The Muslims agreed that without any doubt this was the right plan, and so they went out and occupied the cave entrance, standing on either side of it and killing any of the enemy who tried to enter. They defended the entrance and resisted the infidels until the day ended and night darkened.
Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the ninety-ninth night, SHE CONTINUED:
I have heard, O fortunate king, that the Muslims held the entrance to the cave, standing on both sides of it and resisting the infidels, killing all who attacked and continuing to resist until the day ended and night darkened. By that time, Sharkan had no more than twenty-five men left, while the infidels were wondering when this was going to end as they were tired of battling against the Muslims. ‘Come on,’ said one of them, ‘let us attack them, for there are only twenty-five of them left and if we can’t defeat them we can prepare to burn them out. If they agree to surrender, we can take them prisoner, but if they refuse, we shall leave them as fuel for the fire, and they will be a warning for those who have eyes to see – may the Messiah have no mercy on them or lead them to the Paradise of the Christians!’ They then carried firewood to the cave’s entrance and set it alight, after which Sharkan and his men, seeing that they were certain to be destroyed, surrendered.
When they had done this, one of the infidels advised that they be put to death, but their leader turned to him and said: ‘They can only be killed in the presence of the emperor Afridun to satisfy his thirst for revenge. We must keep them with us as prisoners and tomorrow we can take them to Constantinople and hand them over to the emperor, who can do what he wants with them.’ His men agreed that this was the right thing to do. Orders were given for the prisoners to be fettered and a guard was mounted over them. When it grew dark, the infidels occupied themselves with pleasure. They ate and called for wine, which they drank until every one of them had fallen over. Sharkan and Dau’ al-Makan, his brother, were tied up, as were the valiant Muslims who were with them, and Sharkan looked at Dau’ al-Makan and said: ‘Brother, how are we going to escape?’ ‘By God,’ replied Dau’ al-Makan, ‘I don’t know. We are like birds in a cage.’
Sharkan’s breast swelled in anger, and as he stretched, his bonds broke. When he was free, he went to the guard commander and took the keys of the fetters from his pocket, after which he released Dau’ al-Makan and Dandan and then the other Muslims. Having done this, he turned to Dau’ al-Makan and Dandan and said: ‘I want to kill three of these guards so that we can take their clothes, which the three of us can put on and then we can walk through them disguised as Rumis, without anyone knowing who we are, and we can then set off for own army.’ ‘That is not a good idea,’ said Dau’ al-Makan. ‘If we kill them, I’m afraid that someone might hear their death groans, which would draw the attention of the unbelievers to us and they would kill us. The best plan is for us to leave this ravine.’ The others agreed and when they had gone a little way outside it, they saw horses tethered and their owners asleep. ‘Each of us,’ said Sharkan to his brother, ‘must take one of these horses.’ There were twenty-five of the Muslims and so they took twenty-five horses, God having caused the infidels to sleep, through His wise foreknowledge. Sharkan then set about stealing weapons from the infidels, both swords and lances, until he had found enough, and they then mounted the horses that they had taken and set off.
The infidels had thought that no one could free Dau’ al-Makan, his brother and their companions, and that it was impossible for them to escape. When they all had managed to do this and were at a safe distance from the enemy, Sharkan rejoined his men and found them waiting for him in a fever of anxiety and full of concern. He turned to them and said: ‘Have no fear, for God has sheltered us. I have a plan which may work.’ When they asked what it was, he said: ‘I want you to climb to the mountain top and then every one of you is to shout out all together: “Allahu akbar!” Then call out: “The armies of Islam have come” and follow it with another combined shout of “Allahu akbar!” This will make the infidels disperse; they will not be able to think of what to do on the spur of the moment, as they are drunk and will imagine that the Muslim army have surrounded them on all sides and have got in among them. As a result, they will start fighting one another, bemused by drink and sleep, and we can then cut them down and put them to the sword until morning.’ ‘That is not a good plan,’ said Dau’ al-Makan. ‘What we should do is to go off to our own army without saying a word, for if we cry “Allahu akbar!”, this will alert the infidels. They will catch up with us and none of us will escape.’ ‘By God,’ said Sharkan, ‘even if they were alerted, that would do us no harm. I want you to agree to my plan, as nothing but good will come of it.’
