whereupon she turned to him and said, ‘O Mesrour, be not bewildered, but take patience and calm thyself.’ ‘O thou whose beauty puts the moons to shame,’ answered he, ‘how shall a lover look on thee and have patience?’ ‘Checkmate!’ said she and beat him; wherefore she knew that he was mad for love of her and said to him, ‘O Mesrour, I will not play with thee save for a set stake.’ ‘I hear and obey,’ answered he and she said, ‘Swear to me and I will swear to thee that neither of us will cheat the other.’ So they swore this and she said, ‘O Mesrour, if I beat thee, I will have ten dinars of thee, and if thou beat me, I will give thee nothing.’ ‘O my lady,’ rejoined he, ‘be not false to thine oath, for I see thou art an over match for me at this game!’ ‘Agreed,’ said she and they ranged their men and fell again to playing.