One Thousand and One Nights

by Richard Burton

  The vizier returned to the king and told him what Marouf said, whereupon quoth he, ‘Since this is his wish, how canst thou style him an impostor and a liar?’ ‘And I cease not to say this,’ replied the vizier. But the king chid him angrily and berated him, saying, ‘As my head liveth, if thou leave not this talk, I will slay thee! Go back to him and fetch him to me and I will settle with him myself.’ So the vizier returned to Marouf and said to him, ‘Come and speak with the king.’ ‘I hear and obey,’ replied Marouf and went in to the king, who said to him, ‘Thou shalt not put me off with these excuses, for my treasury is full; so take the keys and spend all thou needest and give what thou wilt and clothe the poor and do thy desire and have no care for the girl and the waiting-women. When thy baggage comes, do what thou wilt with thy wife, by way of generosity, and we will have patience with thee for the marriage-portion till then, for there is no manner of difference betwixt me and thee.’

  Then he sent for the Sheikh el Islam and bade him draw up the contract of marriage between his daughter and the merchant Marouf, and he did so; after which the king gave the signal for the commencement of the wedding festivities and commanded to decorate the city. The drums beat and the tables were spread with meats of all kinds and there came mimes and mountebanks and players. Marouf sat upon a throne in a gallery and the mimes and mountebanks and jugglers and dancing-men and posture-makers and acrobats came before him, whilst be called out to the treasurer and said to him, ‘Bring gold and silver.’ So he brought gold and silver and Marouf went round among the merrymakers and gave to each performer by the handful. Moreover, he gave alms to the poor and needy and clad the naked and it was a clamorous festival. The treasurer could not bring money fast enough from the treasury, and the vizier’s heart was like to burst for rage; but he dared not say a word, whilst Ali marvelled at this waste of wealth and said to Marouf, ‘God and the saints [visit this] upon thy head! Doth it not suffice thee to squander the merchants’ money, but thou must squander that of the king to boot?’ ‘It is none of thy concern,’ replied Marouf; ‘when my baggage comes, I will requite the king manifold.’ And he went on lavishing money and saying in himself, ‘A burning plague! What will happen will happen and there is no escape from that which is decreed.’

  The festivities ceased not for the space of forty days, and on the one-and-fortieth day, they made the bride’s procession and all the amirs and troops walked before her. When they brought her in before Marouf, he fell to scattering gold on the people’s heads, and they made her a magnificent procession, whilst Marouf expended in her honour vast sums of money. Then they brought him in to her and he sat down on the high divan; after which they let fall the curtains and shut the doors and withdrew, leaving him alone with his bride; whereupon he smote hand upon hand and sat awhile sorrowful and saying, ‘There is no power and no virtue save in God the Most High, the Supreme!’ Till the princess said to him, ‘O my lord, God preserve thee! What ails thee, that thou art troubled?’ Quoth he, ‘And how should I be other than troubled, seeing that thy father hath embarrassed me and done with me that which is like the burning of green corn?’ ‘And what hath my father done with thee?’ asked she. ‘Tell me.’ And he answered, ‘He hath brought me in to thee before the coming of my baggage, and I wanted at least a hundred jewels to distribute among thy women, to each a jewel, so she might rejoice therein and say, “My lord gave me a jewel on the night of his going in to my lady.” This would I have done in honour of thy station and for the increase of thy dignity; and I have no need to stint myself in lavishing jewels, for I have great plenty of them.’ ‘Be not concerned for that,’ rejoined she. ‘Trouble not thyself about me, for I will have patience with thee till thy baggage comes, and as for my women, have no care for them. Rise, put off thy clothes and take thine ease; and when the baggage comes, we shall get the jewels and the rest.’

  So he arose and putting off his clothes, sat down on the bed and sought dalliance and they fell to toying with each other. He laid his hand on her knee and she sat down in his lap and thrust her lip into his mouth, and that hour was such as maketh man forget father and mother. So he took her in his arms and strained her fast to his breast and sucked her lip, till the honey ran out into his mouth; and he laid his hand under her left armpit, whereupon his bowels and hers yearned unto coition. Then he clapped her between the breasts and his hand slid down between her thighs and she girdled [him] with her legs, whereupon he made proof of the two members and crying out, ‘O father of the chin-veils!’ applied the priming and kindling the linstock, set it to the touch-hole and gave fire and breached the citadel of the four buttresses; so there befell the event concerning which there is no asking and she cried the cry that needs must be cried.

