Arabian Nights

by Richard Burton

  “By Allah,” replied Salih, “I am not seeking her for myself, and even if I did, I am her match, and even more than her match, for you know that my father was king of the kings of sea despite the fact that you are king right now. No, I am seeking her for King Badar Basim, lord of the lands of the Persians and son of King Shahriman, whose power you know. If you maintain that you are a great and mighty king, well then, let me tell you that King Badar is greater. And if you maintain that your daughter’s beauty is incomparable, well then, let me tell you that King Badar is more handsome and comes from a better rank and lineage. Indeed, he is the champion of the people of his day. Therefore, if you grant my request, your majesty, you will setting up a perfect match. But if you deal arrogantly with us, you’ll pay for being unjust. Moreover, you know that the Princess Jauharah needs to be wedded and bedded one day, for the sage says, a girl’s lot is either grace of marriage or the grave. Consequently, if you intend to marry her, my sister’s son is more worthy of her than any man alive.”

  Now, when King Al-Samandal heard Salih’s words, he became extremely furious. He almost lost his head, and his soul almost exploded from his body because of his rage. “Oh dog!” he cried. “How dare you name my daughter and address me as you have in front of my court assembled here? And how dare you say that the son of your sister Julnar is a match for her? Who are you and who is this sister of yours and her son and who was his father that you dare to speak to me this way? You’re all nothing but dogs in comparison to my daughter!” Then he called out to his guards and barked, “Off with that scoundrel’s head!”

  So they drew their swords and approached Salih, but he fled and made for the palace gate, where he saw his kinsfolk and servants on horseback armed from head to foot in iron and close-knitted mail coats and carrying spears and glittering swords. And when they saw Salih come running out of the palace—they had been sent by his mother just in case—they asked him what had happened, and he told them what to do. Of course, they all knew that King Al-Samandal had a violent temper and was a fool to boot. So they dismounted, drew their swords, and entered the audience hall, where they found King Al-Samandal seated on his throne and unaware of their coming. He was still fuming because of Salih, and they caught him and his entourage unprepared. Then, when he saw them, he cried out, “Woe to you! Off with the heads of these dogs!” But before the hour had gone by, Al-Samandal’s party was put to rout, and Salih and his kinsmen seized the king and bound him.

  And Scheherazade noticed that dawn was approaching and stopped telling her story. When the next night arrived, however, she received the king’s permission to continue her tale and said,

  * * *

  Right after the struggle began, Princess Jauharah awoke and discovered that her father had been taken captive and his guards slain. So she fled the palace to a certain island and climbed up a high tree and hid herself in the top. Now, when the two parties had clashed, Badar met some of King Al-Samandal’s pages in flight and asked them what had happened. When he heard that the king was a prisoner, Badar became anxious, for he felt that he had caused all this turmoil, and that the guards would soon be after him. Therefore, he took to flight and ran without knowing where he was going. As destiny would have it, he landed on the very same island where the princess had taken refuge, and he came to the very tree which she had climbed. It was there that he threw himself down like a dead man, hoping to rest and not knowing that there is no rest for the pursued. Indeed, nobody knows what fate has in store for him. As he lay down, he raised his eyes, and his glance met the eyes of the princess in the treetop. As he gazed at her, he thought she was like the moon rising in the east, and he cried out, “Glory to Him who created that perfect form! By Allah, if my sentiments are true, it is Jauharah, daughter of King Al-Samandal! I believe that when she heard of our clash with her father, she fled to this island and hid herself in this treetop. But even if it isn’t the princess herself, then it’s a woman even more divine than she is.” Then he reflected about his situation and said to himself, “I’ll get up and seize her and ask her who she is. If she is indeed who I think she is, I’ll ask her personally to marry me and win my wish.”

  So he stood up and called to her, “Oh end of all desire, who are you, and who brought you here?”

