fire?
How many a victim of the pangs of love-liking hath died! Tired is
my patience, but of blame my censors never tire.
When she had made an end of her song, she cast the lute from her hand and wept till she swooned away, whereupon the Khalif bade carry her to her chamber. Now he was ravished with her and loved her with an exceeding love; so, after awhile, he again commanded to bring her to his presence, and when she came, he bade her sing. Accordingly, she took the lute and spoke forth that which was in her heart and sang the following verses:
What strength have I solicitude and long desire to bear? Why art
thou purposed to depart and leave me to despair?
Why to estrangement and despite inclin’st thou with the spy? Yet
that a bough from side to side incline small
wonder ‘twere.
Thou layst on me a load too great to bear, and thus thou dost But
that my burdens I may bind and so towards thee fare.
Then she cast the lute from her hand and swooned away; so she was carried to her chamber and indeed passion waxed upon her. After a long while, the Commander of the Faithful sent for her a third time and bade her sing. So she took the lute and sang the following verses:
O hills of the sands and the rugged piebald plain, Shall the
bondman of love win ever free from pain!
I wonder, shall I and the friend who’s far from me Once more be
granted of Fate to meet, we twain!
Bravo for a fawn with a houri’s eye of black, Like the sun or the
shining moon midst the starry train!
To lovers, “What see ye?” he saith, and to hearts of stone, “What
love ye,” quoth he, “[if to love me ye disdain?”]
I supplicate Him, who parted us and doomed Our separation, that
we may meet again.
When she had made an end of her song, the Commander of the Faithful said to her, “O damsel, thou art in love.” “Yes,” answered she. And he said, “With whom?” Quoth she, “With my lord and my master, my love for whom is as the love of the earth for rain, or as the love of the female for the male; and indeed the love of him is mingled with my flesh and my blood and hath entered into the channels of my bones. O Commander of the Faithful, whenas I call him to mind, mine entrails are consumed, for that I have not accomplished my desire of him, and but that I fear to die, without seeing him, I would assuredly kill myself.” And he said, “Art thou in my presence and bespeakest me with the like of these words? I will assuredly make thee forget thy lord.”
Then he bade take her away; so she was carried to her chamber and he sent her a black slave-girl, with a casket, wherein were three thousand dinars and a carcanet of gold, set with pearls, great and small, and jewels, worth other three thousand, saying to her, “The slave-girl and that which is with her are a gift from me to thee.” When she heard this, she said, “God forbid that I should be consoled for the love of my lord and my master, though with the earth full of gold!” And she improvised and recited the following verses:
I swear by his life, yea, I swear by the life of my love without
peer, To please him or save him from hurt, I’d enter the
fire without fear!
“Console thou thyself for his love,” quoth they, “with another
than he;” But, “Nay, by his life,” answered I, “I’ll never
forget him my dear!”
A moon is my love, in a robe of loveliness proudly arrayed, And
the splendours of new-broken day from his cheeks and his
forehead shine clear.
Then the Khalif summoned her to his presence a fourth time and said to her, “O Sitt el Milah, sing.” So she improvised and sang the following verses:
To his beloved one the lover’s heart’s inclined; His soul’s a
captive slave, in sickness’ hands confined.
“What is the taste of love?” quoth one, and I replied, “Sweet
water ’tis at first; but torment lurks behind.”
Love’s slave, I keep my troth with them; but, when they vowed,
Fate made itself Urcoub, whom never oath could bind.
What is there in the tents? Their burdens are become A lover’s,
whose belov’d is in the litters’ shrined.
In every halting-place like Joseph she appears And he in
every stead with Jacob’s grief is pined.
When she had made an end of her song, she threw the lute from her hand and wept till she swooned away. So they sprinkled on her rose-water, mingled with musk, and willow-flower water; and when she came to herself, Er Reshid said to her, “O Sitt el Milah, this is not fair dealing in thee. We love thee and thou lovest another.” “O Commander of the Faithful,” answered she, “there is no help for it.” Therewithal he was wroth with her and said, “By the virtue of Hemzeh and Akil and Mohammed, Prince of the Apostles, if thou name one other than I in my presence, I will bid strike off thy head!” Then he bade return her to her chamber, whilst she wept and recited the following verses:
If I must die, then welcome death to heal My woes; ‘twere lighter
than the pangs I feel.
