One Thousand and One Nights

by Richard Burton

  When it was the Five Hundred and Twenty-third Night,

  She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that “the King of the Beasts said to Janshah, ‘Commit to memory what is in these tablets; and whenas the beasts come, we will ask them anent that castle.’ He did as the King bade him, and before long, up came the beasts, kind after kind, and saluted Shah Badri who questioned them of Takni, the Castle of Jewels, but they all replied, ‘We know not this castle, nor ever heard we of it.’ At this Janshah wept and lamented for that he had not gone with the bird that brought him from Shaykh Nasr’s castle; but Shah Badri said to him, ‘Grieve not, O my son, for I have a brother, King Shimαkh highs, who is older than I; he was once a prisoner to King Solomon, for that he rebelled against him; nor is there among the Jinn one elder than he and Shaykh Nasr. Belike he knoweth of this castle; at any rate he ruleth over all the Jinn in this country side.’ So saying he set Janshah on the back of a beast and gave him a letter to his brother, commending him to his care. The beast set off with the Prince forthwith and fared on days and nights, till it came to King Shimakh’s abiding place. And when it caught sight of the King it stood still afar off, whereupon Janshah alighted and walked on, till he found himself in the presence. Then he kissed hands and presented his brother’s letter. The King read the missive and, having mastered the meaning, welcomed the Prince, saying, ‘By Allah, O my son, in all my born days I never saw nor heard of this castle!’ adding (as Janshah burst into tears), ‘but tell me thy story and who and whence thou art and whither thou art bound.’ So Janshah related to him his history from beginning to end, at which Shimakh marvelled and said, ‘O my son, I do not believe that even the lord Solomon ever saw this castle or heard thereof; but O my son,561 I know a monk in the mountains, who is exceeding old and whom all birds and beasts and Jann obey; for he ceased not his conjurations against the Kings of the Jann, till they submitted themselves to him in their own despite, by reason of the might of his oaths and his magic; and now all the birds and the beasts are his servants. I myself once rebelled against King Solomon and he sent against me this monk, the only being who could overcome me with his craft and his conjurations and his gramarye; then he imprisoned me, and since that time I have been his vassal. He hath travelled in all countries and quarters and knoweth all ways and regions and places and castles and cities; nor do I think there is any place hidden from his ken. So needs must I send thee to him; haply he may direct thee to the Castle of Jewels; and, if he cannot do this, none can; for all things obey him, birds and beasts and the very mountains and come at his beck and call, by reason of his skill in magic. Moreover, by the might of his egromancy he hath made a staff, in three pieces, and this he planteth in the earth and conjureth over it; whereupon flesh and blood issue from the first piece, sweet milk from the second and wheat and barley from the third; then he withdraweth the staff and returneth to his place which is highs the Hermitage of Diamonds. And this magical monk is a cunning inventor and artificer of all manner strange works; and he is a crafty warlock full of guiles and wiles, an arch deceiver of wondrous wickedness, who hath mastered every kind of magic and witchcraft. His name is Yaghmϊs and to him I must needs send thee on the back of a big bird with four wings,’” — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

  When it was the Five Hundred and Twenty-fourth Night,

  She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that “Shimakh said to Janshah, ‘I must needs send thee to the monk Yaghmus on the back of a big bird with four wings, each measuring thirty Hαshimi562 cubits in length; and it hath feet like those of an elephant, but it flieth only twice a year.’ And there was with King Shimakh an officer, by name Timshun, who used every day to carry off two Bactrian563 camels from the land of Irak and cut them up for the bird that it might eat them. So King Shimakh bade the fowl take up Janshah and bear him to the cell of the hermit Yaghmus; and it rose into the air and flew on days and nights, till it came to the Mountain of the Citadels and the Hermitage of Diamonds where Janshah alighted and going up to the hermitage, found Yaghmus the Monk at his devotions. So he entered the chapel and, kissing the ground stood respectfully before the hermit. When Yaghmus saw him, he said, ‘Welcome, O my son, O parted from thy home and garred ferforth to roam! Tell me the cause of thy coming hither.’ So Janshah wept and acquainted him with all that had befallen him from beginning to end and that he was in quest of the Castle of Jewels. The Monk marvelled greatly at his story and said, ‘By Allah, O my son, never in my life heard I of this castle, nor ever saw I one who had heard of it or had seen it, for all I was alive in the days of Noah, Allah’s Prophet (on whom be peace!),564 and I have ruled the birds and beasts and Jinn ever since his time; nor do I believe that Solomon David son himself knew of it. But wait till the birds and beasts and chiefs of the Jann come to do their homage to me and I will question them of it; peradventure, some one of them may be able to give us news of it and Allah Almighty shall make all things easy to thee.’ So Janshah homed with the hermit, until the day of the assembly, when all the birds and beasts and Jann came to swear fealty; and Yaghmus and his guest questioned them anent Takni, the Castle of Jewels; but they all replied, ‘We never saw or heard of such a place.’ At this, Janshah fell a weeping and lamenting and humbled himself before the Most High; but, as he was thus engaged, behold, there flew down from the heights of air another bird, big of bulk and black of blee, which had tarried behind the rest, and kissed the hermit’s hands. Yaghmus asked it of Takni, the Castle of Jewels, and it answered, saying ‘O Monk, when I and my brothers were small chicks we abode behind the Mountain Kaf on a hill of crystal, in the midst of a great desert; and our father and mother used to set out for it every morning and in the evening come back with our food. They went out early one day, and were absent from us a sennight and hunger was sore upon us; but on the eighth day they returned, both weeping, and we asked them the reason of their absence. Quoth they: ‘A Marid swooped down on us and carried us off in his claws to Takni, the Castle of Jewels, and brought us before King Shahlan, who would have slain us; but we told him that we had left behind us a brood of fledgelings; so he spared our lives and let us go. And were my parents yet in the bonds of life they would give thee news of the castle.’ When Janshah heard this, he wept bitter tears and said to the hermit, ‘Prithee bid the bird carry me to his father and mother’s nest on the crystal hill, behind the Mountain Kaf.’ So the hermit said, ‘O bird, I desire thee to obey this youth in whatsoever he may command thee.’ ‘I hear and obey thy bidding,’ replied the fowl; and, taking Janshah on its back, flew with him days and nights without ceasing till it set him down on the Hill of Crystal and there alighted. And having delayed there a resting while, it again set him on its back and flew off and ceased not flying for two whole days till it reached the spot where the nest was.” — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

