The Arabian Nights: Tales of 1,001 Nights
Page 58
Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the five hundred and thirty-seventh night, SHE CONTINUED:
I have heard, O fortunate king, that Sindbad set down his bundle on the bench in order to rest and to sniff the breeze. From the door came a refreshing breath of air and a pleasant scent which attracted him, and as he sat he heard coming from within the house the sound of stringed instruments and lutes, together with singing and clearly chanted songs. In addition, he could hear birds twittering and praising God Almighty in all their varied tongues – turtledoves, nightingales, thrushes, bulbuls, ringdoves and curlews. He wondered at this and, filled as he was with pleasure, he moved forward and discovered within the grounds of the house a vast orchard in which he could see pages, black slaves, eunuchs, retainers and so forth, such as are only to be found in the palaces of kings and sultans. When he smelt the scent of all kinds of appetizing foods, together with fine wines, he looked up to heaven and said: ‘Praise be to You, my Lord, Creator and Provider, Who sustains those whom You wish beyond all reckoning. I ask You to forgive all my sins, and I repent of my faults to You. My Lord, none can oppose Your judgement or power, or question Your acts, for You are omnipotent, praise be to You. You make one man rich and another poor, as You choose; You exalt some and humble others in accordance with Your will and there is no other god but You. How great You are! How strong is Your power and how excellent is Your governance! You show favour to those of Your servants whom You choose, for here is the owner of this house living in the greatest prosperity, enjoying pleasant scents, delicious food and all kinds of splendid wines. You have decreed what You wish with regard to your servants in accordance with Your power. Some are worn out and others live at ease; some are fortunate while others, like me, live laborious and humble lives.’
He then recited these lines:
How many an unfortunate, who has no rest,
Comes later to enjoy the pleasant shade.
But as for me, my drudgery grows worse,
And so, remarkably, my burdens now increase.
Others are fortunate, living without hardship,
And never once enduring what I must endure.
They live in comfort all their days,
With ease and honour, food and drink.
All are created from a drop of sperm;
I’m like the next man and he is like me,
But oh how different are the lives we lead!
How different is wine from vinegar.
I do not say this as a calumny;
God is All-Wise and His decrees are just.
When Sindbad the porter had finished these lines, he was about to pick up his load and carry it off when a splendidly dressed young boy, well proportioned and with a handsome face, came through the door, took his hand and said: ‘Come and have a word with my master, for he invites you in.’ Sindbad wanted to refuse, but finding that impossible, he left his load with the gatekeeper in the entrance hall and entered. He found an elegant house with an atmosphere of friendliness and dignity, and there he saw a large room filled with men of rank and importance. It was decked out with all kinds of flowers and scented herbs; there were fruits both dried and fresh, together with expensive foods of all kinds as well as wines of rare vintages; and there were musical instruments played by beautiful slave girls of various races. Everyone was seated in his appointed place and at their head was a large and venerable man whose facial hair was touched with grey. He was handsome and well shaped, with an imposing air of dignity, grandeur and pride. Sindbad the porter was taken aback, saying to himself: ‘By God, this is one of the regions of Paradise, or perhaps the palace of a king or a sultan.’ Then, remembering his manners, he greeted the company, invoking blessings on them and kissing the ground before them.
He stood there with his head bowed…
Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the five hundred and thirty-eighth night, SHE CONTINUED:
I have heard, O fortunate king, that after Sindbad the porter had kissed the ground before the company, he stood there with his head bowed in an attitude of humility until the master of the house gave him permission to sit and placed him on a chair near his own, welcoming him and talking to him in a friendly way before offering him some of the splendid, delicious and expensive foods that were there. The porter, after invoking the Name of God, ate his fill and then exclaimed: ‘Praise be to God in all things!’ before washing his hands and thanking the company. The master of the house, after again welcoming him and wishing him good fortune, asked his name and his profession. ‘My name is Sindbad the porter,’ his guest replied, ‘and in return for a fee I carry people’s goods on my head.’ The master smiled and said: ‘You must know, porter, that your name is the same as mine, and I am Sindbad the sailor. I would like you to let me hear the verses which you were reciting as you stood at the door.’ Sindbad the porter was embarrassed and said: ‘For the sake of God, don’t hold this against me, for toil and hardship together with a lack of means teach a man bad manners and stupidity.’ ‘Don’t be ashamed,’ said his host. ‘You have become a brother to me, so repeat the verses that I admired when I heard you recite them at the door.’ Sindbad the porter did this, moving Sindbad the sailor to delighted appreciation, after which THIS SECOND SINDBAD SAID:
I have a remarkable story to tell you covering all that happened to me before I acquired my present fortune and found myself sitting where you see me now. For it was only after great labour and hardship that I achieved this, having had to face perils upon perils and to endure difficulties and discomforts in my early days. I made seven voyages, and a surprising and astonishing story is attached to each; all this happened through the decree of fate, from whose rulings there is no escape.