What if the sabre cut me limb from limb! No torment ‘twere for
lovers true and leal.
Then the Khalif went in to the Lady Zubeideh, pale with anger, and she noted this in him and said to him, “How cometh it that I see the Commander of the Faithful changed of colour?” “O daughter of my uncle,” answered he, “I have a beautiful slave-girl, who reciteth verses and telleth stories, and she hath taken my whole heart; but she loveth other than I and avoucheth that she loveth her [former] master; wherefore I have sworn a great oath that, if she come again to my sitting-chamber and sing for other than I, I will assuredly take a span from her highest part.”Quoth Zubeideh, “Let the Commander of the Faithful favour me with her presence, so I may look on her and hear her singing.” So he bade fetch her and she came, whereupon the Lady Zubeideh withdrew behind the curtain, whereas she saw her not, and Er Reshid said to her, “Sing to us.” So she took the lute and tuning it, sang the following verses:
Lo, since the day I left you, O my masters, Life is not sweet, no
aye my heart is light.
Yea, in the night the thought of you still slays me; Hidden are
my traces from the wise men’s sight,
All for a wild deer’s love, whose looks have snared me And on
whose brows the morning glitters bright
I am become, for severance from my loved one, Like a left hand,
forsaken of the right.
Beauty on his cheek hath written, “Blest be Allah, He who created
this enchanting wight!”
Him I beseech our loves who hath dissevered, Us of his grace once
more to reunite.
When Er Reshid heard this, he waxed exceeding wroth and said, “May God not reunite you twain in gladness!” Then he summoned the headsman, and when he presented himself, he said to him, “Strike off the head of this accursed slave-girl.” So Mesrour took her by the hand and [led her away; but], when she came to the door, she turned and said to the Khalif, “O Commander of the Faithful, I conjure thee, by thy fathers and forefathers, give ear unto that I shall say!” Then she improvised and recited the following verses:
O Amir of justice, be kind to thy subjects; For justice, indeed,
of thy nature’s a trait.
O thou my inclining to love him that blamest, Shall lovers be
blamed for the errors of Fate?
Then spare me, by Him who vouchsafed thee the kingship; For a
gift in this world is the regal estate.
Then Mesrour carried her to the other end of the sitting-chamber and bound her eyes and making her sit, stood awaiting a second commandment; whereupon quoth the Lady Zubeideh, “O Commander of the Faithful, with thy permission, wilt thou not vouchsafe this damsel a share of thy clemency? Inde
ed, if thou slay her, it were injustice.” Quoth he, “What is to be done with her?” And she said, “Forbear to slay her and send for her lord. If he be as she describeth him in grace and goodliness, she is excused, and if he be not on this wise, then slay her, and this shall be thy justification against her.”
“Be it as thou deemest,” answered Er Reshid and caused return the damsel to her chamber, saying to her, “The Lady Zubeideh saith thus and thus.” Quoth she, “God requite her for me with good! Indeed, thou dealest equitably, O Commander of the Faithful, in this judgment.” And he answered, “Go now to thy place, and to-morrow we will let bring thy lord.” So she kissed the earth and recited the following verses:
I am content, for him I love, to all abide; So, who will, let him
blame, and who will, let him chide.
At their appointed terms souls die; but for despair My soul is
like to die, or ere its term betide.
O thou with love of whom I’m smitten, yet content, I prithee come
to me and hasten to my side.
John Payne’s translation: detailed table of contents
Then she arose and returned to her chamber.
On the morrow, the Commander of the Faithful sat [in his hall of audience] and his Vizier Jaafer ben Yehya the Barmecide came in to him; whereupon he called to him, saying, “I would have thee bring me a youth who is lately come to Baghdad, hight [Sidi Noureddin Ali] the Damascene.” Quoth Jaafer, “Hearkening and obedience,” and going forth in quest of the youth, sent to the markets and khans and caravanserais three days’ space, but found no trace of him, neither lit upon tidings of him. So on the fourth day he presented himself before the Khalif and said to him, “O our lord, I have sought him these three days, but have not found him.” Quoth Er Reshid, “Make ready letters to Damascus. Belike he hath returned to his own land.” So Jaafer wrote a letter and despatched it by a dromedary-courier to the city of Damascus; and they sought him there and found him not.