  So he did away her maidenhead and that night was one not to be reckoned among lives for that which it comprised of the enjoyment of the fair, clipping and dallying and sucking [of lips] and cricketing till the morning, when he arose and entered the bath, whence, after donning a suit of royal apparel, he betook himself to the king’s divan. All who were there rose to him and received him with honour and worship, giving him joy and calling down blessings upon him; and he sat down by the king’s side and said, ‘Where is the treasurer?’ ‘Here he is, before thee,’ answered they, and he said to him, ‘Bring dresses of honour for all the viziers and amirs and dignitaries and clothe them therewith.’ The treasurer brought him all he sought and he sat giving to all who came to him and handselling every man, according to his station.

  On this wise he abode twenty days, whilst no baggage appeared for him nor aught else, till the treasurer was straitened by him to utterance and going in to the king, as he sat alone with the vizier in Marouf’s absence, kissed the earth before him and said, ‘O king of the age, needs must I tell thee somewhat, lest thou blame me for that I acquainted thee not therewith. Know that the treasury is [well-nigh] exhausted; there is but a little money left in it and in ten days more we shall shut it upon emptiness.’ Quoth the king to the vizier, ‘O vizier, verily my son-in-law’s baggage-train tarrieth long and there appeareth no news thereof.’ The vizier laughed and said, ‘God be gracious to thee, O king of the age! Verily, thou hast dealt but heedlessly with respect to this lying impostor. As thy head liveth, there is no baggage for him, no, nor a plague to rid us of him! Nay, he hath but imposed on thee without cease, so that he hath wasted thy treasures and married thy daughter for nought. How long therefore wilt thou be heedless of this liar?’

  Then said the king, ‘O vizier, how shall we do to learn the truth of his case?’ ‘O king of the age,’ answered the vizier, ‘none may come at a man’s secret but his wife; so send for thy daughter and let her come behind the curtain, that I may question her of the truth of his estate, to the intent that she may make proof of him and acquaint us with his case.’ Quoth the king, ‘There is no harm in that; and as my head liveth, if it appear that he is a liar and an impostor, I will slay him by the foulest of deaths!’ Then he carried the vizier into the sitting-chamber and sent for his daughter, who came behind the curtain, her husband being absent, and said, ‘What wouldst thou, O my father?’ Quoth he, ‘Speak with the vizier.’

  So she said, ‘What is thy will, O vizier?’ ‘O my lady,’ said he, ‘thou must know that thy husband hath squandered thy father’s substance and married thee without a dower; and he ceases not to promise us and fail of the fulfilment of his promises, nor comes there any tidings of his baggage; wherefore we would have thee inform us concerning him.’ ‘Indeed,’ answered she, ‘his words are many, and he still comes and promises me jewels and things of price and costly stuffs; but I see nothing.’ ‘O my lady,’ said the vizier, ‘canst thou this night give and take with him in talk and say to him, “Tell me the truth and fear nothing from me, for thou art become my husband and I will not transgress against thee. So acquaint me with the truth of the matter and I will contrive thee a device whereby thou shalt be set at rest.” And do thou play fast and loose with him and profess love to him and win him to co
nfess and after tell us the true state of his case.’ And she answered, ‘O father mine, I know how I will make proof of him.’

  Then she went away and after nightfall, her husband came in to her, according to his wont, whereupon she rose to him and took him under the armpit and wheedled him full featly, for women are never at a loss for wiles, whenas they would aught of men. She ceased not to caress him and beguile him with speech sweeter than honey till she stole his reason; and when she saw that he altogether inclined to her, she said to him, ‘O my beloved, O solace of my eyes and fruit of my entrails, may God not bereave [me] of thee nor Time sunder us twain! Indeed, the love of thee hath taken up its abode in my entrails and my heart is consumed with the fire of passion; never will I forsake thee nor transgress against thee: but I would have thee tell me the truth, for that the devices of falsehood profit not, nor do they gain credit at all seasons. How long wilt thou impose upon my father and lie to him? Indeed, I fear lest thine affair be discovered to him, ere we can contrive a device thereunto, and he lay violent hands upon thee. So tell me the truth of the case and fear not aught of harm, for nought shall betide thee save that which shall rejoice thee. How much longer wilt thou pretend that thou art a merchant and a man of wealth and hast a baggage-train? This long while past thou sayest, “My baggage! my baggage!” but there appeareth no sign of thy baggage, and anxiety on this account is visible in thy face. So, if there be no truth in thy words, tell me and I will devise thee a means whereby, God willing, thou shalt come off safe.’

