When the king saw her like that with a candle at her head and another at her feet, casting light on what was between her thighs, he lost his wits. The devil tempted him and as he was unable to control himself, he stripped off his trousers, fell on her and deflowered her. He then got up from on top of her and went to one of her maids, named Marjana, whom he told to answer a summons from her mistress. The maid went in and found Abriza lying on her back with blood flowing over her thighs. She fetched a kerchief and used it to set things to rights, wiping away the blood. She then spent the night with her, and when Almighty God brought morning, she washed her mistress’s face, hands and feet; after which she brought rosewater, which she used on her face and mouth.
The princess sneezed and yawned before vomiting out the banj from her stomach in the form of a pill. After washing her mouth and her hands, she asked her maid what had happened to her and when Marjana told her the story, she realized that the king must have slept with her and that his ruse had been successful. In her great sorrow she went into seclusion and told her maids not to allow anyone to visit her – ‘Tell them that I am ill’ – until she saw what God would do with her. Word reached the king that she was sick, and he sent her drinks, sugar and electuaries. She stayed like this for some months, during which the king’s passion cooled. His desire for her had been satisfied, and he kept away.
Abriza had become pregnant by him and with the passage of the months her pregnancy was shown by her swollen belly. In her distress she said to Marjana: ‘You must know that it is not these people who have harmed me, but I have wronged myself by leaving my father, my mother and my kingdom. I am tired of life and my spirit is broken; I have no resolution or strength. I used to be able to control my horse, but now I cannot ride. When I give birth here, I will be an object of shame among my maids and everyone in the palace will know that I lost my virginity to fornication. Were I to go home, how could I face my father and how could I go back to him? How excellent is the line of the poet:
What relief is there for one without family or homeland,
Who has no boon companion, no wine glass and no dwelling?’
Marjana said: ‘It is for you to command and I shall obey.’ The princess said: ‘I want to leave at once in secret. No one is to know of this except you. I shall go to my father and mother, for when flesh is putrid, no one but the family can help and God will do what He wills with me.’ ‘What you are doing is good, princess,’ said Marjana. Abriza then made her preparations in secret and she waited for some days until the king had gone out to hunt and Sharkan had left to spend some time in the castles. She then went to Marjana and told her: ‘I want to set off tonight, but what can I do against fate? I already feel my labour pains, and if I wait for four or five days, I shall give birth here and will not be able to go home. This is my destined fate.’
She thought for a time and then said to Marjana: ‘Look for a man to travel with me and to act as my servant on the journey, for I don’t have the strength to carry arms.’ ‘By God, my lady,’ said Marjana, ‘I know of no one apart from a black slave called Ghadban, one of the slaves of King ‘Umar. He is a brave man – he told me earlier that he used to be a highwayman – and has been assigned to guard the door of our palace with orders from the king to serve us. We have overwhelmed him with generosity, and I shall go out and speak to him about this. I shall promise him money and tell him that, if he wants to stay with us, I shall marry him off to whoever he wants. If he agrees to this, we shall get what we want and reach our own lands.’ ‘Tell him to come to me,’ said the princess, ‘so that I can talk to him.’ Marjana went out and called: ‘Ghadban, God will bring you prosperity if you accept what my mistress is going to propose to you.’ Taking him by the hand, she led him to the princess. When he saw her he kissed her hands, whereas she disliked him on sight, but said to herself: ‘Necessity has its own laws.’ So, in spite of her feelings, she went up to him and talked to him, asking: ‘Ghadban, will you help us against Time’s treachery, and if I tell you my secret, will you keep it hidden?’ When he looked at her, she took possession of his heart and he fell in love with her on the spot. All he could say was: ‘My lady, I shall obey any command that you give me.’ She told him: ‘I want you immediately to take me and this maid of mine and to saddle two camels, as well as two of the king’s horses. Each horse is to have a saddlebag with some money and some provisions, and then I want you to come with us to our own country. If you want to stay there, I shall marry you to whichever of my maids you choose, but if you prefer to go back home, we shall give you a wife and whatever else you want to take back with you, in addition to enough money to satisfy your needs.’
When Ghadban heard this, he was delighted, and he said: ‘My lady, I would give my eyes to serve the two of you. I shall go with you, and I shall saddle the horses for you both.’ He went off joyfully, saying to himself: ‘I have got what I want from them and if they don’t do what I say, I shall kill them and take the money that they are bringing with them.’ Keeping this to himself, he went off and returned with two camels and three horses, on one of which he rode himself. He brought up one of the others to the princess, and after mounting this, she got Marjana to mount the other. She herself was suffering from birth pangs and was unable to control herself because of the violence of the pain. Ghadban led them on through the mountain passes, travelling by day and night until they were within a day’s journey of their own lands. The princess then went into labour, and being unable to hold back, she told Ghadban to help her from her horse as she was about to give birth. She then called to Marjana, telling her to dismount, sit at her feet and act as her midwife. Both Marjana and Ghadban dismounted while Ghadban secured the reins of his horse and that of the princess, who, by the time that she dismounted, had almost lost consciousness because of the pain.
