Abdallah marvelled at this and the merman carried him to another city and thence to another and another, till he had shown him fourscore cities, and he saw the people of each city to be different from those of every other. Then said he to the merman, ‘O my brother, are there yet other cities in the sea?’ ‘And what hast thou seen of the cities of the sea and its wonders?’ replied the other ‘By the virtue of the noble prophet, the benign, the compassionate, were I to show thee a thousand cities a day for a thousand years, and in each city a thousand marvels, I should not have shown thee one carat of the four-and-twenty carats of the cities of the sea and its wonders! I have but shown thee our own province and country, nothing more.’
‘O my brother,’ said the fisherman, ‘since this is the case, what I have seen sufficeth me, for I am sick of eating fish, and these fourscore days I have been in thy company, thou hast fed me morning and night upon nothing but raw fish, neither broiled nor boiled.’ ‘And what is broiled and boiled?’ asked the merman. Quoth Abdallah, ‘we broil fish with fire and boil it [in water] and dress it in various ways and make many dishes of it.’ ‘And how should we come by fire in the sea?’ rejoined the other, ‘we know not broiled nor boiled nor aught else of the kind.’ Quoth the fisherman, ‘We also fry it in olive-oil and oil of sesame,’ and the merman said, ‘How should we come by olive-oil and oil of sesame in the sea? Verily we know nothing of that thou names.’
‘True,’ said Abdallah, ‘but, O my brother, thou hast shown me many cities; yet hast thou not shown me thine own city.’ Quoth the merman ‘As for mine own city, we passed it long since, for it is near the land whence we came, and I only left it and came with thee hither, thinking to divert thee with the sight of the [greater] cities of the sea.’ ‘That which I have seen of them sufficeth me,’ replied Abdallah; ‘and now I would have thee show me thine own city.’ ‘So be it,’ answered the other and returning on his traces, carried him back thither and said to him, ‘This is my city.’
Abdallah looked and saw a city small by comparison with those he had seen; then he entered with his companion and they fared on till they came to a cavern. Quoth the merman, ‘This is my house and all the houses in the city are on this wise, caverns, great and small, in the mountains; as likewise are those of all the other cities of the sea. For every one who is minded to make him a house repairs to the king and says to him, ‘I wish to make me a house in such a place.’ Whereupon the king sends with him a band of the fish called peckers, which have beaks that crumble the hardest rock, appointing a certain dole of fish to their wage. They betake themselves to the mountain chosen by the owner of the house and hew therein the house. whilst the owner catches fish for them and feeds them, till the cavern is finished, when they depart and the owner of the house takes up his abode therein. After this wise do all the people of the sea; they traffic not with one another nor serve each other save by means of fish; and their food is fish and they themselves are a kind of fish.’
Then he said to him, ‘Enter.’ So Abdallah entered and the merman cried out, saying, ‘Ho, daughter mine!’ whereupon there came to him a damsel with a face like the round of the moon and long hair, heavy buttocks, languishing black eyes and slender waist; but she was naked and had a tail. When she saw the fisherman, she said to her father, ‘O my father, what is this lacktail thou hast brought with thee?’ ‘O my daughter,’ answered he, ‘this is my friend of the land, from whom I use to bring thee the fruits of the earth. Come hither and salute him.’ So she came forward and saluted the fisherman with eloquent tongue and fluent speech; and her father said to her, ‘Bring victual for our guest, by whose coming a blessing hath betided us;’ whereupon she brought him two great fishes, each the bigness of a lamb, and the merman said to him, ‘Eat.’ So he ate, in his own despite, for stress of hunger; because he was weary of eating fish and they had nothing else.
Before long, in came the merman’s wife, who was fair to look upon, and with her two children, each having in his hand a young fish, which he munched as a man would munch a cucumber. When she saw the fisherman with her husband, she said, ‘What is this lacktail?’ And she and her sons and daughter came up to him and fell to examining his breech and saying, ‘Yea, by Allah, he is tailless!’ And they laughed at him. So he said to the merman, ‘O my brother, hast thou brought me hither to make me a laughing-stock for thy wife and children?’ ‘Pardon, O my brother,’ answered the merman. ‘Those who have no tails are rare among us, and whenever one such is found, the Sultan taketh him, to make him sport, and he abideth a marvel amongst us, and all Who see him laugh at him. But, O my brother, excuse these young children and this woman, for they lack understanding.’ Then he cried out to his family, saying, ‘Hold your peace!’ So they were afraid and kept silence; whilst he went on to soothe Abdallah’s mind.