  ‘O my lady,’ answered he, ‘I will tell thee the truth, and do thou whatever thou wilt.’ ‘Speak,’ rejoined she, ‘and look thou speak truly; for truth is the ark of safety, and beware of falsehood, for it dishonoureth him who speaketh it, and gifted of God is he who saith:

  Truth-speaking on thee is incumbent, although It bring thee to burn on the brazier of woe.

  Seek God’s favour: who angers the Lord and contents The slave is the silliest of mortals, I trow.’

  ‘Know, then, O my lady,’ said he, ‘that I am no merchant and have no baggage, no, nor a burning plague; nay, I was but a cobbler in my own country and had a wife called Fatimeh the Shrew, with whom there befell me this and that.’ And he told her his story from beginning to end; whereat she laughed and said, ‘Verily, thou art skilled in the practice of lying and imposture!’ And he answered, saying, ‘O my lady, may God the Most High preserve thee to veil faults and dispel troubles!’

  ‘Know,’ rejoined she, ‘that thou imposedst upon my father and deceivedst him by thy much boasting and ostentation, so that of his covetousness he married me to thee. Then thou squanderedst his wealth and the vizier bears thee a grudge for this. How many a time hath he spoken against thee to my father, saying, “Indeed he is an impostor and a liar!” But my father hearkened not to his speech, for that he sought me aforetime in marriage and I consented not to be his wife. However, the time grew long upon my father and he became straitened and said to me, “Make him confess.” So I have made thee confess and that which was covered is discovered. Now my father purposes thee mischief, because of this; but thou art become my husband and I will never abandon thee nor transgress against thee. If I told my father what I have learnt from thee, he would be certified of thy falsehood and imposture and that thou imposest upon kings’ daughters and squanderest their wealth: so would thine offence find no pardon with him and he would slay thee without recourse: wherefore it would be noised among the folk that I had married a man who was a liar and an impostor and this would dishonour me. Moreover, if he kill thee, most like he will require to marry me to another, and to that I will never consent, no, not though I die.

  So rise now and don a slave’s habit and take these fifty thousand dinars of my monies, and mount a swift charger and get thee to a land over which my father hath no dominion. Then do thou set up for a merchant and send me a letter by a courier, who shall bring it me privily, that I may know where thou art, so I may send thee all I can lay my hand on. Thus shall thy wealth wax great and if my father die, I will send for thee, and thou shalt return in honour and worship; and if we die, thou or I [and depart] to the mercy of God the Most High, the Resurrection will unite us. This, then, is the right counsel: and what while we both abide [alive and] well, I will not leave to send thee letters and monies. Arise, ere the day break upon thee and thou be confounded and perdition encompass thee.’

  ‘O my lady,’ said he, ‘I beseech thee of thy favour to bid me farewell with thine embracement.’ And she answered, ‘I will well.’ So he swived her and made the [complete] ablution; then, donning a slave’s habit, he bade the grooms saddle him a thoroughbred horse. So they saddled him a courser and he mounted and taking leave of his wife, rode forth the city at the last of the night, whilst all who saw him deemed him one of the Sultan’s slaves going abroad on an errand.

  Next morning, the king and his vizier repaired to the sitting-chamber and sent for the princess, who came behind the curtain; and her father said to her, ‘O my daughter, what sayst thou?’ Quoth she, ‘I say, may God blacken thy vizier’s face, for that he would have blackened my face in my husband’s eyes!’ ‘How so?’ asked the king; and she said, ‘He came in to me yesterday; but before I could name the matter to him, in came Ferej the eunuch, with a letter in his hand, and said, “Ten white slaves stand under the window and have given me this letter, saying, ‘Kiss for us the hands of our lord the merchant Marouf and give him this letter, for we are of his servants with the baggage, and it is told us that he hath married the king’s daughter, wherefore we are come to acquaint him with that which befell us by the way.’” So I took the letter and read as follows: “From the five hundred slaves to his highness our lord the merchant Marouf. To proceed. We give thee to know that, after thou quittedst us, the Arabs came out upon us and attacked us. They were two thousand horse and we five hundred servants and there befell a sore battle between us and them. They took from us of the baggage two hundred loads of stuffs and slew of us fifty men. Moreover, they hindered us from the road thirty days and this is the cause of our tarrying from thee.”

