One Thousand and One Nights

by Richard Burton

  When it was the Forty-eighth Night,

  She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Nazarene damsel said to Sharrkan (and he listening impatiently enow), “Verily if Sharrkan fell into my hands, I would go forth to him in the habit of a man and drag him from his saddle seat and make him my captive and lay him in bilboes,” pride and passion and knightly jealousy took possession of him and he desired to discover and declare himself and to lay on load; but her loveliness restrained him and he began repeating,

  “An faulty of one fault the Beauty prove, * Her charms a thousand advocates shall move.”

  So she went up and Sharrkan after her; and, when he saw the maiden’s back and hinder cheeks that clashed against each other, like rollers in the rolling sea, he extemporised these couplets:- -

  “For her sins is a pleader that brow, * And all hearts its fair

  pleading must bow:

  When I saw it I cried, “To night * The moon at its fullest doth

  show;

  Tho’ Balkis’ own Ifrit183 try a bout, * Spite his force she

  would deal him a throw.”

  The two fared on till they reached a gate over which rose a marble archway. This she opened and ushered Sharrkan into a long vestibule, vaulted with ten connected arches, from each of which hung a crystal lamp glistening like a spark of fire. The handmaids met her at the further end bearing wax candles of goodly perfume, and wearing on their heads golden fillets crusted with all manner bezel gems,184 and went on before her (Sharrkan still following), till they reached the inner convent. There the Moslem saw couches and sofas ranged all around, one opposite the other and all over hung with curtains flowered in gold. The monastery floor was paved with every kind of vari coloured marbles and mosaic work, and in the midst stood a basin that held four and twenty jetting fountains of gold, whence the water ran like molten silver; whilst at the upper end stood a throne spread with silks fit only for Kings. Then said the damsel, “Ascend, O my lord, this throne.” So he went up to it and sat down and she withdrew to remain absent for some time. Sharrkan asked of her from one of the servants who answered him, “She hath gone to her dormitory; but we will serve thee even as she ordered.” So they set before him viands of rare varieties, and he ate his sufficiency, when they brought him a basin of gold and an ewer of silver, and he washed his hands. Then his thoughts reverted to his army, knowing not what had befallen it in his absence and calling to mind also how he had forgotten his father’s injunctions: so he was troubled about his case, repenting of what he had done till the dawn broke and the day appeared; when he lamented and sighed and became drowned in sea of sadness and repeated,

  “I am not lost to prudence, but indeed * Here I’m bewildered,

  what shall be my rede?

  Would any aid me in mine ails of love, * By my own might and

  sleight would I be free’d:

  But ah! my heart is lost and passion-shent: * To none save Allah

  can I trust my need!”

  When he ended his verse behold, there came up to him a rare show and a fair, more than twenty maidens like crescents encompassing the young lady, who shone in their midst as the full moon among the constellations guarding and girding her. She was clad in brocades befitting Kings; her breasts were like twin pomegranates, a woven zone set with all kinds of jewels tightly clasped her waist which expanded below into jutting hips; and her hinder cheeks stood out as a mound of crystal185 supporting a silvern shaft. When Sharrkan looked at her his wits went nigh to fly away from him with delight; and he forgot army and Wazir as he gazed on her fair head decked and dight with a net work of pearls set off by divers sorts of gems. Handmaids on her right and handmaids on her left bore her train, as she paced with dainty graceful gait in all the pride of seemlihead. He sprang to his feet seeing such beauty and loveliness, and cried aloud, “Beware and beware of that zone rarely fair!” and broke out into these couplets,

  “With heavy back parts, high breasts delicate, * And lissome form

  that sways with swimming gait

  She deftly hides love longing in her breast; * But I may never

  hide its ban and bate

  While hosts of followers her steps precede,186 * Like pearls

  now necklaced and now separate.”