Know, my noble masters, that my father was one of the leading citizens and merchants of Baghdad, a man of riches and ample means. He died when I was a small boy, leaving me money, possessions and estates. When I grew up and took all this over, I ate well, drank well, associated with other young men, wore fine clothes and went out with my friends and comrades. I was quite sure that these benefits would continue to be mine, until after a time I came to my senses and recovered from my heedlessness only to discover that the money was all gone, that my situation had changed and that all I had once owned was lost. I was frightened and bewildered, but then I thought of something I had once heard from my father about Solomon, the son of David, on both of whom be peace. Solomon is reported to have said: ‘Three things are better than three other things. The day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth, a live dog is better than a dead lion and the grave is better than poverty.’ So I got up and collected what I had in the way of furnishings and clothes and sold them. I went on to sell my property and everything else that I owned, all of which brought me three thousand dirhams. It then occurred to me to travel in foreign parts, as I remembered these lines of poetry:
It is through toil that eminence is won;
Whoever seeks the heights must pass nights without sleep.
The pearl fisher must brave the depth of ocean
If he is to win power and wealth.
Whoever hopes to rise without effort
Will waste his life in search of the impossible.
After I had thought all this over I made up my mind to go to sea and so I went off to buy a variety of trade goods, as well as things that I would need for the journey. I boarded a ship and sailed downriver to Basra with a number of other merchants. We then put out to sea and sailed for a number of days and nights, passing island after island and going from sea to sea and from one land to another. Whenever we passed land, we bought, sold and bartered, and we sailed on like this until we reached an island which looked like one of the meadows of Paradise. The ship’s master put in there, dropping the anchors and running out the gangway. After everyone on board had disembarked they lit fires under stoves and busied themselves in various ways, s
ome cooking, some washing and some, including me, looking around the island and exploring the various districts. Afterwards we gathered again to eat, drink, play and enjoy ourselves, but while we were doing this, the master, standing at the side of the ship, shouted out to all of us at the top of his voice: ‘Save yourselves! Hurry, board the ship as fast as you can; if you want to escape destruction, leave all your things and save your lives. This island is not a real one. It is a giant fish that has stayed motionless here in the middle of the sea until it has become silted up with sand on which trees have grown over time so that it looks like an island. When you lit your fire, it felt the heat and has started to move. It is just about to dive into the sea and you will all be drowned. Save yourselves before death overtakes you…’
Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the five hundred and thirty-ninth night, SHE CONTINUED:
I have heard, O fortunate king, that SINDBAD SAID:
The master called out to the passengers: ‘Save yourselves before death overtakes you, and abandon your things!’ On hearing this, everyone left all their belongings, including pots and stoves. Some but not all reached the ship before the ‘island’ moved, plunging into the depths of the sea with everything that was on it, and the sea with its boisterous waves closed over it.
I was one of those who had been left on the ‘island’, and, together with the others, I found myself underwater, but Almighty God rescued me and saved me from drowning by providing me with a large wooden tub that had been used for washing. I held on to this for dear life, straddling it and using my legs like oars in order to paddle as the waves tossed me to and fro. The master had hoisted sail and he went off with those who had managed to get on board, showing no concern for the rest of us, who were drowning. I followed the ship with my eyes until it was out of sight, and I was quite sure that I was going to die. Night fell while I was still struggling in the water and my struggles lasted for a day and a night until, with the help of wind and wave, I came to rest under the high shore of an island where trees were growing out over the water. I had been on the point of drowning, but now I clutched at the branch of a lofty tree and clung on to it until I had managed to pull myself up on to the island itself. I discovered that my legs were numb and the soles of my feet showed traces of having been nibbled by fish, something I hadn’t noticed earlier because of my distress and exhaustion. I was, in fact, the nearest thing to a corpse when I was thrown up there, having lost my senses and being plunged into dismay.
I stayed in this state until the sun roused me next day. My feet, I discovered, had swollen up but I moved as best I could, at times crawling and at others shuffling on my knees. There were many fruits there, which I started to eat, as well as freshwater springs, and I stayed like this for some days and nights until I had recovered my spirits and could move freely again. I started to think about my position as I walked around the island looking among the trees at what God had created there, and I made myself a crutch from the wood of the trees with which to support myself. Things went on like this for some time until one day, when I was walking along the shore, I saw in the distance something that I took to be a wild beast or some sea creature. I went towards it with my eyes fixed on it and discovered that it was a fine mare that had been tethered there on the shore. When I got near, it frightened me by giving a great scream and I was about to retrace my steps when from somewhere underground a man appeared. He shouted to me, coming after me and calling out: ‘Who are you? Where have you come from and why are you here?’ I told him: ‘You must know, sir, that I am a stranger. I was on a ship but I and some others found ourselves washed into the sea, where God provided me with a wooden tub on which to ride. It floated off with me until the waves cast me up on this island.’
