The Arabian Nights: Tales of 1,001 Nights: Volume 1
Page 97
Do not blame me for loving her since, by love’s truth,
It is for her I endure suffering.
I have wept for one whose face beauty adorns,
Who has no match among all of mankind.
Hers is the wisdom of Luqman, the beauty of Joseph,
David’s melodious voice, the chastity of Mary;
Mine are the sorrows of Jacob and Jonah’s distress,
Job’s tribulations as well as Adam’s fate.
Do not kill her if I am killed by love for her,
But ask her, was it lawful what she did?
When Marzuwan had recited this ode, Qamar al-Zaman’s feverish heart felt the coolness of recovery. He sighed and, turning his tongue round in his mouth, he asked his father to let the young man come to sit by his side.
Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the hundred and ninety-eighth night, SHE CONTINUED:
I have heard, O fortunate king, that Qamar al-Zaman asked his father to let the young man come and sit beside him. When Shahriman heard this, he was delighted, although before that he had been ill disposed towards Marzuwan and had secretly decided to cut off his head. His mind was changed by what he heard his son say and, rising to his feet, he pulled the young man forward and made him sit next to his son. ‘Praise be to God for your safe delivery,’ he said, to which Marzuwan replied: ‘May God preserve your son for you.’ He invoked blessings on the king, who then asked him from what land he came. ‘From the inner islands,’ Marzuwan replied, ‘in the kingdom of Ghayur, lord of the islands, the seas and the seven castles.’ ‘Your arrival may be a blessing for my son,’ said King Shahriman, ‘and serve to rescue him from his present state.’ ‘God willing,’ said Marzuwan, ‘good will come of it.’
He then approached Qamar al-Zaman and whispered in his ear so as not to attract the notice of the king and his courtiers: ‘Courage, master, take heart and be comforted. As for the lady, the cause of your present condition, don’t ask in what state she is because of you. You kept your affair hidden and so have fallen sick, while she let hers be known and so they said that she was mad. She is kept confined with an iron chain around her neck and is in the worst of states, but if Almighty God wills it, you will both be cured by me.’ On hearing this, Qamar al-Zaman regained his spirits; he was heartened and recovered his energy. He gestured to his father to help him to sit upright and the king, almost beside himself with joy, got up and did this.
When Qamar al-Zaman sat up, the king, out of concern for him, shook his handkerchief, at which signal all the emirs and viziers dispersed. Two cushions were placed to support the prince as he sat and the king gave orders for the palace to be perfumed with saffron and then for the city to be adorned with decorations. ‘By God, my son,’ he said to Marzuwan, ‘your arrival has proved a fortunate and blessed omen.’ He showed him the greatest honour and had food brought for him. Marzuwan went up to Qamar al-Zaman and asked him to come and eat with him, which he did. All the while, the king was calling down blessings on Marzuwan and exclaiming: ‘How good it is that you have come, my son!’ When he saw that Qamar al-Zaman was eating, his joy and delight increased and he went out immediately and told Qamar al-Zaman’s mother and the people of the palace. Drums were beaten in the palace to give the good news of the prince’s recovery; the city was adorned with decorations, on the king’s orders; the people rejoiced and this was a great day.
Marzuwan spent the night with Qamar al-Zaman and the king remained with them, overjoyed…
Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the hundred and ninety-ninth night, SHE CONTINUED:
I have heard, O fortunate king, that Shahriman spent the night with the two young men, overjoyed that his son had been cured. When morning came he left, and Marzuwan remained alone with Qamar al-Zaman, to whom he told his story from beginning to end. ‘I must tell you,’ he said, ‘that I know the girl whom you met and she is the princess Budur, daughter of King al-Ghayur.’ He then let the prince know everything that had happened to the princess, as well as explaining how deeply she loved him. ‘Everything that happened between you and your father,’ he added, ‘happened to her with hers. There is no doubt that you are her love and she is yours. So strengthen your resolve and take heart. I shall bring you to her and arrange for the two of you to meet soon. I shall do as the poet has described:
When a friend turns from his beloved and insists on shunning her,
I reunite them, like the pin that holds scissors together.’