  She looked at Badar Basim, and discovering that he was like the full moon when it shines through a black cloud, so slender in shape and so sweet a smile, she answered, “Oh fair one, I am Princess Jauharah, daughter of the King Al-Samandal, and I took refuge in this place because Salih and his host came to blows with my sire. They slew his troops and took him and some of his men prisoner. Therefore, I had to flee out of fear for my life, especially since I don’t know what has happened to my father.”

  When King Badar Basim heard these words, he was astounded by this strange coincidence and thought to himself, “Undoubtedly I’ve won my wish, since her father is now a prisoner.” Then he looked at Jauharah and said to her, “Come down, my lady, for I have fallen totally in love with you, and your eyes have captivated me. To tell you the truth, the battle that was fought today was because of me and you, for I am King Badar Basim, lord of the Persians, and Salih is my mother’s brother, and it was he who came to request your hand in marriage for me. As for me, I left my kingdom for your sake, and our meeting here is a unique coincidence. Therefore, I beg you to come down to me, and let us two go to your father’s palace so that I may beseech my Uncle Salih to release your father and so that I can make you my lawful wife.”

  When Jauharah heard these words, she said to herself, “It was because of this miserable scoundrel, then, that everything has happened! Because of him my father’s been taken prisoner, his chamberlains and other officers have been slain, and I’ve been forced to flee the palace and take refuge on this island! And now, if I don’t think of something fast to defend myself, he’ll possess me and do what he wants with me. He’s in love, and whenever a man’s in love, anything he does is excusable.” So she beguiled him with charming words and sweet speeches, while he was unaware that she was plotting something perfidious against him. And at one point she asked, “My lord and light of my eyes, tell me, are you truly King Badar Basim, son of Queen Julnar?”

  And Scheherazade noticed that dawn was approaching and stopped telling her story. When the next night arrived, however, she received the king’s permission to continue her tale and said,

  When Badar heard her question, he replied, “Yes, my lady.”

  “Well, then,” she replied, “may Allah turn His back on my father and take away his kingdom from him! May Allah let him suffer and drive him into exile! I say all this because he could not have found a more handsome or virtuous man to be my suitor. By Allah, he is not very smart or discerning!” Then she added, “Despite all this, oh king, please do not punish him for what he’s done. If you have just a drop of the immense love I feel for you, then you’ll do this for me. Indeed, I’ve fallen into the net of your love and have become your captive. The love that was in you has been transferred to me, and there is a little left in you and a vast amount in me!”

  After saying all this, she slid down the tree and walked over to him. Then she drew him to her bosom and began kissing him, causing his passion and desire for her to increase and making him feel that she was definitely in love with him and he could trust her. Returning her kisses and caresses, he said to her, “By Allah, my uncle did not know the least thing about your charms!”

  Then Jauharah pressed him even closer to her bosom, uttered some words that he did not understand, and suddenly spat on his face. “I command you to change your form! Change and become a bird! Yes, it’s a bird you shall become!”

  No sooner had she spoken than King Badar Basim found himself transformed into a beautiful white bird with a red bill and red legs, and he stood there in astonishment.

  Now, Jauharah had one of her slave girls by the name of Marsinah with her, and she called her and said, “If it weren’t for the fact that I fear for the life of my fath
er, who is his uncle’s prisoner, I would kill him! May Allah never reward him! He is the one who has caused all his misfortune. Yes, all this trouble is due to his stubbornness! So, I want you to bring him to the Thirsty Island and leave him there to die!”

  So Marsinah left the island and brought him to another one with numerous trees, fruit, and streams, and after she deposited him there, she returned to her mistress and reported that she had left him on the Thirsty Island.

  In the meantime, Salih had begun searching for Jauharah after capturing the king and killing his guards. However, since he could not find her, he returned to his palace and asked his mother, “Where is Badar?”

  “By Allah,” she replied, “I don’t know where he is. When he learned that you and King Al-Samandal had come to blows and that the fighting had led to slaughter, he became frightened and fled.”