When Ghadban saw her get down, at the prompting of the devil he brandished his sword in her face and said: ‘Lady, have pity on me and allow me to enjoy you.’ When she heard this, she said: ‘All that is left for me is to give myself to black slaves, I who have refused valiant kings!’
Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the fifty-second night, SHE CONTINUED:
I have heard, O auspicious king, that the princess said to Ghadban: ‘All that is left for me is to give myself to black slaves, I who have refused valiant kings!’ She then added in anger: ‘Damn you, what are you saying to me? Do not speak of this in my presence, you wretch. I shall not agree to what you say, even if I die for it. But once I have given birth and tended to the child and to myself, and have rid myself of the afterbirth, then, if you can overcome me, do what you want with me. But if you don’t stop talking in this obscene way now, I shall take my own life, leave this world and find rest from all this.’ Then she recited:
Leave me alone, Ghadban. I have had enough
In my struggles against the miseries of Time.
God has forbidden me fornication and has said:
‘Hellfire is the abode of those who disobey My words.’
I have no inclination to do wrong,
As this is impious; leave and do not look at me.
Give up your foul approach and join with those
Who show respect towards my chastity,
Or I shall shriek out to my own clansmen,
Summoning them from far and near.
Though I were cut in pieces with a Yemeni sword,
I would allow no fornicator to gaze at me,
From all the ranks of freemen and the great,
So how much less a whoreson slave?
When Ghadban heard that, he became furiously angry. His eyes reddened, his colour paled, his nostrils flared, his lips drooped and he became even more repulsive. He then recited to Abriza:
Do not leave me as one slain by your love,
With a glance like a Yemeni sword.
My heart is cut in pieces by your harshness;
My body wastes away and my endurance vanis
hes.
The magic of your eyes has captured hearts;
My wits are absent but my desire is close at hand.
Bring all the inhabitants of earth to fight for you,
But I shall take what I want now.
When Abriza heard this, she wept bitterly and said: ‘Damn you, Ghadban, are you in a position to speak to me like this, whoreson, child of filth? Do you think that all men are equal?’ When the ill-omened slave heard that, his eyes reddened with rage; he approached her and struck her on the neck with his sword, killing her. He then took the money and rode off for safety among the hills.
So much for him, but as for Princess Abriza, she gave birth to a boy as beautiful as the moon. Marjana took him, attended to him and placed him beside his dead mother, whose teat he sucked. Meanwhile, Marjana herself screamed loudly, tore her clothes, poured dust on her head and slapped her cheeks until her face was bloodied. ‘Oh my mistress!’ she cried. ‘Oh disaster! You, for all your valour, have fallen at the hand of a worthless black slave.’ She was still weeping, when suddenly a dust cloud appeared, covering the land, and when it cleared away, beneath it could be seen a huge army.
This was the army of Abriza’s father, King Hardub, and the reason for its arrival was that Hardub had heard that his daughter and her maids had fled to Baghdad and were with King ‘Umar ibn al-Nu‘man. He had ridden out with his men to sniff out news from travellers, to find if they had seen her with the king. When he was a day’s journey from his capital, he had seen in the distance three riders, whom he wanted to approach in order to ask where they had come from, and to try to get news of his daughter. In fact, the three whom he had seen were none other than his daughter, her maid and the slave Ghadban. When he approached them, Ghadban made his escape, fearing for his life because he had killed Abriza,* and as the army came up Hardub saw his daughter lying dead, with her maid weeping over her. He threw himself from his saddle and fell fainting on the ground. All the knights, emirs and viziers who were with him dismounted. They immediately pitched camp there among the mountains, setting up a circular pavilion for the king, outside which the officers of state took their post.
When Marjana saw her master, she recognized him and wept even more bitterly. The king recovered consciousness and asked her what had happened, at which she told him the story. ‘Your daughter’s murderer,’ she said, ‘is a black slave belonging to King ‘Umar ibn al-Nu‘man,’ and she went on to tell him how King ‘Umar had treated the princess. The world grew dark in Hardub’s eyes when he heard this and he wept bitterly. On his orders a litter was then fetched, on which the body of the princess was placed and taken to his palace in Caesarea.
The king himself went to visit his mother, Dhat al-Dawahi, and said: ‘Is this how the Muslims treat my daughter? King ‘Umar deflowers her by force and then one of his black slaves kills her. I swear by the Messiah, I shall have vengeance for her on him and clear my honour of this disgrace. If I fail, I shall kill myself by my own hand.’ He then burst into tears. His mother said: ‘It was Marjana who killed your daughter, as she nursed a secret dislike for her.’ Then she added: ‘Don’t distress yourself about avenging her. By the truth of the Messiah, I shall not come back from King ‘Umar before I have killed him and killed his sons. I shall do something that will be beyond the powers of the heroes and the men of wiles, something that people will talk of in every region and place, but you will have to obey me in everything I say. The man who makes up his mind to do what he wants achieves what he wants.’