He continued to strengthen, encourage and console Qamar al-Zaman, inciting him to eat and drink until he had recovered his spirits, regained his strength and escaped from his depression. Marzuwan went on cheering him with poems and stories until he stood up, wanting to go to the baths. Marzuwan took his hand and, after going there together, they washed themselves clean.
Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the two hundreth night, SHE CONTINUED:
I have heard, O fortunate king, that Qamar al-Zaman went to the baths. When this happened, King Shahriman expressed his joy by ordering the release of all prisoners; he gave splendid robes of honour to his officials as well as alms to the poor and, on his instructions, the city was adorned with decorations for seven days.
Marzuwan then said to Qamar al-Zaman: ‘Know, master, that this is why I have come from Princess Budur and the reason for my journey was to rescue her from her misfortune. All that remains for us is to plan how to go to her, as your father will not be able to part from you. My advice is that tomorrow you should ask his permission to go out into the country to hunt. Take a pair of saddlebags with you filled with money; mount a good horse and lead another one and I shall do the same and ride with you. Tell your father that you want to enjoy the open country and hunt there, spending a night outdoors. When we leave here, we can go off on our way, with none of the servants accompanying us.’
Qamar al-Zaman approved of this advice; he was delighted and his backbone was stiffened. He went to his father and told him about this proposal. His father gave him permission to go hunting, adding: ‘May he be blest for a thousand days who gave you back your strength. I have no objection to what you ask, but don’t stay away for more than one night and come back to me next day, for, as you know, it is only through you that I find pleasure in life and I can scarcely believe that you are cured. You are to me as the poet has described:
If every day and every night I had
Solomon’s carpet and the empire of the Chosroes,
To me this would not be worth a gnat’s wing
If I had not the power to look at you.’
He then set about equipping Qamar al-Zaman, together with Marzuwan, providing them with four horses, a dromedary to carry money for them and a camel to transport water and food. Qamar al-Zaman would not allow any servant to go with them. His father said goodbye to his son, clasping him to his breast, kissing him and calling on him in God’s Name not to stay away for more than one night. ‘I shall not be able to sleep tonight,’ he said, ‘for my position is as the poet has described:
Your union is my height of pleasure;
To suffer parting is the worst of pains.
I am your ransom; if my love is sin,
Then certainly my sin is very great.
Do you, like me, suffer the fire of love?
This burns me with the tortures of the damned.’
‘God willing, father,’ replied Qamar al-Zaman, ‘I shall not be away for more than a night.’ He then took his leave and went out, after which he and Marzuwan mounted their horses, taking with them the dromedary with the money and the camel with the water and food. They made for the open country…
Nights 201 to 220
Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the two hundred and first night, SHE CONTINUED:
I have heard, O fortunate king
, that the two of them made for the open country and rode from early morning until evening, when they dismounted, ate, drank, fed their beasts and rested for a time, after which they remounted and rode on. They travelled continuously for three days and on the fourth day they saw a wide stretch of country in which there was a wood, where they halted. Here Marzuwan slaughtered a camel and a horse, cutting up their flesh and stripping it from their bones. He then took Qamar al-Zaman’s shirt and trousers, which he cut up and smeared with the horse’s blood, after which he did the same with his mantle. He threw these down at a junction on the track, after which the two ate, drank, remounted and rode on.
Qamar al-Zaman asked Marzuwan why he had done this and Marzuwan told him: ‘You must know that by staying away for one night longer than your father, the king, has allowed us, he will ride after us when we don’t come back. When he discovers the blood that I have left and finds your shirt and your trousers bloodied and torn, he will think to himself that something must have happened to you, either at the hands of highwaymen or through wild beasts. He will give up hope of finding you unharmed and go back to his city. By this trick we shall get what we want.’ ‘By God,’ said Qamar al-Zaman, ‘that is an excellent scheme and you have done well.’