  When it was the Five Hundred and Twenty-fifth Night,

  She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that “the fowl ceased not flying with Janshah two full days; till it reached the spot where the nest was, and set him down there and said, ‘O Janshah, this is where our nest was.’ He wept sore and replied, ‘I pray thee bear me farther on to where thy parents used to forage for food.’ The bird consented; so it took him up again and flew on with him seven nights and eight days, till it set him down on the top of a high hill Karmus highs and left him there saying, ‘I know of no land behind this hill.’ Then it flew away and Janshah sat down on the hill-top and fell asleep. When he awoke, he saw a something gleaming afar off as it were lightning and filling the firmament with its flashings; and he wondered what this sheen could be without wotting that it was the Castle he sought. So he descended the mountain and made towards the light, which came from Takni, the Castle of Jewels, distant two months’ journey from Karmϊs, the hill whereon he had alit, and its foundations were fashioned of red rubies and its buildings of yellow gold. Moreover, it had a tho
usand turrets builded of precious metals, and stones of price studded and set in the minerals brought from the Main of Murks, and on this account it was named the Castle of Jewels, Takni. It was a vast great castle and the name of its king was King Shahlan, the father of the lady Shamsah and her sisters. Such was the case with Janshah; but as regards Princess Shamsah, when she fled from Janshah, she made straight for the Castle of Jewels and told her father and mother all that had passed between the Prince and herself; how he had wandered the world and seen its marvels and wonders and how fondly he loved her and how dearly she loved him. Quoth they, ‘Thou hast not dealt righteously with him, as Allah would have thee deal.’ Moreover King Shahlan repeated the story to his guards and officers of the Marids of the Jinn and bade them bring him every mortal they should see. For the lady Shamsah had said to her parents, ‘Janshah loveth me with passionate love and forsure he will follow me; for when flying from his father’s roof I cried to him, ‘An thou love me, seek me at Takni, the Castle of Jewels!’ Now when Janshah beheld that sheen and shine, he made straight for it wishing to find out what it might be. And as chance would have it, Shamsah had that very day despatched a Marid on an occasion in the direction of the hill Karmus, and on his way thither he caught sight of a man, a mortal; so he hastened up to him and saluted him. Janshah was terrified at his sight, but returned his salam, and the Marid asked, ‘What is thy name?’ and he answered, ‘My name is Janshah, and I have fallen madly in love with a Jinniyah known as Princess Shamsah, who captivated me by her beauty and loveliness; but despite my dear love she fled from the palace wherein I placed her and behold, I am here in quest of her.’ Herewith he wept with bitter weeping. The Marid looked at him and his heart burned with pity on hearing the sad tale, and he said, ‘Weep not, for surely thou art come to thy desire. Know that she loveth thee fondly and hath told her parents of thy love for her, and all in yonder castle love thee for her sake; so be of good cheer and keep thine eyes cool of tear.’ Then he took him on his shoulders and made off with him to the Castle of Jewels, Takni. Thereupon the bearers of fair tidings hastened to report his coming and when the news reached Shamsah and her father and mother, they all rejoiced with exceeding joy, and King Shahlan took horse and rode out, commanding all his guards and Ifrits and Marids honourably to meet the Prince.” — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