Meanwhile, news was brought that Khorassan had been conquered; whereupon Er Reshid rejoiced and bade decorate Baghdad and release all who were in the prisons, giving each of them a dinar and a dress. So Jaafer addressed himself to the decoration of the city and bade his brother El Fezl ride to the prison and clothe and release the prisoners. El Fezl did his brother’s bidding and released all but the young Damascene, who abode still in the Prison of Blood, saying, “There is no power and no virtue save in God the Most High, the Sublime! Verily, we are God’s and to Him we return.” Then said El Fezl to the gaoler, “Is there any prisoner left in the prison?” “No,” answered he, and El Fezl was about to depart, when Noureddin called out to him from within the prison, saying, “O my lord, tarry, for there remaineth none in the prison other than I and indeed I am oppressed. This is a day of clemency and there is no disputing concerning it.” El Fezl bade release him; so they set him free and he gave him a dress and a dinar. So the young man went out, bewildered and knowing not whither he should go, for that he had abidden in the prison nigh a year and indeed his condition was changed and his favour faded, and he abode walking and turning round, lest El Muradi should come upon him and cast him into another calamity.
When El Muradi heard of his release, he betook himself to the chief of the police and said to him, “O our lord, we are not assured from yonder youth, [the Damascene], for that he hath been released from prison and we fear lest he complain of us.” Quoth the prefect, “How shall we do?” And El Muradi answered, saying, “I will cast him into a calamity for thee.” Then he ceased not to follow the young Damascene from place to place till he came up with him in a strait place and a by-street without an issue; whereupon he accosted him and putting a rope about his neck, cried out, saying, “A thief!” The folk flocked to him from all sides and fell to beating and reviling Noureddin, whilst he cried out for succour, but none succoured him, and El Muradi still said to him, “But yesterday the Commander of the Faithful released thee and to-day thou stealest!” So the hearts of the folk were hardened against him and El Muradi carried him to the master of police, who bade cut off his hand.
Accordingly, the hangman took him and bringing out the knife, offered to cut off his hand, what while El Muradi said to him, “Cut and sever the bone and sear it not for him, so he may lose his blood and we be rid of him.” But Ahmed, he who had aforetime been the means of his deliverance, sprang up to him and said, “O folk, fear God in [your dealings with] this youth, for that I know his affair from first to last and he is void of offence and guiltless. Moreover, he is of the folk of condition, and except ye desist from him, I will go up to the Commander of the Faithful and acquaint him with the case from first to last and that the youth is guiltless of crime or offence.” Quoth El Muradi, “Indeed, we are not assured from his mischief.” And Ahmed answered, “Release him and commit him to me and I will warrant you against his affair, for ye shall never see him again after this.” So they delivered Noureddin to him and he took him from their hands and said to him, “O youth, have compassion on thyself, for indeed thou hast fallen into the hands of these folk twice and if they lay hold of thee a third time, they will make an end of thee; and [in dealing thus with thee], I aim at reward and recompense for thee and answered prayer.”
Noureddin fell to kissing his hand and calling down blessings on him and said to him, “Know that I am a stranger in this your city and the completion of kindness is better than the beginning thereof; wherefore I beseech thee of thy favour that thou complete to me thy good offices and kindness and bring me to the gate of the city. So will thy beneficence be accomplished unto me and may God the Most High requite thee for me with good!” [“Fear not,”] answered Ahmed; “no harm shall betide thee. Go; I will bear thee company till thou come to thy place of assurance.” And he left him not till he brought him to the gate of the city and said to him, “O youth, go in the safeguard of God and return not to the city; for, if they fall in with thee [again], they will make an end of thee.” Noureddin kissed his hand and going forth the city, gave not over walking till he came to a mosque that stood in one of the suburbs of Baghdad and entered therein with the night.