They then agreed and climbed to the mountain top, where they cried ‘Allahu akbar!’ and the fear of God caused the mountains, trees and rocks to re-echo the shout. The infidels heard it and cried out…
Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the one hundredth night, SHE CONTINUED:
I have heard, O fortunate king, that Sharkan said: ‘I want you to agree to my plan, as nothing but good will come of it.’ They then agreed and climbed to the mountain top, where they cried ‘Allahu akbar! ’ and the fear of God caused the mountains, trees and rocks to re-echo the shout. The infidels heard it and cried out to one another, arming themselves and saying: ‘By the truth of the Messiah, the enemy has attacked us.’ Of their own men they killed a number known only to God Almighty and when morning came they looked for the prisoners but found no trace of them. Their leaders then said: ‘It was the prisoners whom we captured who did this to you, so pursue them until you catch up with them and then exterminate them, and don’t be afraid or startled.’ So they mounted and rode after the Muslims, losing no time in catching up with them and surrounding them. When Dau’ al-Makan saw this, he became very frightened and he told his brother: ‘This is what I feared would happen, and we have no option but to fight.’ Sharkan said nothing and Dau’ al-Makan came down from the mountain top and shouted ‘Allahu akbar!’ as did his men, and they all made up their minds to fight, selling their lives in the service of the Lord of mankind.
While this was happening, suddenly they heard voices reciting the formulae of unity and glorification and calling down blessings and peace on Muhammad, the evangelist, the warner. Turning towards the direction of the sound, they saw advancing the armies of Islam, the monotheists. This strengthened their hearts, and Sharkan charged the infidels with his men, all proclaiming the unity and greatness of God. The ground trembled as with an earthquake shock; the infidels scattered across the mountainsides and the Muslims followed them, cutting and thrusting, striking their heads from their bodies. Dau’ al-Makan and the Muslims with him kept cutting at the necks of the infidels until the day waned and it grew dark. Then they drew off and regrouped, passing the whole night in great joy.
When the light of morning dawned, they saw Rustam, the leader of the Dailamis, and Bahram, the leader of the Turks, advancing towards them with twenty thousand riders like frowning lions. On seeing Dau’ al-Makan, the riders dismounted to greet him and to kiss the ground in front of him. ‘There is good news for you,’ he said. ‘The Muslims are victorious and the infidels have been destroyed.’ They congratulated each other on coming safely through and on the great reward that would be theirs on the Day of Resurrection.
The reason why these reinforcements had arrived was that when Bahram, Rustam and the chamberlain had marched with the Muslim armies to Constantinople, with their banners fluttering overhead, they saw that the infidels were on the walls, manning the towers and the citadels. On learning of the advance of the armies of Islam under the banners of Muhammad, the infidels had made their preparations in every strong fortress. Then they had heard the clashing of arms and the noise of shouting and, looking out, they had seen the Muslims and heard the noise of their horses’ hooves beneath the dust. The Muslims were
like a swarm of locusts or flooding rain clouds, and the infidels could hear their voices as they recited the Quran and glorified the Compassionate God.
They had known that the Muslims were on their way, thanks to a scheme laid by Dhat al-Dawahi, untruthful, depraved, false and wily as she was, and so Christian armies had risen like a swelling sea, with hordes of foot and horse, together with women and children. The emir of the Dailamis then said to the Turkish leader: ‘We are in danger from these men on the walls. Look at those towers and this horde of defenders, like a boisterous sea with clashing waves. They outnumber us by a hundred to one and we cannot be sure that some spy may not tell them that we are without a king. As a result, we are in danger from an enemy whose numbers cannot be counted and whose reinforcements we cannot cut off, more especially in the absence of King Dau’ al-Makan, his brother and the grand vizier Dandan. Their absence will encourage the Rumis to attack us and to put us all to the sword, with none of us escaping. The best plan would be for you to take ten thousand Mosulis and Turks and to lead them to the monastery and the plain of Malukhina in search of our brothers and their companions. If you obey me, it will be thanks to us that they will be rescued if the infidels are pressing them, and if you don’t, then I am not to be blamed. If you do set off, you must come back quickly, for it is prudent to expect the worst.’ The Turkish emir agreed with his proposal, and after the two of them had chosen twenty thousand riders, they set off along the roads, making for the plain and the monastery. This was the reason for their timely arrival.