  When my husband heard this, “God disappoint them!” quoth he. “What ailed them to wage war with the Arabs for the sake of two hundred loads of merchandise? What are two hundred loads? It behoved them not to tarry on that account, for the value of the two hundred loads is but some seven thousand dinars. But needs must I go to them and hasten them. As for that which the Arabs have taken, it will not be missed from the baggage, nor doth it concern me a jot, for I reckon it as if I had given them an alms thereof.” Then he went down from me, laughing and taking no concern for the loss of his goods nor the slaughter of his slaves. As soon as he was gone, I looked out from the lattice and saw the ten slaves who had brought him the letter, as they were moons, each clad in a suit worth two thousand dinars, there is not with my father a slave to match one of them. He went forth with them to bring up his baggage and praised be God who hindered me from saying to him aught of that thou badest me, for he would have made mock of me and thee, and belike he would have looked on me with the eye of disparagement and hated me. But the fault is all with thy vizier, who speaketh against my husband words that beseem him not.’ ‘O my daughter,’ replied the king, ‘thy husband’s wealth is indeed immense and he recks not of it; for, from the day he entered our city, he hath done nought but give alms to the poor. God willing, he will speedily return with the baggage, and great good shall betide us from him.’ And he went on to appease her and chide the vizier, being duped by her device.

  Meanwhile Marouf fared on into the open country, perplexed and knowing not to what land he should betake himself; and for the anguish of parting and the pangs of passion and love-longing, he lamented and recited the following verses:

  Fortune hath played our union false and rent our loves in twain; My heart’s dissolved and all on fire for separation’s pain.

  Mine eyes with many a tear-drop rain for my belovéd’s loss; This, then, is severance; ah, when shall meeting be
again?

  O shining full-moon face, I’m he whose entrails for thy love Thou leftest torn with waste desire, a love-distracted swain.

  Would I had never met with thee, since, after the delight Of thy possession, needs the cup of misery I must drain!

  Marouf will never cease to be for Dunya’s love distraught: Still may she live, though he should die, of very passion slain!

  O thou whose visage radiant is as the resplendent sun, Succour his heart that’s all consumed with love-longing in vain.

  Will Fate, I wonder, e’er reknit our separated loves And shall we ever of the days union and gladness gain?

  Shall my love’s mansion reunite us two in joy and I The sapling of the sands once more in my embraces strain?

  Bright visage of the moon at full, ne’er may thy countenance, The sun of me thy lover, leave with charms to shine amain!

  With passion and its cares content am I, since happiness In love’s the butt whereat ill-fate to shoot its shafts is fain.

  Then he wept sore, for indeed the ways were blocked up in his sight and death seemed to him better than life, and he fared on, like a drunken man for excess of perplexity, and stayed not till noontide, when he came to a little town and saw a husbandman hard by, ploughing with a yoke of bulls. Now hunger was sore upon him; so he went up to the ploughman and said to him, ‘Peace be on thee!’ The peasant returned his salutation and said to him, ‘Welcome, O my lord! Art thou one of the Sultan’s officers?’ ‘Yes,’ answered Marouf; and the other said, ‘Alight with me, that I may entertain thee.’ Whereupon Marouf knew him to be a liberal man and said to him, ‘O my brother, I see with thee nought wherewith thou mayst feed me: how is it, then, that thou invitest me?’ ‘O my lord,’ answered the peasant, ‘good is at hand. Alight here: the town is near at hand and I will go [thither] and fetch thee the noon-meal and fodder for thy horse.’ ‘Since the town is near at hand,’ rejoined Marouf, ‘I can go thither as quickly as thou and buy me what I have a mind to in the market and eat.’ ‘O my lord,’ answered the peasant, ‘the place is but a little village and there is no market there, neither selling nor buying. So, I conjure thee by Allah, alight here with me and heal my heart, and I will go thither and return to thee in haste.’