  She gazed upon him for a long time and considered him till she was assured of him, when she came up to him and said, “In very sooth the place is honoured and illumined by thee, O Sharrkan! How sped thy night, O hero, after we went away and left thee?”; adding, “Verily lying is a vile thing and a shameful, especially in great Kings! and thou art Crown Prince Sharrkan, son and heir of King Omar bin al-Nu’uman; so henceforth make no secret of thy rank and condition, nor let me hear aught from thee but the truth; for leasing bequeatheth hate and despite. And as thou art pierced by the shaft of Fate, be resignation thine and abide content to wait.” When he heard her words he saw that artifice availed him naught and he acknowledged the truth, saying, “I am Sharrkan, bin Omar bin al-Nu’uman, whom fortune hath afflicted and cast into this place; so whatso thou willest, do it in my case!” She hung her head groundwards a long while, then turned to him and said, “Be of good cheer and let thine eyes be cool and clear;187 for thou art the guest of my hospitality, and bread and salt hath made a tie between me and thee; wherefore thou art in my ward and under my safeguard. Have no fear for, by the truth of the Messiah, if all on earth sought to do thee hurt they should not come at thee, till life had left my body for thy sake: indeed thou art now under the charge of the Messiah and of me.” Hereat she sat her down by his side and fell to playing with him, till his alarm subsided and he knew that had she desired to slay him, she would have done so during the past night. Presently she bespoke in the Grecian tongue one of her slave girls, who went away and soon came back bringing a beaker and a tray of food; but Sharrkan abstained from eating and said to himself, “Haply she hath put somewhat in this meat.” She knew what was in his thought; so she turned to him and said, “By the truth of the Messiah, the case is not on such wise, nor is there aught in this meat of what thou suspectest! Had my mind been set on slaying thee, I had slain thee ere now.” Then she walked up to the tray and ate of every dish a mouthful; where upon Sharrkan came forward and ate too. She was pleased at this and both ate till they were satisfied. They washed their hands and after that she rose and ordered a handmaid to bring perfumes and herbs of sweet savour, wines of all colours and kinds and a wine-service with vessels of gold, silver and crystal. She filled a first goblet and drank it off before offering it to him, even as she had done with the food: then she crowned a second and handed it to him. He drank and she said to him, “O Moslem, see how thou art here in all solace and delight of life!” And she ceased not to drink and ply him with drink, till he took leave of his wits,- -And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day, and ceased saying her permitted say.

  When it was the Forty-ninth Night,

  She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the damsel ceased not to drink and ply Sharrkan with drink till he took leave of his wits, for the wine and the intoxication of love he bore her. Presently she said to the slave girl, “O Marjanah188 ! bring us some instruments of music!” “To hear is to obey,” said the hand maid and going out, returned in the twinkling of an eye with a Damascus lute,189 a Persian harp, a Tartar pipe, and an Egyptian dulcimer. The young lady took the lute and, after tuning each several string, began in gentle undersong to sing, softer than zephyr’s wing and sweeter than Tasmin190 spring, with heart safe and secure from everything the couplets following,

  “Allah assain those eyne! What streams of blood they shed! * How

  many an arrowy glance those lids of thine have sped.

  I love all lovers who to lovers show them cure; * ‘Twere wrong to

  rue the love in wrong head born and bred:

  Haply fall hapless eye for thee no sleeping kens! * Heaven help

  the hapless heart by force of thee misled!

  Thou doomest me to death
who art my king, and I * Ransom with

  life the deemster who would doom me dead.”

  Thereupon each and every of the maidens rose up and taking an instrument, played and recited couplets in the Roumi tongue; then their mistress sang also and seeing Sharrkan in ecstasies asked him, “O Moslem, dost thou understand what I say?”; and he answered, “Nay, my ecstasy cometh from the beauty of thy finger sips.” She laughed and continued, “If I sing to thee in Arabic what wouldst thou do?” “I should no longer,” quoth he, “be master of my senses.” Then she took an instrument and, changing the measure, began singing these verses,

  “The smack of parting’s myrrh to me, * How, then, bear patience’

  aloë?

  I’m girt by ills in trinity * Severance, distance,

  cruelty!

  My freedom stole that fairest she, * And parting irks me

  bitterly.”

  When she ended her verse, she looked at Sharrkan and found him lost to existence, and he lay for a while stretched at full length and prone among the maidens.191 Then he revived and, remembering the songs, again inclined to mirth and merriment; and the twain returned to their wine and wassail, and continued their playing and toying, their pastime and pleasure till day ceased illuminating and night drooped her wing. Then the damsel went off to her dormitory and when Sharrkan asked after her they answered, “She is gone to her sleeping chamber,” whereto he rejoined, “Under Allah’s ward and His good guard!” As soon as it was morning, a handmaid came to him and said to him, “My mistress biddeth thee to her.” So he rose and followed her and, as he drew near her lodging, the damsels welcomed him with smitten tabrets and songs of greeting, and led him through a great door of ivory studded with pearls and jewels. Thence they passed with him into a tall and spacious hall, at the upper end of which was a wide dais carpeted with all kinds of silks, and round it open lattices commanding a view of trees and streams. About the saloon were figures carved in human form, and fashioned on such wise that the air passed through them and set in motion musical instruments within, so that the beholder would fancy they spoke.192 Here sat the young lady, looking at the figures; but when she saw Sharrkan, she sprang to her feet and, taking him by the hand, made him sit down by her side, and asked him how he had passed the night. He blessed her and the two sat talking awhile till she asked him, “Knowest thou aught touching lovers and slaves of love?”; and he answered “Yes! I wot somewhat in verse on that matter.” “Let me hear it,” quoth she, so he began quoting,

  “Pleasure and health, good cheer, good appetite * To Azzah,

  freest with our name and fame!

