Arabian Nights
Page 36
“This is your son!” said the vizier.
And Badar al-Din Hasan embraced him and was extremely happy to be with his son. Just then his mother entered and threw herself into his arms. Then she wept and told him what had happened to her since his departure, while he related to her what he had suffered, and they thanked Allah Almighty for their reunion.
Two days after his arrival, the Vizier Shams al-Din went to see the sultan, and after kissing the ground, he greeted him in a manner suited for kings. The sultan rejoiced at his return, and after placing the vizier by his side, he asked him to tell him all that he had seen during his journey and all that had happened to him. So the vizier told him all that had occurred from first to last, and the sultan said, “Thanks be to Allah for your triumph, your reunion with your children, and your safe return to your people! And now I want to see your brother’s son. So bring him to the audience hall tomorrow.”
Shams al-Din replied, “He will stand in your presence tomorrow, if it be God’s will.”
Then the vizier saluted him and returned to his own house, where he informed his nephew of the sultan’s desire to see him, whereupon Hasan consented. So the next day he accompanied his uncle to the divan, and after saluting the sultan, he showed him his respect with a courtly verse. The sultan smiled and signaled him to sit down. After Hasan took a seat close to his uncle, Shams al-Din, the sultan asked him his name.
“Your lowliest of slaves,” said Badar al-Din Hasan, “is known as Hasan the Bassorite, who prays for you day and night.”
The sultan was pleased by these words and began testing his learning and good breeding, and Hasan rose to the occasion with witty and polite verses.
“Hasan,” said the sultan, “you’ve spoken extremely well and have proved yourself accomplished in every way. Now explain to me how many meanings there are in the Arabic language for the word khál or mole.”
“May Allah keep the king,” replied Hasan, “there are fifty-seven, but some say according to tradition that there are only fifty.”
“You’re correct,” said the sultan. “Do you have any knowledge as to the points of excellence in beauty?”
“Yes,” answered Badar al-Din Hasan. “Beauty consists in brightness of face, clearness of complexion, shapeliness of nose, gentleness of eyes, sweetness of mouth, cleverness of speech, slenderness of shape, and seemliness of all attributes. But the acme of beauty is in the hair.”
The sultan was so captivated by the way Hasan spoke that he regarded him as a friend and asked, “What’s the meaning of the saying ‘Shurayh is foxier than the fox’?”
And Hasan answered, “Oh sultan, you must know that the lawyer Shurayh was accustomed to making visits to Al-Najaf during the days of the plague, and whenever he stood up to pray, a fox would come and plant himself in front of him. Then, by mimicking his movements, the fox would distract him from his devotions. Now, one day, when this became tiresome to him, he doffed his shirt and set it upon a cane and shook out the sleeves. Then, placing his turban on the top and making a belt with a shawl around the middle, he stuck it up in the place where he used to pray. Soon the fox trotted up as he was accustomed to do and stood across from the figure. Then Shurayh came from behind and grabbed the fox. Hence the saying ‘Shurayh is foxier than the fox.’”
When the sultan heard Badar al-Din Hasan’s explanation, he said to his uncle, Shams al-Din, “Truly, your brother’s son is perfect in courtly breeding, and I’m convinced that there’s no one like him anywhere in Cairo.”
Upon hearing this, Hasan arose and kissed the ground before him and sat down again as a mameluke should sit before his master. When the sultan had thus assured himself of his courtly breeding and bearing and his knowledge of the liberal arts and belles lettres, he rejoiced and invested him with a splendid robe of honor and promoted him to an office that would help him advance his career. Then Badar al-Din Hasan arose and requested the king’s permission to retire with his uncle. The sultan consented, and the two returned home, where food was set before them, and they ate what Allah had given them. After finishing his meal, Hasan went to the sitting chamber of his wife, the Lady of Beauty, and told her what had happened between him and the sultan, whereupon she said, “I’m sure that he will make you a boon companion and bestow favors on you. In this way, the rays of your perfection will spread on shore and on sea thanks to Allah’s blessing.”
“I propose to write a kasidah, an ode, in the sultan’s praise,” he said, “and perhaps his affection for me may increase.”
“That’s a good idea,” she answered. “Weigh your words carefully, and I’m sure that the sultan will look upon your work with favor.”
So Hasan shut himself up in his chamber and composed a remarkable poem. When he had finished transcribing the lines, he had one of his uncle’s slaves carry them to the sultan, who read the poem and was very pleased by it. In fact, he read the ode to all those present, and they praised it with the highest praise. Thereupon, the sultan sent for the writer, and when Hasan entered his sitting chamber, he said, “From this day on you will be my boon companion, and I’m granting you a monthly salary of ten thousand dirhams over and above what I granted you before.”
So Hasan arose and, after kissing the ground before the sultan several times, prayed for the king’s glory, greatness, and long life. Thus Badar al-Din continued to gain great honor, and his fame spread to many regions. He lived in comfort and took great delight in life with his uncle and his own people until death overtook him.
After the Caliph Harun al-Rashid heard this story from the lips of his vizier, Ja’afar the Barmecide, he was extremely astounded and said, “These stories deserve to be written down in liquid gold.” Then he granted the slave his freedom and endowed the young man who had slain his wife with a monthly stipend that would suffice to make his life easy. He also gave him a concubine from among his own slave girls, and the young man became one of his boon companions.
“Yet, this story,” continued Scheherazade, “is in no way stranger than the tale of the hunchback.”
“And what happened to him?” asked the king.
“Have patience,” Scherherazade said, and she asked his permission to tell her tale the following night, and the king was most happy to grant her wish.
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