The two then travelled on for a period of days and nights. Whenever he was by himself, Qamar al-Zaman would complain and weep, until the knowledge that they were coming near the princess’s country caused him to cheer up. He recited these lines:
Will you be harsh to a lover who never has forgotten you?
Will you renounce him, eager though you once were?
May I be stripped of your approval if I betrayed your love,
And may you punish me by desertion if I lie.
I am guilty of no sin deserving harshness,
And even if I sinned, I come in penitence.
It is one of Time’s wonders that you abandon me,
But wonders are produced day after day.
When Qamar al-Zaman had finished, Marzuwan said: ‘Look, the islands of King al-Ghayur are now in sight.’ This delighted Qamar al-Zaman, who thanked him for what he had done, kissed him between the eyes and clasped him to his breast.
Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the two hundred and second night, SHE CONTINUED:
I have heard, O fortunate king, that when Marzuwan said: ‘Look, these are the islands of King al-Ghayur,’ Qamar al-Zaman was delighted, thanking him for what he had done, kissing him between the eyes and clasping him to his breast. When they reached the islands, they entered the city and Marzuwan installed Qamar al-Zaman in a khan where they rested for three days in order to recover from their journey. Marzuwan then took him to the baths, where he dressed him as a merchant and provided him with a geomantic table made of gold, as well as instruments and a silver astrolabe overlaid with gold. He instructed him to stand beneath the royal palace and to cry out: ‘I am an arithmetician; I am a scribe; I know the seeker and what is sought; I am a skilled doctor, I am a dazzling astrologer. Who wants my services?’ ‘On hearing this, the king will send for you and bring you in to see his daughter, Princess Budur, your beloved,’ Murzuwan went on. ‘When you enter, say: “Give me three days’ grace and if she recovers, marry me to her, and if not, then treat me as you treated the others who tried before me.” The king will agree to that. When you get to the princess, tell her who you are, and when she sees you, she will regain her strength and her madness will leave her. One night will be enough to restore her to good health, and you must then give her food and drink. Her father will be delighted by her recovery and will marry her to you, as well as sharing his kingdom with you, as this is a condition that he laid down for himself. That is all.’
When Qamar al-Zaman heard this, he said: ‘May I never be deprived of your favour,’ and after taking the equipment that Marzuwan had provided, he left the khan, wearing his merchant’s clothes. He walked on, carrying the tools of his trade, until he came to a halt beneath King al-Ghayur’s palace where he cried out: ‘I am an arithmetician; I am a scribe; I know the seeker and what is sought; I am an opener of books; I count up the reckoning; I am an interpreter of dreams; I trace talismans for treasure seekers. Who wants my services?’ When the townspeople heard this, they flocked to him as it had been a long time since they had seen a scribe or an astrologer. When they looked at him, they saw that he was the most handsome, graceful, elegant and perfect of men. As they stood admiring his beauty and his symmetrical form, one of them went up to him and said: ‘For God’s sake, you handsome and eloquent young man, don’t run into danger and risk your life in the hope of marrying Princess Budur, the daughter of King al-Ghayur. You can see for yourself those heads fastened there. This was why all their owners were killed.’
Qamar al-Zaman, however, paid no attention to this warning and called out at the top of his voice: ‘I am a doctor and a scribe; I am an astrologer and an arithmetician.’ Although all the townspeople tried to stop him, he took no notice of them at all, saying to himself: ‘Only those who have to endure it know what longing is.’ He went on calling out: ‘I am a doctor; I am an astrologer.’
Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the two hundred and third night, SHE CONTINUED:
I have heard, O fortunate king, that Qamar al-Zaman paid no attention to what the townspeople said and cried out: ‘I am a scribe; I am an arithmetician; I am an astrologer.’ At this, all the townspeople grew angry with him, saying: ‘You are nothing but a stupid, conceited and foolish young man – have some pity on your own youth and beauty.’ Qamar al-Zaman, however, continued to call: ‘I am an astrologer; I am an arithmetician. Who wants my services?’ While he kept doing this in spite of the protests of the crowd, the king heard his voice and the noise that the crowd was making. He told the vizier to go down and fetch ‘this astrologer’. The vizier went quickly and took Qamar al-Zaman from the crowd, bringing him to the king.