Presently, as they were talking, in came half a score mermen, tall and strong and stout, and said to him, ‘O Abdallah, it hath reached the king that thou hast with thee a lacktail.’ ‘Yes,’ answered the merman, ‘and this is he; but he is not of us nor of the children of the sea. He is my friend of the land and hath come to me as a guest and I purpose to carry him back to the land.’ Quoth they, ‘We cannot depart without him; so, if thou have aught to say, arise and come with him to the king; and whatsoever thou wouldst say to us, that say thou to the king.’ Then said the merman to the fisherman, ‘O my brother, my excuse is manifest, and we may not gain-say the king; but go thou with me to him and I will do my endeavour to deliver thee from him, if it please God. Fear not, for he deemeth thee of the children of the sea; but, when he seeth thee, he will know thee to be of the children of the land, whereupon he will surely entreat thee with honour and restore thee to the land.’ ‘It is thine to decide,’ replied Abdallah. ‘I will put my trust in God and go with thee.’
So he took him and carried him to the king, who, when he saw him, laughed at him and said, ‘Welcome to the lacktail!’ And all who were about the king fell to laughing at him and saying, ‘Yea, by Allah, he is tailless!’ Then Abdallah of the sea came forward and acquainted the king with the fisherman’s case, saying, ‘This man is of the children of the land and he is my friend and cannot live amongst us, for that he loves not the eating of fish, except it be fried or boiled; wherefore l desire that thou give me leave to restore him to the land.’ ‘Since the case is so,’ answered the king, ‘I give thee leave to restore him to his place, after due entertainment. Bring him the guest-meal’
So they brought him fish of various kinds and colours and he ate, in obedience to the king’s commandment; after which the latter said to him, ‘Ask a boon of me.’ Quoth he, ‘I ask of thee that thou give me jewels;’ and the king said, ‘Carry him to the jewel-house and let him choose that whereof he hath need.’ So his friend carried him to the jewel-house and he chose out what he would, after which the merman brought him back to his own city and pulling out a purse, said to him, ‘Take this deposit and lay it on the tomb of the Prophet, whom God bless and preserve!’ And he took it, knowing not what was therein.
Then the merman went forth with him, to bring him back to land, and by the way he heard singing and merry-making and saw a table spread with fish and folk eating and singing and holding high festival. So he said to his friend, ‘What ails these people to rejoice thus? Is there a wedding toward amongst them?’ ‘Nay,’ answered Abdallah of the sea; ‘only one of them is dead.’ ‘Do ye then,’ asked the fisherman, ‘when one dieth amongst you, rejoice for him and sing and feast?’ ‘Yes,’ replied the merman; ‘and ye of the land, what do ye?’ ‘When one dieth amongst us,’ said Abdallah, ‘we weep and mourn for him and the women buffet their faces and rend the bosoms of their garments, in token of mourning for the dead.’ The merman stared at him with wide eyes and said to him, ‘Give me the deposit.’ So he gave it to him.
Then he set him ashore and said to him, ‘Henceforward our love and our friendship are at an end, and thou shalt no more see me, nor I thee.’ ‘Why sayst thou this?’ asked the fisherman; and the o
ther said, ‘Are ye not, O folk of the land, a deposit of God?’ ‘Yes,’ answered Abdallah. ‘Why then,’ asked the merman, ‘is it grievous to you that God should take back His deposit and wherefore weep ye over it? How can I entrust thee with a deposit for the Prophet, whom God bless and preserve, seeing that, when a child is born to you, ye rejoice in it, albeit God the Most High setteth the soul therein as a deposit; and yet, when He taketh it again, it is grievous to you and ye weep and mourn? Since it is uneath to thee to give up the deposit of God, how shall it be easy to thee to give up the deposit of the Prophet?’ Wherefore we reck not of your companionship.’ So saying, he left him and disappeared in the sea.