  When Salih heard this, he grieved for his nephew and said, “Mother, I’ve been too careless with King Badar, and I’m afraid that he might perish or meet one of King Al-Samandal’s soldiers or his daughter, Jauharah. If that were to happen, Julnar would never forgive me, especially since I took her son without her permission.”

  Then he sent out his guards and scouts throughout the sea and other places to look for Badar, but they could not discover where he was. When they returned and told King Salih, his concern increased, and he was most distressed because of Badar.

  Now, Julnar the Mermaid had been long expecting their return, but they had disappeared after going into the garden, and she had no news of them. Therefore, when many days of fruitless waiting had gone by, she arose, went down into the sea, and returned to her mother, who embraced her when she arrived. Then she asked her mother about King Badar Basim and her uncle, and the old queen replied, “To tell you the truth, he came here with his uncle, who took jewels and jacinths to King Al-Samandal and demanded his daughter for Badar. However, when the king did not consent, a violent battle ensued, and Allah helped your brother capture the king and slay his guards. Meanwhile, your son feared for his life and fled, and we have not had any news of him since then.”

  Then Julnar inquired about her brother, Salih, and her mother told her, “He has taken over King Al-Samandal’s throne and has sent messengers and scouts in every direction to search for your son and Princess Jauharah.”

  When Julnar heard her mother’s story, she mourned for her son and was extremely angry with her brother, Salih, for having taken her son and gone down into the sea without her permission. And she said, “Mother, I fear for our realm, for I came here without telling anyone, and I’m afraid that if I stay here too long, there will be chaos in the kingdom, and the throne will be usurped. Therefore, I think it’s best if I return and govern the kingdom until my son’s affair is settled here, if it pleases Allah. But I want you to look after him, for if he should be harmed in any way, I would die, since he is the joy of my life and the light of my world.”

  “I’ll gladly do this, my daughter,” she replied, “and with love. We have already suffered a great deal because of his absence.”

  Then the old queen sent out messengers to search for her grandson, while Julnar returned to her kingdom, weeping and heavy-hearted, and indeed, she could no longer take delight in the world.

  And Scheherazade noticed that dawn was approaching and stopped telling her story. When the next night arrived, however, she received the king’s permission to continue her tale and said,

  With regard to King Badar Basim, he dwelled as an enchanted bird on the island, eating its fruit and drinking its water, and did not know where to go or how to fly. Then one day, a fowler came to the island to catch some birds, for this was how he earned his living. When he caught sight of King Badar Basim in his form of a beautiful white bird with red bill and legs, he was captivated and said to himself, “What a wonderful bird! I’ve never seen anything as beautiful in my life.” So he cast his net over Badar and took him to the town with the intention of selling him for a high price. On his way, one of the townspeople approached him and asked, “How much for that bird, fowler?”

  “What will you do with him if you buy him?” responded the fowler.

  “I’ll cut his throat and eat him,” said the man.

  “Who could have the heart to kill this bird and eat him?” said the fowler. “I intend to give him to our king as a present, and he’ll give me more than you would give me. Moreover, I’m sure he won’t kill him but enjoy himself by gazing at the bird’s beauty and grace. Honestly, in all my life, ever since I’ve been a fowler, I’ve never seen such a marvelous bird. In short, I won’t sell him to you!”

  Then he carried the bird to the king’s palace, and when the king saw the bird from his window, he was pleased by his beauty and grace and by his unusual coloring. So he sent one of his eunuchs, who asked the fowler whether he would sell the bird.

  “No,” he replied. “The bird is a gift from me to the king.”

  So the eunuch carried the bird to the king and told him what the man had said. Thus the king took the bird and gave the fowler ten dinars, whereupon he kissed the ground and went his way. Then the eunuch carried the bird to a room in the palace and placed him in a fine cage with something to eat and drink and hung the cage up. When the king finished holding court, he said to the eunuch, “Where is the bird? Bring it to me so that I may gaze upon it. By Allah, it’s the most beautiful bird I’ve ever seen!”