As for the old woman, Dhat al-Dawahi, when she had succeeded in getting Dau’ al-Makan, his brother Sharkan and the vizier Dandan to fall into the hands of the infidels, she took a horse and mounted it, harlot that she was, telling the infidels that she wanted to go to the Muslim army and plot their destruction. ‘They are at Constantinople,’ she said, ‘and when they hear from me that their companions are dead, their combined force will split up; they will disintegrate and their army will disperse. I shall then go to see Emperor Afridun, the lord of Constantinople, and my son, Hardub, king of Rum, and tell them what has happened, so that they will lead their men out against the Muslims and destroy every last one of them.’
She then rode across country all night long, and when dawn broke, she caught sight of the force led by Bahram and Rustam. She went into a wood, where she hid her horse, and then she walked for a short way, saying to herself that the Muslims might be coming back after having been defeated at Constantinople. When she got a closer look at them and could make out their banners, she could see that they had not been lowered, and she realized that this was no defeated force nor one that was afraid for its king and his companions. On seeing this, she ran swiftly towards them, like a rebellious devil, and when she got to them she called out: ‘Quickly, quickly, followers of the Merciful God; come and fight the adherents of the devil.’
When Bahram saw her, he went up to her, dismounted and kissed the ground in front of her, saying: ‘Saint of God, what is behind you?’ ‘Don’t ask about what was a terrible misfortune,’ she replied. ‘When our companions took the treasure from the monastery of Matruhina, they intended to set out for Constantinople, but at that point a huge and powerful infidel force came out against them.’ The damned woman then told them what had happened in order to spread alarm and fear. ‘Most of them are dead,’ she said, ‘and only twenty-five survive.’ ‘O ascetic,’ asked Bahram, ‘when did you leave them?’ ‘Last night,’ she answered. ‘Glory be to God,’ said Bahram, ‘who folded up the distant land for you as you walked leaning on a palm branch. But you are one of the saints who can fly when they are under the inspiration of a sign from God.’
He then mounted his horse, perplexed and at a loss because of what he had heard from the mistress of lies and falsehood. ‘There is no might and no power except with God!’ he exclaimed, adding: ‘Our trouble has been in vain; sorrow has overtaken us and our king and his men have been captured.’ The Muslims then covered the length and breadth of the country, riding night and day. It was early dawn when they came to the head of the defile where they found Dau’ al-Makan and his brother Sharkan, who were reciting the formulae of God’s unity and grandeur, as well as calling down blessings and peace on Muhammad, the evangelist, the warner. Bahram and his companions charged and surrounded the infidels as a rain torrent spreads over the desert, raising a shout which terrified brave champions and split the mountains. When morning came and the dawn light spread, the sweet scent of Dau’ al-Makan and his brother Sharkan spread over them and both groups recognized each other, as has already been told.
The newcomers kissed the earth before Dau’ al-Makan and his brother, and Sharkan astonished them by telling them what had happened in the cave. Then they said to one another: ‘We must hurry to Constantinople because we have left our companions there and our hearts are with them.’ They pressed on with their journey, entrusting themselves to God, the Gracious, the Omniscient. Dau’ al-Makan, encouraging the Muslims to steadfastness, recited the lines:
To You be praise, Who deserve both praise and thanks;
My Lord, may You not cease to aid me in my affairs.
You nurtured me as a stranger in the land,
Protecting me and helping me by Your decree.
You gave me wealth, kingdom and favour,
Girding me with the sword of courage and of aid.
You have shaded me with kingship and prolonged my days,
And overwhelmed me with Your flooding bounty.
You saved me from every danger that I feared
By the counsel of the grand vizier, the hero of the age.