When the man heard my story, he took me by the hand and said: ‘Come with me,’ and when I did, he took me to an underground chamber with a large hall, at the head of which he made me sit. Then he brought me food, and, as I was hungry, I ate my fill before relaxing. He asked me about my circumstances and what had happened to me, and I told him my whole story from beginning to end, to his great astonishment. When I had finished, I implored him not to be hard on me, assuring him that what I had told him was the truth, and adding: ‘I would like you to tell me who you are, why you are sitting here in this underground room and why you have tethered that mare by the shore.’ He replied: ‘There are a number of us scattered around the shores of this island, and we are the grooms of King Mihrjan, in charge of a number of his horses. Every month at the time of the new moon we bring thoroughbred mares that have never been covered and tether them on the island, after which we hide ourselves here underground so that no one can see us. Then a stallion, one of the sea horses, scents the mare and comes out of the sea. It looks around and when it sees nobody, it mounts her and after having covered her it gets down and wants to take her with him. Because of the tether she cannot go, and he screams at her, butting her with his head and kicking her, and when we hear the noise we know that he has got down from her, and so we come out and yell at him. This alarms him and he goes back into the sea, leaving the mare pregnant. The colt or filly to which she gives birth is worth a huge sum of money, and has no match on the face of the earth. This is the time for the stallion to come out and after it does, God willing, I shall take you with me to King Mihrjan…’
Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the five hundred and fortieth night, SHE CONTINUED:
I have heard, O fortunate king, that SINDBAD SAID:
The groom told me: ‘I shall take you with me to King Mihrjan and show you our country. You must know that, had you not met us, you would have found nobody else here and you would have died a miserable death, with no one knowing anything about you. I have saved your life and I shall see that you get back to your own country.’
I blessed the man and thanked him for having been so exceedingly good to me, and while we were talking a stallion came out of the sea and jumped on the mare with a loud snort. When it had finished its business it got off her, wanting to take her with it, and when it failed, she kicked and screamed at him. At that, the groom took sword and shield and went out of the door of the room, shouting to his companions to help him and striking his sword against his shield. A number of others arrived brandishing spears and shouting, at which the stallion took fright and made off into the sea like a water buffalo, disappearing under the surface. My man sat down briefly and was then joined by his companions, each of whom was leading a mare. When they saw me with him, they asked me about myself and I repeated what I had told him. They then came up to me, spread out a cloth, and invited me to share their meal, which I did. Then they got up and mounted, taking me with them on the back of one of the mares.
We went on until we reached the city of King Mihrjan, and when the others had gone in and told him my story, he asked for me. They took me and placed me before him, after which we exchanged greetings. He gave me a courteous welcome and then asked me about myself, at which I told him all that had happened to me and all that I had seen, from beginning to end. He was amazed by my experiences and said: ‘My son, you have had a remarkable measure of good luck, and had fate not allotted you a long life, you would never have escaped from these dangers, but, thanks be to God, you are safe.’ He then treated me with kindness and generosity, taking me as one of his intimates and talking to me in the friendliest of terms. He appointed me as his port agent to keep a register of all ships coming to land, and I stayed with him, carrying out his business and receiving all manner of kindnesses and benefits from him. He supplied me with the most splendid of robes and I took a principal role in presenting intercessions to him and settling the people’s affairs.
I stayed with him for a long time, but whenever I found myself by the shore, I would ask the visiting merchants and the sailors where Baghdad lay in the hope that someone would be able to tell me, so that I might leave with
him and go back to my own country. Not one of them, however, knew anything about Baghdad or about anyone who went there, and so I remained helpless and tired out by my long exile.
After things had gone on like that for some time, I went one day into the presence of the king and found that he had a number of Indians with him. After we had exchanged greetings they welcomed me, and when they had asked me about my country…
Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the five hundred and forty-first night, SHE CONTINUED:
I have heard, O fortunate king, that SINDBAD SAID:
In return I asked about theirs. They told me that their people were made up of a number of different castes, and among these were the Shakiris, the noblest of them all, who would never wrong or oppress anyone, and the so-called Brahmins, who drank no wine but lived happily, enjoying entertainment and pleasure and owning camels, horses and cattle. There were, in fact, seventy-two castes into which the Indians were divided, something that completely astonished me.
In Mihrjan’s kingdom I noticed that there was an island named Kasil, from which there were to be heard the sounds of tambourines and drums being beaten all night long, although the other islanders and travellers who visited it told me that its inhabitants were serious-minded and intelligent people. In the sea there I saw a fish that was two hundred cubits in length and another with a face like that of an owl. All in all, I saw so many strange wonders on that voyage that it would take too long to tell you them all.