  By Allah! would I near her off she flies * At tangent, granting

  less the more I claim:

  I dote on Azzah, but when clear I off * My rivals, clears me too

  that dearest dame;

  Like wandering wight that chose for shade a cloud * Which, ere

  siesta done, thin air became.”

  When she heard this she said, “Verily Al-Kuthayyir193 was conspicuous for sweet speech and chaste, and he was superlative in his praise of Azzah when he sang” (and she began to recite),

  “Did Azzah deal behest to Sun o’ noon, * The judge had judged her

  beauty’s bestest boon;

  And girls who come to me and carp at her, * God make their rosy

  cheeks her sandal-shoon!

  And indeed,” quoth she, “’twas said that Azzah boasted exceeding beauty and loveliness.” Then she asked Sharrkan saying, “O Prince, cost thou know aught of Jamil’s194 verses to Buthaynah? if so repeat to us somewhat of them;” and he answered, “Yes, I know them better than any;” whereupon he began repeating these couplets,

  “Jamil, in Holy war go fight!” to me they say: * What war save

  fight for fair ones would I e’er essay?

  To me their every word and work are mere delight, * And martyrs

  crepe I all they slay in fight and fray:

  An ask I, ‘O Buthaynah! what’s this love, I pray, * Which eats

  my heart?’ quoth she ‘ ‘Twill stay for ever and aye!’

  And when I cry, ‘Of wits return some small display * For daily

  use,’ quoth she, ‘Far, far ’tis fled away!

  Thou seekst my death; naught else thy will can satisfy * While I

  no goal espy save thee and thee alway.’”

  “Thou hast spoken right well,” said she, “O King’s son, and Jamil also spoke excellently well. But what would Buthaynah have done with him that he saith in his hemistich,

  ‘Thou seekst my death; naught else thy will can satisfy?’”

  “O my lady,” quoth Sharrkan, “she willed to do him what thou willest to do with me, and even that will not satisfy thee.” She laughed at his opportune reply and they ceased not carousing till Day put out her light and Night came in darkness dight. Then she rose and went to her dormitory and slept, while Sharrkan slept in his place till morning dawned. As soon as he awoke, the hand maids came to him with tabrets and other instruments of mirth and merriment, as wont; and, kissing the ground between his hands, said to him, “Bismillah! in Allah’s name be so kind as to come195 : our mistress biddeth thee to her presence!” So he rose and accompanied the slave girls who surrounded him, playing on tabrets and other instruments of music, till they passed from that saloon into another and a yet more spacious hall, decorated with pictured likenesses and figures of birds and beasts, passing all description. Sharrkan marvelled at the art and artifice of the place and began reciting,

  “He plucks fruits of her necklace in rivalry, * And her breast-

  pearls that bedded in gold mine lie.

  Pure water on silvern bars is her brow, * And her cheeks show

  roses with rubies vie:

  Meseems in her eyne that the violet’s hue * Lies purpling set in

  the Ithmid’s196 dye.”

  When the lady saw Sharrkan, she stood up to him in honour and,

  taking his hand, seated him by her side and asked, “O son of King

  Omar bin al-Nu’uman, hast thou any cunning in the game of chess?”

  “Yes,” he answered, “but do not thou with me as said the poet,

  ‘I speak and longing love upties me and unties me; * Till with

  her honey dew of inner lip she plies me:

  I brought the chess board and my liefest lover plays me * With

  white and black,197 but black cum white ne’er satisfies

  me:

  ’Twas as if King for Castle I were fain to place me * Till wilful

  loss of game atwixt two queens surprise me:

  And if I seek to read intent in eyes that eye me * Oh man! that

  glance askance with hint of wish defies me.’”

  Then she brought the chessboard and played with him; but Sharrkan, instead of looking at her moves, kept gazing at her fair mouth, and putting knight in place of elephant and elephant198 instead of knight. She laughed and said to him, “If thy play be after this fashion, thou knowest naught of the game.” “This is only our first,” replied he, “judge not by this bout.” When she beat him he replaced the pieces in position and played again with her; but she beat him a second time, a third, a fourth and a fifth. So she turned to him and said, “Thou art beaten in everything;” and he replied, “O my lady, how should one playing with the like of thee avoid being beaten?” Then she bade bring food, and they ate and washed their hands; after which the wine was set before them and they drank. Presently, she took the dulcimer, for her hand was cunning in smiting it, and she began repeating to an accompaniment these couplets,