It was with Your favour we assailed the Rumis,
And our blows sent them back in robes of red.
I made it seem that I had been defeated,
Before returning like a raging lion.
I left them cast down like drunkards on the plain,
But drunk with the cup of death, not that of wine.
Their ships are now all ours and we possess
The double sovereignty of land and sea.
There came to us the pious ascetic, whose miracles
Are known to all, nomads and settled folk alike.
Now we have come for vengeance on the infidel,
And my affair is known to every man.
They killed men of ours who now enjoy
Chambers in Paradise, above a flowing stream.
When Dau’ al-Makan had finished reciting his poem, his brother Sharkan congratulated him on his safety and thanked him for what he had done, after which they pressed on with their journey…
Nights 101 to 120
Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the one hundred and first night, SHE CONTINUED:
I have heard, O fortunate king, that Sharkan congratulated his brother on his safety and thanked him for what he had done, after which they pressed on with their journey back to their armies.
So much for them, but as for the old woman, Dhat al-Dawahi, after meeting the troops of Bahram and Rustam, she went back to the wood, where she took her horse, mounted it and rode at speed until she reached a point overlooking the Muslim armies that were besieging Constantinople. There she dismounted and led her horse to the pavilion of the chamberlain. When he saw her, he rose to greet her and, gesturing towards her, he said: ‘Welcome to the pious ascetic.’ He then asked her what had happened, and she told him her alarming tale with its destructive lies. She went on: ‘I fear for the emir Rustam and the emir Bahram. I met them on the way with their force and I sent them on to the king and his companions. They had twenty thousand riders, but the infidels outnumbered them. I want you to send some of your troops at once to catch up with them as soon as possible, lest they all be lost. Hurry, hurry,’ she added.
When the chamberlain and the other Muslims heard this, their resolution weakened and they shed tears. ‘Take refuge in God,’ she told them, ‘and endure this misfortune. You have an examp
le in earlier generations of Muslims, and God has prepared Paradise with its palaces for those who die as martyrs. Everyone must die, but death in the Holy War is more laudable.’ When the chamberlain heard what the damned woman had to say, he summoned the brother of the emir Bahram, a skilled horseman named Tarkash. He picked out for him ten thousand riders, grim champions, and ordered him to set off. After riding for the whole of that day and through the night, Tarkash came near the Muslims.
In the morning, Sharkan saw the dust and feared for his own men, saying: ‘There are troops approaching us. If they are Muslims, we shall clearly be victorious, while if they are infidels, there is nothing that we can do to oppose fate.’ He went to his brother Dau’ al-Makan and said: ‘There is nothing at all for you to fear, for I will ransom you from death with my own life. If these men are from our army, this would be the greatest of God’s favours, while if they are enemies, we shall have to fight them. I would like to meet the ascetic to ask him to pray for me that I be granted a martyr’s death.’
While the two of them were talking, the banners of the newcomers appeared, inscribed with the words: ‘There is no god but God and Muhammad is the Apostle of God.’ ‘How are you, Muslims?’ shouted Sharkan. ‘We are safe and well,’ was the reply, ‘and we have only come because we were fearful for you.’ Their commander dismounted and kissed the ground in front of Sharkan. He asked whether the king, the vizier Dandan, Rustam and his own brother, Bahram, were all safe. Sharkan assured him that they were and then asked: ‘Who told you about us?’ ‘The ascetic,’ he replied. ‘He said that he had met Rustam and my brother Bahram and had sent them on to you, saying that you were surrounded by large numbers of infidels, but the opposite is true from what I can see, and you are victorious.’ On being asked how the ‘ascetic’ had come to him, he replied: ‘On his own two feet and in a day and a night he covered what for a man riding at speed would have been a ten-day journey.’ ‘There is no doubt that he is one of God’s saints,’ said Sharkan, and he then asked where the ‘ascetic’ was now. ‘We left him with our army, the soldiers of the true faith,’ was the reply, ‘urging them on to fight the tyrannical infidels.’
The Arabian Nights: Tales of 1,001 Nights: Volume 1 Page 61