When Qamar al-Zaman stood before the king, he kissed the ground and recited:
There are eight qualities of glory; you possess them all,
And it is thanks to these Time is your servant –
Sure knowledge, piety, nobility, generosity,
A mastery of word and meaning, grandeur, victory.
The king looked at him and, after seating him by his side, he turned to him and said: ‘For God’s sake, my son, if you are not an astrologer, do not risk your life by accepting my condition. For I have bound myself to execute anyone who visits my daughter and fails to cure her madness, whereas I will marry her to whoever cures her. Do not let your own good looks lead you astray, for I swear by God that if you fail to cure her, I shall have your head cut off.’ ‘You may do that with my own consent,’ said Qamar al-Zaman, ‘for I knew about this before I came to you.’ The king called the qadis to bear witness to this, after which he handed Qamar al-Zaman over to a eunuch with instructions to take him to Princess Budur.
The eunuch took him by the hand and led him into the hall. Qamar al-Zaman hurried on ahead, and the eunuch ran after him, saying: ‘Damn you, don’t hurry to your own death. You are the only astrologer whom I have ever seen doing this, but you don’t know what disasters lie ahead of you.’ But Qamar al-Zaman turned away from him…
Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the two hundred and fourth night, SHE CONTINUED:
I have heard, O fortunate king, that the eunuch told Qamar al-Zaman not to be in such a hurry, but he turned away from him and recited these lines:
Other things I know, but not your beauty;
In my perplexity, I don’t know what to say.
If I call you a sun, your beauty does not sink
Out of my sight, whereas suns set.
Your loveliness is perfect; the eloquent
Cannot describe it and the speaker is at a loss.
The eunuch made him stand behind the
curtain covering the door. Qamar al-Zaman asked him: ‘Which do you prefer? Shall I treat your mistress and cure her from here or go in and cure her from the other side of the curtain?’ The eunuch was astonished by this, but replied: ‘If you cure her from here, this will bring you extra credit.’ At that, Qamar al-Zaman sat down behind the curtain, brought out an inkwell and a pen, took a piece of paper and wrote on it as follows: ‘This letter comes from a man carried away by passion, destroyed by love and killed by grief. Misfortune has afflicted one who has despaired of life and who is sure of the approach of death. There is no helper to aid his sorrowful heart, nor can anyone visit his sleepless eyes to fight against care. His days are spent in burning passion and his nights in torture. Emaciation has scraped away his body and no messenger has come from his beloved.’ He then wrote these lines:
As I write, my heart is enamoured of your memory,
And tears of blood drop from my wounded lids.
My clothes are burning longing and distress,
With the shirt of emaciation covering my broken form.
I complain to you of love, as love has injured me,
Leaving no place for patience.
Be generous and merciful with sympathy,
As my heart is torn in pieces by its love.
Under these lines he wrote in metrical prose: ‘The heart’s cure is the meeting with the beloved. He who is treated harshly by his beloved finds a doctor in God. Whoever acts treacherously, be it you or I, will not obtain what he wants. There is nothing finer than a lover who keeps faith with a beloved who treats him harshly.’ Then by way of a signature, he wrote: ‘From the distracted and confused lover, disquieted by amorous passion, the prisoner of infatuation, Qamar al-Zaman, son of King Shahriman, to the unique pearl of the age, the choice flower of the houris of loveliness, Princess Budur, daughter of King al-Ghayur. Know that I pass my nights in sleeplessness and my days in perplexity. My emaciation and sickness increase, as do my love and passion. I sigh frequently and shed copious tears, for I am held prisoner by love and slain by passion. I am a man whose heart has been seared by abandonment, passion’s debtor, the boon companion of sickness. I am the sleepless one whose eyes never close, the slave of love whose tears never dry up, the fire in whose heart is never quenched, and the flames of whose longing cannot be hidden.’ In the margin he wrote these fine words: