At that point the prince was transported by joy, and care and sorrow fell away from him. He and his companions entered the city disguised as traders, with Taj al-Muluk dressed as a merchant prince. They went to a large hostel known as the merchants’ khan and Taj al-Muluk asked ‘Aziz if it was where merchants stayed. ‘Yes,’ replied ‘Aziz, ‘and it is where I lodged myself.’ So they halted there, making their camels kneel and unsaddling them, after which they put their goods in the storehouses and rested for four days. The vizier then advised them to rent a larger house. They agreed and hired a spacious property, well adapted for feasts, and there they took up their quarters.
The vizier and ‘Aziz spent their time trying to come up with a plan for Taj al-Muluk, while he himself was at a loss, with no idea what to do except to take his wares to the silk bazaar. The vizier approached him and ‘Aziz, saying: ‘If we stay here like this, then you can be sure that we shall not get what we want or carry out our mission. I have thought of something which, God willing, may produce a good result.’ ‘Do whatever occurs to you,’ said the others, ‘for old men are fortunate and this is especially true of you, thanks to your experience of affairs. So tell us what you have thought of.’ ‘My advice,’ the vizier said to Taj al-Muluk, ‘is that we should take a booth for you in the silk market where you should sit, buying and selling. Everyone of whatever class, upper or lower, needs pieces of silk, and if you sit there quietly, God willing, you will succeed in your affair, especially because of your good looks. Make ‘Aziz your agent, so that he can sit inside the booth to hand you the various items and materials.’
When he heard this, Taj al-Muluk agreed that it was a good and sound idea. He took out a splendid set of merchant’s clothes, put them on and walked off, followed by his servants, to whom he had given a thousand dinars in order to set the new place to rights. They went on until they reached the silk market, and when the merchants saw Taj al-Muluk and noted how handsome he was, they were taken aback. ‘Ridwan has opened the gates of Paradise and forgotten to close them again, and so this wonderfully handsome young man has come out,’ said one. ‘Perhaps he is an angel!’ exclaimed another. When his party came to the merchants, they asked where the market superintendent had his booth. They were given directions and walked on until they found it. They greeted him and he and the merchants who were with him rose to meet them, invited them to sit and treated them with honour. This was because of the vizier, whom they saw to be a dignified old man. On noting that he was accompanied by the young Taj al-Muluk and by ‘Aziz, they said to themselves: ‘There is no doubt that this old man is the father of the two young ones.’
The vizier asked which of them was the superintendent of the market. ‘This is he,’ they said, and the man came forward. The vizier looked at him, studied him and found him to be a venerable and dignified old man, with eunuchs, servants and black slaves. The old man gave the visitors a friendly greeting, treating them with the greatest honour, and after making them sit beside him, he asked whether they had any need that he might be able to fulfil. ‘Yes,’ said the vizier. ‘I am an old man, stricken in years, and I have with me these two young men with whom I have travelled to many regions and countries. I have never entered a town without staying there for a whole year so that they could see its sights and get to know its people. I have now arrived at this town of yours, and as I have chosen to stay here, I want you to provide me with a fine booth in a good situation where I can set them down to trade and to inspect the city, while adapting themselves to the manners of its people, and learning how to buy and sell, give and take.’ ‘There is no problem with that,’ said the superintendent, as he had been glad to see the two young men, for whom he felt a surge of love, he being someone who was passionately fond of murderous glances and who preferred the love of boys to that of girls, inclining to the sour rather than the sweet. To himself he said: ‘This is a fine catch – praise be to Him who created and fashioned them from vile sperm!’
He got up and stood before them as a gesture of respect like a servant, after which he made ready for them a booth in the covered market. In size and splendour it was unsurpassed, being roomy and well decorated, with shelves of ivory and ebony. The keys were handed to the vizier, dressed as he was as an elderly merchant, and the superintendent said to him: ‘Take these, master, and may God bless this place for your sons.’ The vizier took the keys and the three of them went to the khan where they had left their things and told the servants to move all their goods and materials to the booth.
Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the one hundred and thirty-second night, SHE CONTINUED:
I have heard, O fortunate king, that the vizier took the keys and the three of them went to the khan where they had left their things and told the servants to move all their goods, materials and treasures. There was a great deal of stuff, worth huge amounts of money; all of it was shifted and they themselves went to the booth where it was stored. They spent the night there and in the morning the vizier took the two young men to the baths. They made full use of these, washing and cleaning themselves, putting on splendid clothes and applying perfume. Each of them was dazzlingly handsome and their appearance in the baths fitted the poet’s lines:
Good news it was for the bath man when his hand met
A body created from a mix of water and of light.
He continued with his delicate artistry,
Plucking musk from an image made of camphor.
When they came out, the market superintendent, who had heard where they had gone, was sitting waiting for them. They moved forward like gazelles, with red cheeks, dark eyes and shining faces, like two brilliant moons or two branches laden with fruit. When the superintendent saw them, he rose to his feet and said: ‘My sons, may the baths always bring you comfort.’ In return, Taj al-Muluk said pleasantly: ‘May God grant you grace, father. Why did you not come and bathe with us?’ He and ‘Aziz then bent over the man’s hand and kissed it, after which they walked in front of him to the booth as a token of respect and reverence, since he was the leader of the merchants and the superintendent of the market, and he had already done them a favour by giving them the booth. When he saw their buttocks swaying, his passion increased; he snorted in his excitement and was unable to restrain himself, but staring fixedly at them, he recited these lines:
The heart studies the chapter devoted to him,
Reading nothing that covers partnership with others.
It is not surprising that weight causes him to sway;
How many movements are there in the revolving sphere?
He also recited:
My eye saw the two of them walking on the earth,
And I wished they had been walking on my eye.
When they heard what he said, they insisted that he go a second time with them to the baths. Scarcely able to believe this, he hurried back and they went in with him. The vizier had not yet left and when he heard that the superintendent was there, he came out and met him in the middle of the bath house and invited him to enter. He refused, but Taj al-Muluk took one of his hands and ‘Aziz the other and they brought him to a private room. The evil old man allowed himself to be led by them and his passion increased. Taj al-Muluk swore that he and he alone should wash him, while ‘Aziz swore that none but he should pour the water over him. Although this was what he wanted, he refused, but the vizier said: ‘They are your sons; let them wash you and clean you.’ ‘My God preserve them for you,’ said the superintendent. ‘By God, your arrival and that of your companions has brought blessing and fortune to our city.’ He then recited the lines:
You have come and our hills are clothed in green;
Whoever looks can see they bloom with flowers.
The earth and those who walk on it cry out:
‘Welcome and greeting to the one who comes!’
They thanked him for that, and Taj al-Muluk continued to wash him as ‘Aziz poured water over him, leading him to think
that his soul was in Paradise. When they had finished attending to him, he blessed them and sat down beside the vizier to talk to him, although his eyes were fixed on the two young men. Then the servants brought towels and they all dried themselves, put on their things and left the baths. ‘Sir,’ said the vizier to the superintendent, ‘baths are the delight of this world.’ ‘May God grant you and your sons health,’ he replied, ‘and guard you from the evil eye. Can you quote anything that eloquent men have said about baths?’ ‘I can quote you some lines,’ said Taj al-Muluk, and he recited:
Life is at its pleasantest in the baths,
But our stay there cannot be long.
This is a paradise where we dislike to stay,
And a hell where it is pleasant to go in.
After Taj al-Muluk had finished, ‘Aziz said: ‘I, too, remember some lines about baths.’ The superintendent asked him to recite them and he quoted:
There is many a chamber whose flowers are solid stone,
Elegant when fires are kindled round about.
To you it looks like a hell, but it is Paradise,
Most of whose contents look like suns and moons.
When he had finished, the superintendent was full of admiration for his quotation, and seeing the combination of beauty and eloquence that the two possessed, he said: ‘By God, you are both eloquent and graceful, so now listen to me.’ He then chanted tunefully the following lines:
Beauty of hellfire, torment of Paradise,
That gives both souls and bodies life,
A marvellous chamber filled with fresh delight,
Although beneath it there are kindled flames.
Here pleasure lives for all those who approach,
And over it the streams have poured their tears.
Then, letting his gaze roam over the gardens of their beauty, he recited:
I went into that house and saw no chamberlain
Who did not greet me with a smiling face.
I entered Paradise and visited its hell,
Thanking Ridwan and Malik the kindly.
They were filled with admiration when they heard these lines, but when the superintendent invited them home, they refused and went back to their own lodgings to rest after the intense heat of the baths. Having done this, and after eating and drinking, they spent the night there, enjoying the fortune of perfect happiness. In the morning they woke up, performed their ablutions and prayers and took their morning drink. When the sun had risen and the shops and markets were open, they walked off from the house to the market, where they opened their booth. The servants had put this in excellent order, laying down rugs and silk carpets, and in it they had placed two couches, each worth a hundred dinars and each covered with a cloth fit for a king, fringed with a border of gold, while in the middle were splendid furnishings that harmonized with the place.
Taj al-Muluk sat on one sofa and ‘Aziz on the other, while the vizier took his place in the middle of the shop, with the servants standing before him. Hearing about them, the townspeople crowded around, so enabling them to sell some of their goods and their materials. The fame of Taj al-Muluk’s beauty spread through the city, and after several days, on each of which more and more people had come hurrying up to them, the vizier reminded Taj al-Muluk to keep his secret hidden and, after advising him to take care of ‘Aziz, he went home to concoct on his own some plan that might turn out to their advantage.
Taj al-Muluk and ‘Aziz started to talk to each other, with Taj al-Muluk saying that perhaps someone might come from Princess Dunya. He kept repeating this for some days and nights, and being disturbed at heart, he was unable to sleep or rest. Love had him in its grip, and his passion and lovesickness grew worse, while the pleasure of sleep was denied him and he abstained from drinking and eating.
However, his beauty was like that of the moon on the night that it becomes full, and while he was sitting there, he was suddenly approached by an old woman…
Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the one hundred and thirty-third night, SHE CONTINUED:
I have heard, O fortunate king, that while Taj al-Muluk was sitting there, he was suddenly approached by an old woman, followed by two slave girls. She walked up and stood by the shop and when she saw his symmetrical physique, his beauty and elegance, she admired his gracefulness and her harem trousers became damp. ‘Glory to the One who created you from vile sperm and made you a temptation for those who look at you!’ she exclaimed. Then, after studying him, she added: ‘This is not a mortal man but a noble angel.’ She approached and greeted him; he returned the greeting and rose to his feet with a smile, being prompted in all this by gestures from ‘Aziz. Asking her to sit beside him, he began to fan her until she was refreshed and rested. She then turned to him and said: ‘My son, you are a pattern of all perfection: do you come from these parts?’ Taj al-Muluk replied eloquently, in pleasant and agreeable tones: ‘My lady, this is the first time that I have ever been here in my life and I have only stopped here in order to look at the sights.’ She spoke words of welcome and then asked: ‘What materials have you brought with you? Show me something beautiful, for that is the only thing that can be worn by the beautiful.’
When Taj al-Muluk heard this, his heart fluttered and he could not grasp what she meant, but ‘Aziz made a sign to him and he said: ‘I have here everything that you could want. I have what will suit only kings or the daughters of kings, so tell me for whom it is that you need this, in order that I can put out for you everything that might be appropriate.’ By saying this he hoped to find out what she really meant. In reply she said: ‘I want something suitable for Princess Dunya, the daughter of King Shahriman.’