The fisherman donned his clothes and taking the jewels, went up to the king, who received him with open arms and rejoiced at his return, saying, ‘How dost thou, O my son-in-law, and what is the cause of thine absence from me this while?’ So he told him his story and acquainted him with that which he had seen of marvels in the sea, whereat the king wondered. Moreover, he told him what the merman had said [about the mourning for the dead]; and the king replied, ‘Indeed thou west at fault to tell him this.’ Nevertheless, he continued for some time to go down to the sea-shore and call upon the merman; but he answered him not nor came to him; so, at last, he gave up hope of him and abode, he and the king his father-in-law and their families, in the happiest of case and the practice of righteousness, till there came to them the Destroyer of Delights and the Severer of Companies and they died all. And glory be to the [Ever-]Living One, who dieth not, whose is the empire of the Seen and the Unseen, who can all things and is gracious to His servants and knoweth all that pertaineth to them!
John Payne’s translation: detailed table of contents
VOLUME IX.
John Payne’s translation: detailed table of contents
THE MERCHANT OF OMAN.
The Khalif Haroun er Reshid was one night exceeding wakeful; so he called Mesrour and said to him, ‘Fetch me Jaafer in haste.’ Accordingly, he went out and returned with the vizier, to whom said the Khalif, ‘O Jaafer, wakefulness hath gotten hold of me this night and forbiddeth sleep from me, nor know I what shall do it away from me.’ ‘O Commander of the Faithful,’ answered Jaafer, ‘the wise say, “Looking on a mirror, entering the bath and hearkening unto song do away care and chagrin.”’ ‘O Jaafer,’ rejoined Haroun, ‘I have done all this, but it hath brought me no whit of relief, and I swear by my pious forefathers, except thou contrive that which shall do away this [restlessness] from me, I will strike off thy head.’
Quoth Jaafer, ‘O Commander of the Faithful, wilt thou do that which I shall counsel thee?’ ‘And what is that?’ asked the Khalif. ‘It is,’ replied the vizier, ‘that thou take boat with us and drop down the Tigris with the tide to a place called Kern es Serat, so haply we may hear or see some new thing, for it is said, “The solace of care is in one of three things; to wit, that a man see what he never before saw or hear what he never yet heard or tread an earth he hath never yet trodden.” It may be this shall be the means of doing away thy restlessness, O Commander of the Faithful, if it be the will of the Most High. There, on both sides of the stream, are windows and balconies facing one another, and it may be we shall hear or see from one of these somewhat wherewith our hearts may be lightened.’
Jaafer’s counsel pleased the Khalif, so he rose from his place and taking with him the vizier and his brother El Fezl and Isaac the boon-companion and Abou Nuwas and Abou Delef and Mesrour the headsman, entered the wardrobe, where they all donned merchants’ habits. Then they went down to the Tigris and embarking in a gilded boat, dropped down with the stream, till they came to the place they sought, where they heard the voice of a damsel singing to the lute and chanting the following verses:
I say to my love, whilst the wine-cup is here And the thousand-voiced bird in the coppice sings clear,
‘How long this delaying from gladness? Awake; For life’s but a loan for a day or a year.
So take thou the cup from a loveling’s white hands, Whose languishing lids are as those of a deer.’
I sowed a fresh rose in his cheek, but amidst His locks a pomegranate for fruit did appear.
Indeed, very fire wouldst thou deem his fair cheek And the place of the scratching dead ashes and sere.
Quoth my censor, ‘Forget him;’ but where’s my excuse, When the down sprouts and creeps on the face of my dear?
When the Khalif heard this, he said, ‘O Jaafer, how goodly is that voice!’ ‘O our lord,’ answered the vizier, ‘never smote my hearing aught sweeter or goodlier than this singing! But hearing from behind a wall is only half hearing; how would it be, if we heard it from behind a curtain?’ ‘Come, O Jaafer,’ said the Khalif, ‘let us go up and intrude upon the master of the house; it may be we shall look upon the songstress, face to face.’ ‘I hear and obey,’ answered Jaafer. So they landed and sought admittance; whereupon there came out to them a young man, fair of favour, sweet of speech and eloquent of tongue, who said to them, ‘Welcome and fair welcome, O lords that favour me [with your presence!] Enter in all ease and liberty.’