Now he had with him nought wherewithal he might cover himself; so he wrapped himself up in one of the rugs of the mosque [and abode thus till daybreak], when the Muezzins came and finding him sitting in that case, said to him, “O youth, what is this plight?” Quoth he, “I cast myself on your hospitality, imploring your protection from a company of folk who seek to kill me unjustly and oppressively, without cause.” And [one of] the Muezzin[s] said, “Be of good heart and cheerful eye.” Then he brought him old clothes and covered him withal; moreover, he set before him somewhat of meat and seeing upon him signs of gentle breeding, said to him, “O my son, I grow old and desire thee of help, [in return for which] I will do away thy necessity.” “Hearkening and obedience,” answered Noureddin and abode with the old man, who rested and took his ease, what while the youth [did his service in the mosque], celebrating the praises of God and calling the faithful to prayer and lighting the lamps and filling the ewers and sweeping and cleaning out the place.
Meanwhile, the Lady Zubeideh, the wife of the Commander of the Faithful, made a banquet in her palace and assembled her slave-girls. As for Sitt el Milah, she came, weeping-eyed and mournful-hearted, and those who were present blamed her for this, whereupon she recited the following verses:
Ye chide at one who weepeth for troubles ever new; Needs must th’
afflicted warble the woes that make him rue.
Except I be appointed a day [to end my pain], I’ll weep until
mine eyelids with blood their tears ensue.
When she had made an end of her verses, the Lady Zubeideh bade each damsel sing a song, till the turn came round to Sitt el Milah, whereupon she took the lute and tuning it, sang thereto four-and-twenty songs in four-and-twenty modes; then she returned to the first mode and sang the following verses:
Fortune its arrows all, through him I love, let fly At me an
d
parted me from him for whom I sigh.
Lo, in my heart the heat of every heart burns high And in mine
eyes unite the tears of every eye.
When she had made an end of her song, she wept till she made the bystanders weep and the Lady Zubeideh condoled with her and said to her, “God on thee, O Sitt el Milah, sing us somewhat, so we may hearken to thee.” “Hearkening and obedience,” answered the damsel and sang the following verses:
Assemble, ye people of passion, I pray; For the hour of our
torment hath sounded to-day.
The raven of parting croaks loud at our door; Alas, for our raven
cleaves fast to us aye!
For those whom we cherish are parted and gone; They have left us
in torment to pine for dismay.
So arise, by your lives I conjure you, arise And come let us fare
to our loved ones away.
Then she cast the lute from her hand and wept till she made the Lady Zubeideh weep, and she said to her, “O Sitt el Milah, methinks he whom thou lovest is not in this world, for that the Commander of the Faithful hath sought him in every place, but hath not found him.” Whereupon the damsel arose and kissing the Lady Zubeideh’s hands, said to her, “O my lady, if thou wouldst have him found, I have a request to make to thee, wherein thou mayst accomplish my occasion with the Commander of the Faithful.” Quoth the princess, “And what is it?” “It is,” answered Sitt el Milah, “that thou get me leave to go forth by myself and go round about in quest of him three days, for the adage saith, ‘She who mourneth for herself is not the like of her who is hired to mourn.’ If I find him, I will bring him before the Commander of the Faithful, so he may do with us what he will; and if I find him not, I shall be cut off from hope of him and that which is with me will be assuaged.” Quoth the Lady Zubeideh, “I will not get thee leave from him but for a whole month; so be of good heart and cheerful eye.” Whereupon Sitt el Milah was glad and rising, kissed the earth before her once more and went away to her own place, rejoicing.
As for Zubeideh, she went in to the Khalif and talked with him awhile; then she fell to kissing him between the eyes and on his hand and asked him that which she had promised Sitt el Milah, saying, “O Commander of the Faithful, I doubt me her lord is not found in this world; but, if she go about in quest of him and find him not, her hopes will be cut off and her mind will be set at rest and she will sport and laugh; for that, what while she abideth in hope, she will never cease from her frowardness.” And she gave not over cajoling him till he gave Sitt el Milah leave to go forth and make search for her lord a month’s space and ordered her an eunuch to attend her and bade the paymaster [of the household] give her all she needed, were it a thousand dirhems a day or more. So the Lady Zubeideh arose and returning to her palace, sent for Sitt el Milah and acquainted her with that which had passed [between herself and the Khalif]; whereupon she kissed her hand and thanked her and called down blessings on her.
One Thousand and One Nights Page 515