When the king had sworn that he would never disobey her orders, she said: ‘Fetch me virgins with swelling breasts and then bring the wisest men of the age to teach them philosophy, courtly behaviour and poetry, and how to consort with kings. The teachers are to talk with them on philosophical and religious subjects and these teachers must be Muslims so that they can teach the girls the histories of the Arabs, of the caliphs and of the old kings of Islam. If this is done over a period of four years, then we shall have reached our goal. You must show patience and endurance, for it is an Arab saying that to wait forty years for revenge is a small matter, and by teaching those girls we shall get what we want from our enemy. ‘Umar is naturally disposed towards loving girls. He has three hundred and sixty-six of them, to which were added a hundred whom you picked to accompany your late daughter. When the ones I want have been trained as I told you, I shall take them and go off with them myself.’
The king was glad when he heard this and, getting up, he kissed his mother’s head before immediately sending out agents to travel to the farthest lands in order to bring him Muslim sages. In accordance with his orders, the agents went to distant parts and brought him the wise men for whom he was looking. When these appeared before him, he showed them the greatest respect, gave them robes of honour, assigned them salaries and allowances and promised them huge sums of money in return for teaching the girls, whom he then fetched for them.
Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the fifty-third night, she continued:
I have heard, O auspicious king, that when the sages and wise men had come to the king, he showed them the greatest honour and brought them the girls. When the girls had been produced, he ordered the sages to teach them philosophy and general culture, which they did.
So much for King Hardub, but as for King ‘Umar, when he got back from hunting he went to his palace and looked for Princess Abriza, but failed to find her. No one could tell him anything about her or give him any news of her, something that he found hard to bear. ‘How can a girl leave the palace without anyone knowing anything about her? If this is the state of my kingdom, then it is badly run with no one to control it. I shall not go out hunting again until I have sent officers to take charge of the gates.’ The loss of the princess was a great sadness and grief to him and, while he was in this state, his son, Sharkan, returned from his journey. His father gave him to news, telling him, to his deep distress, that the princess had run away while he was hunting.
The king then took to paying daily visits to his children and showing them his favour. He had brought wise and learned teachers for them, whom he provided with salaries. On seeing this, Sharkan became very angry, and he was so envious of the children’s treatment that the marks of his anger were visible on his face and he became chronically ill. One day his father said to him: ‘Why is it that I see you getting weaker and weaker and why is your complexion so pale?’ ‘Father,’ replied Sharkan, ‘every time I see you showing close affection for my brother and sister and favouring them, I am filled with jealousy. I’m afraid that this may grow worse until it leads me to kill them, in return for which you will kill me. This is why I am sick and my colour has changed. So, of your kindness, I would like you to give me one of your more distant castles, where I can stay for the rest of my life. As the proverb says: “It is better for me to be far from my beloved. What the eye does not see, the heart does not grieve over.” ’ He then bent his head towards the ground.
When the king heard what Sharkan had to say, he realized what it was that had caused his decline and said reassuringly: ‘My son, I shall grant your request. There is no greater citadel in my kingdom than that of Damascus, and from this day on it is yours.’ He immediately summoned the registrars and ordered them to draw up a document investing his son Sharkan with authority over the city. This was done; preparations were made and Sharkan took Dandan with him, after his father had given Dandan instructions about the administration of the province, giving him control of affairs of state and instructing him to stay with Sharkan. He then said goodbye to his son, as did the emirs and the chief officers of state. Sharkan set off for Damascus with his troops, and on his arrival the inhabitants beat drums, blew their trumpets and adorned the city. They met him in a great procession and those officials whose place was on the right of the throne rode on his right, while those whose place was on the other side rode on his left.
So much for Sharkan, but as for his father,
after Sharkan had left, the wise teachers came to tell him that his children were now masters of learning, with a full grasp of philosophy, together with a knowledge of general culture and decorum. The king was delighted and rewarded them generously. Dau’ al-Makan was now well grown and developed. At the age of fourteen, he had mastered the art of horsemanship; he concerned himself with matters of religion and worship; he loved the poor as well as men of learning and Quranic scholars; and he was beloved by the people of Baghdad, both men and women.
The mahmal of Iraq now made a circuit in Baghdad on its way to the pilgrimage and the grave of the Prophet – may God bless him and give him peace. When Dau’ al-Makan saw the procession, he felt a longing to go on the pilgrimage, and he went to ask his father’s permission. His father refused and said: ‘Wait till next year and then you and I can go together.’ Dau’ al-Makan thought that this was too long a delay and he went to see his sister, Nuzhat al-Zaman, whom he found standing in prayer. When she had finished, he explained: ‘I long to go on pilgrimage to the sacred House of God and to visit the Prophet’s grave – may God bless him and give him peace. This longing is killing me, but when I asked leave from my father, he refused to let me go and so I propose to take some money and to leave secretly without telling him.’ ‘I ask you in God’s Name,’ she replied, ‘to take me with you and not to deprive me of the chance of visiting the Prophet’s grave,’ and so he told her: ‘When it gets dark, come from here without telling anyone.’
The Arabian Nights: Tales of 1,001 Nights: Volume 1 Page 47