Overjoyed to hear this reference to his beloved, Taj al-Muluk told ‘Aziz to fetch him a particular package. ‘Aziz brought it and opened it in front of him, after which Taj al-Muluk told the old woman: ‘Choose what will suit her, for this is something that you will find nowhere else.’ The old woman picked on something that was worth a thousand dinars, and asked its price, while, as she talked to him, she was rubbing the palm of her hand between her thighs. ‘Am I to haggle with someone like you about this paltry price? Praise be to God who has let me come to know you,’ said Taj al-Muluk. ‘May God’s Name guard you,’ she replied. ‘I ask the protection of the Lord of the dawn for your beautiful face. A beautiful face and an eloquent tongue – happy is she who sleeps in your embrace, clasps your body and enjoys your youth, especially if she is as beautiful as you!’ Taj al-Muluk laughed until he fell over, exclaiming: ‘You Who fulfil desires at the hands of profligate old women, it is they who satisfy needs!’
The woman asked his name and on being told that it was Taj al-Muluk, she said: ‘This is a name for kings and princes, but you are dressed as a merchant.’ ‘Aziz said: ‘It was because of the love and affection that his parents and his family had for him that they called him this.’ ‘That must be true,’ said the old woman. ‘May God protect you from the evil eye and from the evil of your enemies and the envious, even though your beauty causes hearts to break.’ She then took the material and went on her way, still dazed by his beauty and symmetrical physique. She walked on until she came into the presence of Princess Dunya. ‘I have brought you some fine material, lady,’ she said. When the princess told her to show it to her, she said: ‘Here it is, lady; turn it over and look at it.’ Dunya was astonished at what she saw, saying: ‘This is beautiful stuff, nurse. I have never seen its like in our city.’ ‘The man who sold it is more beautiful still,’ said the old woman. ‘It is as though Ridwan opened the gates of Paradise, and then when he forgot to close them, out came the young man who sold me this material. I wish that he could sleep with you tonight and lie between your breasts. He has brought precious stuffs to your city in order to look around it, and he is a temptation to the eyes of those who see him.’
Princess Dunya laughed at what she had to say, exclaiming: ‘May God shame you, you unlucky old woman; you
are talking nonsense and you have lost your wits!’ Then she added: ‘Bring me the material so that I can have a good look at it.’ When it was given to her, she looked at it for a second time and saw that, albeit small, it was precious. She admired it, as never in her life had she seen its match, saying: ‘By God, this is good material.’ ‘By God, lady,’ said the old woman, ‘if you saw its owner, you would realize that he is the most beautiful thing on the face of the earth.’ The princess enquired: ‘Did you ask him to tell us whether there is any need he has that we can fulfil for him?’ The old woman shook her head and said: ‘May God preserve your perspicacity. By God, he does have a need, may your skill not desert you. Can anyone escape from needs and be free of them?’ ‘Go to him,’ said the princess, ‘greet him and say: “You have honoured our land and our city by coming here. Whatever needs you have we shall willingly fulfil.” ’
Back went the old woman immediately to Taj al-Muluk, and when he saw her, his heart leapt with happiness and joy. He got up, took her by the hand and made her sit beside him. When she had rested she told him what the princess had said to her. He was overjoyed, cheerful and relaxed; happiness entered into his heart and he said to himself: ‘I have got what I wanted.’ He asked the old woman: ‘Would you carry a message from me and bring me the reply?’ ‘Willingly,’ she said, and he then told ‘Aziz to bring him an inkstand, paper and a brass pen. When these had been fetched, he took the pen in his hand and wrote these lines:
I have written you a letter, you who are my wish,
Telling of how I suffer from the pain of separation.
Its first line tells of the fire within my heart,
Its second of my passion and my longing.
The Arabian Nights: Tales of 1,001 Nights: Volume 1 Page 71