  When it was the Five Hundred and Twenty-sixth Night,

  She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that “King Shahlan commanded all his guards and Ifrits and Marids to meet the Prince; and, as soon as he came up with him, he dismounted and embraced him, and Janshah kissed his hand. Then Shahlan bade put on him a robe of honour of many coloured silk, laced with gold and set with jewels, and a coronet such as man never saw, and, mounting him on a splendid mare of the steeds of the Kings of the Jinn, took horse himself and, with an immense retinue riding on the right hand and the left, brought him in great state to the Castle. Janshah marvelled at the splendour of this edifice, with its walls builded of rubies and other jewels and its pavement of crystal and jasper and emerald, and fell a weeping at the memory of his past miseries; but the King and Queen, Shamsah’s mother, wiped away his tears and said, ‘Now no more weeping and be of good cheer, for thou hast won to thy will.’ Then Shahlan carried him into the inner court of the Castle, where he was received by a multitude of beautiful damsels and pages and black Jinn-slaves, who seated him in the place of honour and stood to do him service, whilst he was lost in amazement at the goodliness of the place, and its walls all edified of precious metals and jewels of price. Presently King Shahlan repaired to his hall of audience, where he sat down on his throne and, bidding the slave-girls and the pages introduce the Prince, rose to receive him and seated him by his side on the throne. Then he ordered the tables to be spread and they ate and drank and washed their hands; after which in came the Queen Shamsah’s mother, and saluting Janshah, bade him welcome in these words, ‘Thou hast come to thy desire after weariness and thine eyes shall now sleep after watching; so praised be Allah for thy safety!’ Thus saying, she went away and forthwith returned with the Princess Shamsah, who saluted Janshah and kissed his hands, hanging her head in shame and confusion before him and her parents, after which as many of her sisters as were in the palace came up to him and greeted him in like manner. Then quoth the Queen to him, ‘Welcome, O my son, our daughter Shamsah hath indeed sinned against thee, but do thou pardon her misdeed for our sakes.’ When Janshah heard this, he cried out and fell down fainting, whereat the King marvelled and they sprinkled on his face rose water mingled with musk and civet, till he came to himself and, looking at Princess Shamsah, said, ‘Praised be Allah who hath brought me to my desire and hath quenched the fire of my heart!’ Replied she, ‘May He preserve thee from the Fire!, but now tell me, O Janshah, what hath befallen thee since our parting and how thou madest thy way to this place; seeing that few even of the Jann ever heard of Takni, the Castle of Jewels; and we are independent of all the Kings nor any wotteth the road hither.’ Thereupon he related to her every adventure and peril and hardship he had suffered and how he had left his father at war with King Kafid, ending with these words, ‘And all for thy sake, my lady Shamsah!’ Quoth the Queen, ‘Now hast thou thy heart’s desire, for the Princess is thy handmaid, and we give her in free gift to thee.’ Janshah joyed exceedingly at these words and the Queen added, ‘Next month, if it be the will of Almighty Allah, we will have a brave wedding and celebrate the marriage festival and after the knot is tied we will send you both back to thy native land, with an escort of a thousand Marids of our body-guard, the least of whom, an thou bid him slay King Kafid and his folk, would surely destroy them to the last man in the twinkling of an eye. Furthermore if it please thee we will send thee, year after year, a company of which each and every can so do with all thy foes.’” — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

  When it was the Five Hundred and Twenty-seventh Night,

  She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that “the lady Shamsah’s mother ended with saying, ‘And if it so please thee we will send thee, year after year, a company of which each and every can destroy thy foes to the last man.’ Then King Shahlan sat down on his throne and, summoning his Grandees and Officers of state, bade them make ready for the marriage- festivities and decorate the city seven days and nights. ‘We hear and we obey,’ answered they and busied themselves two months in the preparations, after which they celebrated the marriage of the Prince and Princess and held a mighty festival, never was there its like. Then they brought Janshah in to his bride and he abode with her in all solace of life and delight for two years, at the end of which time he said to her, ‘Thy father promised to send us to my native land, that we might pass one year there and the next here.’ Answered she, I hear and obey,’ and going in to King Shahlan at nightfall told him what the Prince had said. Quoth he, ‘I consent; but have patience with me till the first of the month, that I may make ready for your departure.’ She repeated these words to her husband and they waited till the appointed time, when the King bade his Marids bring out to them a great litter of red gold, set with pearls and jewels and covered with a canopy of green silk, purfled in a profusion of colours and embroidered with precious stones, dazzling with its goodliness the eyes of every beholder. He chose out four of his Marids to carry the litter in whichever of the four quarters the riders might choose. Moreover, he gave his daughter three hundred beautiful damsels to wait upon her and bestowed on Janshah the like number of white slaves of the sons of the Jinn. Then the lady Shamsah took formal leave of her mother and sisters and all her kith and kin; and her father fared forth with them. So the four Marids took up the litter, each by one corner, and rising under it like birds in air, flew onward with it between earth and heaven till mid-day, when the King bade them set it down and all alighted. Then they took leave of one another and King Shahlan commended Shamsah to the Prince’s care, and giving the
m in charge to the Marids, returned to the Castle of Jewels, whilst the Prince and Princess remounted the litter, and the Marids taking it up, flew on for ten whole days, in each of which they accomplished thirty months’ journey, till they sighted the capital of King Teghmus. Now one of them knew the land of Kabul; so when he saw the city, he bade the others let down the litter at that populous place which was the capital.” — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.