  So the eunuch brought the cage and set it between the hands of the king, who looked and noticed that the food was untouched. “By Allah,” the king said, “we must find the right food to nourish it!”

  Then he called for food, and they set the table for the king to eat and let the bird out of the cage. Now, when the bird saw the meat, fruit, and sweetmeats, he began eating everything that was on the trays, while the sovereign and all the bystanders were amazed, and the king said to his attendants, “In all my life I’ve never seen a bird eat the way this one does!”

  Then he sent a eunuch to fetch his wife so that she might enjoy watching the bird, and the eunuch said to her, “My lady, the king desires your presence so that you might enjoy watching a bird that he has bought. When we set it on the table, it ate everything that was on the trays. So please come and take pleasure in this wonderful sight!”

  Upon hearing these words, she rushed to the king’s chamber, but when she caught sight of the bird, she veiled her face and turned to leave. The king stood up immediately and asked her, “Why have you veiled your face when there is nobody in our presence except the women and eunuchs who wait on you and your husband?”

  “Oh king,” she said, “this bird is not a bird, but a man just like yourself.”

  “You’re lying,” he responded. “Or you’re jesting. How can this bird be a man?”

  “I’m not jesting,” she contended. “I’m telling the truth. This bird is King Badar Basim, son of King Shahriman, lord of the land of the Persians, and his mother is Julnar the Mermaid.”

  * * *

  And Scheherazade noticed that dawn was approaching and stopped telling her story. When the next night arrived, however, she received the king’s permission to continue her tale and said,

  “How was he turned into a bird?” the king asked.

  “Princess Jauharah has enchanted him,” she said and told him all that had happened to King Badar Basim from first to last.

  The king was amazed by his wife’s story and implored her to free Badar from this enchantment (for she was the most notable enchantress of her age) and to put an end to his torment. “May Almighty Allah cut off Jauharah’s hand for doing this!” he said. “What a foul witch! She’s nothing but a treacherous and cunning creature!”

  Then the queen said, “You’re to say to him, ‘Oh Badar Basim, enter that closet over there!’”

  So the king ordered him to enter the closet, and he went in obediently. After that the queen veiled her face, took a cup of water in her hand, and entered the closet, where she pronounced some incomprehensible words and ende
d with, “By virtue of these mighty names and holy verses and by the majesty of Allah Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, you are to abandon this form and return to the shape in which the Lord created you!”

  No sooner had she ended her words than the bird trembled once and became a man. Then he opened the closet door, and the king saw before him the most handsome youth on the face of the earth. And when King Badar Basim found himself restored to his own shape, he cried, “There is no god but the God. Glory be to the Creator of all creatures and the Provider of their provisions.”

  Then he kissed the king’s hand and wished him long life, and the king kissed his head and said to him, “Oh Badar Basim, tell me your story from beginning to end.”

  So he told the king his entire tale and did not forget a thing, and the king was amazed by it and said, “Allah has saved you from the spell, but what do you intend to do now?”

  “Your majesty,” Badar replied, “I need your help and generosity, and I am requesting a ship with a company of your servants and all that is necessary for a voyage. I have been away from my kingdom a long time, and I’m worried that my kingdom might be usurped. Moreover, I fear that my mother may be dead from grief over my disappearance, for she does not know whether I am dead or alive.”

  “Your wish is my command,” said the king after listening to this polite and touching speech. So he provided Badar with a ship and all that was needed for a voyage along with a company of his servants. After taking leave of the king, Badar Basim set sail, and for ten days he had a favorable wind, but on the eleventh, the ocean became turbulent. The ship rose and fell, and the sailors were unable to control it. So they drifted at the mercy of the waves, until the vessel came near a rock and crashed on it. All on board were drowned, except King Badar Basim, who got on one of the planks of the ship. For three whole days Badar was driven on the plank by the rough sea, and he had no notion about where he was going.