They followed him into a saloon, four-square, whose roof was decorated with gold and its walls adorned with ultra- marine. At its upper end was an estrade, whereon stood a goodly settle and thereon sat a hundred damsels like moons. The young man cried out to them and they came down from their seats. Then he turned to Jaafer and said to him, ‘O my lord, I know not the worshipful of you from the more worshipful, but, in God’s name, let him that is highest in rank among you favour me by taking the highest room, and let his brethren sit each in his several station.’ So they sat down, each according to his rank, whilst Mesrour abode standing to do them service; and the host said to them, ‘O my guests, with your leave, shall I set food before you?’ ‘Yes,’ answered they. So he called for food, whereupon four damsels with girded waists set before them a table, whereon were rare meats of that which flies and walks the earth and swims the seas, sandgrouse and quails and chickens and pigeons [and what not else], and written on the marges of the tray were verses such as sorted with the entertainment.
They ate till they had enough and washed their hands, after which said the young man, ‘O my lords, if you have any want, let us know it, that we may have the honour of satisfying it.’ ‘It is well,’ answered they. ‘We came not to thy dwelling but because of a voice we heard from behind the wall of thy house, and we would fain hear it [again] and know her to whom it belongs. So, if thou deem well to vouchsafe us this favour, it will be of the munificence of thy nature, and we will after return whence we came.’ ‘Ye are welcome,’ answered the host and turning to a black slave-girl, said to her, ‘Fetch me thy mistress such an one.’ So she went away and returning with a chair of chinaware, cushioned with brocade, set it down; then withdrew again and presently returned with a damsel, as she were the moon on the night of its full, who sat down on the chair. Then the black girl gave her a bag of satin, from which she brought out a lute, inlaid with jacinths and jewels and furnished with pegs of gold, and tuned its strings, even as saith the poet of her and her lute:
When in her lap she sets it, the soul in it she sets, Its pegs [and strings] its organs by which its thought hath speech;
Nor doth her right hand outrage its beauties, but her left On equal wise and measure amendeth still the breach.
Then she strained it to her bosom, bending over it as the mother bends over her child, and swept the strings, which complained as the child complains to its mother; after which she played upon it and sang the following verses:
Vouchsafe me Fortune the return of him I love, and I Will chide him, saying, ‘Pass about thy cups, O friend; fill high
And drink of wine that mingleth not with heart of man but he Still barters care for cheer and calls a truce with tear and sigh.
Unto its bearing in its cup the zephyr doth suffice: Didst e’er a full moon in its hand a star that bore espy?
How many a night with its full moon I’ve held converse
of yore, Whilst, o’er the Tigris shed, its light lit up the darkling sky!
As to the westward she inclined, it was as if she drew A gilded sword that stretched athwart the water far and nigh.
When she had made an end of her song, she wept sore and all who were in the place cried out with weeping, till they were well-nigh dead; nor was there one of them but took leave of his senses and rent his clothes and buffeted his face, for the goodliness of her singing. Then said Er Reshid, ‘This damsel’s song denoteth that she is one parted from her beloved.’ Quoth her master, ‘She hath lost her father and mother.’ But the Khalif said, ‘This is not the weeping of one who hath lost her father and mother, but the affliction of one who hath lost her beloved.’ And he was delighted with her singing and said to Isaac, ‘By Allah, I never saw her like!’ ‘O my lord,’ answered Isaac, ‘indeed I marvel at her to the utterest and am beside myself for delight.’
Now with all this Er Reshid stinted not to look upon their host and observe his charms and the elegance of his fashion; but he saw on his face a pallor as he would die; so he turned to him and said, ‘Harkye!’ ‘At thy service, O my lord,’ answered he. ‘Knowest thou who we are?’ asked the Khalif; and he said ‘No.’ Quoth Jaafer, ‘Wilt thou that I tell thee the names of each of us?’ ‘Yes,’ answered the young man; and the vizier said, ‘This is the Commander of the Faithful, descendant of the uncle of the Prince of the Apostles,’ and told him the names of the others of the company; after which quoth Er Reshid, ‘I desire that thou tell me the cause of the paleness of thy face, whether it be acquired or natural from thy birth.’ ‘O Commander of the Faithful,’ answered he, ‘my case is rare and my affair extraordinary; were it graven with needles on the corners of the eye, it would serve as an admonition to him who will be admonished.’ ‘Tell it me,’ said the Khalif. ‘Peradventure, thy healing may be at my hand.’ ‘O Commander of the Faithful,’ said the young man, ‘lend me thine ears and give me thy whole mind.’ ‘Come,’ said the Khalif, ‘tell it me, for thou makest me long to hear it.’
One Thousand and One Nights Page 441