by Muhsin Mahdi
4. From a sacred well in Mecca.
[The Jewish Physician’s Tale: The Young Man from Mosul and the Murdered Girl]
O KING OF the age, the most amazing thing that ever happened to me occurred when I was studying medicine in Damascus. One day a Mamluk from the house of the governor came to take me there. I went to the house, and when I entered, I saw lying on a bed at the upper end of the hall a sick young man, so handsome that I have seen none handsomer. I sat at his head and offered a prayer for his recovery, and he responded by making a sign with his eyes. I said to him, “My lord, give me your hand, and may you recover speedily.” He put forth his left hand, and I wondered and said to myself, “By God, it is strange that such a handsome young man of such a high family should lack good manners. How very strange!” I felt his pulse and wrote him a prescription, and for ten days I continued to visit him until he recovered and I took him to the bath. Then when I came out, the governor bestowed on me a robe of honor and appointed me superintendent of the hospital.
But when I was with him in the bath, which was cleared for our private use, and the servants and valets came in and took off his clothes, I saw that his right hand had been recently cut off and realized that this was the cause of his illness. When I saw this, I was filled with amazement, worry, and sorrow for him. I looked closely at his body and saw marks of beating with rods, for which he had used ointments, drugs, and plasters, leaving only faint traces on the sides. As my worry increased and began to show on my face, the young man looked at me and, reading my thought, said, “Doctor, don’t wonder about my case. I will tell you my strange story at the appropriate time.” Then we washed and, returning to the house, ate some boiled food and rested a while. Then the young man said to me, “Would you like to go for a walk in the Damascus Gardens?” I replied, “Yes, I would.” He bade the servants take a few necessities, in addition to a roasted lamb and fruits, and we went to the gardens, where we enjoyed the sights for a while, then sat to eat. When we finished, they offered us some sweets and, after we had some, I was about to open the subject, when he anticipated me and said:
Doctor, I am a native of Mosul; when my grandfather died, he left behind ten sons, of whom my father was the eldest. When they grew up, all ten got married, and God blessed my father with me but did not bless his nine brothers with any children. So I grew up among my uncles.
But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence. Then Dinarzad said, “Sister, what a strange and entertaining story!” Shahrazad replied, “What is this compared with what I shall tell you tomorrow night if the king spares me and lets me live!”
THE ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SECOND NIGHT
The following night Shahrazad said:
I heard, O King, that the Jewish physician told the king of China that the young man said:
I had grown up and reached manhood, when one Friday I went with my father and my uncles to the Mosul mosque. After we performed the Friday prayers and the people went out, my father and my uncles sat in a circle, talking about the wonders of foreign lands and the marvels of various cities until they mentioned Cairo, and one of my uncles said, “Travelers say that there is nothing on the face of the earth fairer than Cairo,” and from that moment I longed to see Cairo. Another disagreed, saying, “It is Baghdad that is Paradise and the capital of the world.” But my father, who was the eldest, said, “He who has not seen Cairo has not seen the world. Its dust is gold, its women dolls, and its Nile a wonder, whose water is sweet and refreshing and whose clay is soft and cool, as the poet said:
Enjoy today the flooding of your Nile,
Whose waters on you their riches bestow.
The Nile is but the tears I shed for you,
A boon, which from my blighted eyes does flow.
If you saw its gardens, adorned with flowers and ornamented with all kinds of blossoms, if you saw the Nile Island with its many lovely sights, and if you saw the Ethiopian Pond, your eyes would be dazzled with their wonders. O how lovely is the sight of the green gardens, encircled by the waters of the Nile, like chrysolites set in silver sheets! How well the poet put it who said:
O what a day by the Ethiopian Pond
We spent between the shadows and the light,
The water flashing amid the green plants,
A sabre in an eye trembling with fright.
We sat in a fine garden where the rays
Embroidered and adorned that lovely sight,
A garden woven for us by the clouds,
Soft carpets made and spread for us to rest,
As we sat passing the refreshing wine,
Which of all drugs for sorrow works the best,
Quaffing deep draughts from large and brimful cups
For they alone can quench our burning thirst.”
But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence. Then Dinarzad said, “Sister, what a strange and entertaining story!” Shahrazad replied, “What is this compared with what I shall tell you tomorrow night if the king spares me and lets me live!”
THE ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-THIRD NIGHT
The following night Shahrazad said:
I heard, O King, that the Jewish physician told the king of China that the young man said:
My father went on to describe Cairo, and when he finished describing the Nile and the Ethiopian Pond, he said, “And what is this compared with the observatory and its charms, of which every approaching viewer says, ‘This spot is full of wonders’; and if you speak of the night of the Nile-Flooding Feast, open the floodgates of words and release the bow; and if you see al-Rauda Park in the shade of the late afternoon, you will be thrilled with wonder and delight; and if you stand at the river bank, when the sun is sinking and the Nile puts on its coat of mail and shield, you will be refreshed by the deep and ample shade and gentle breeze.” When I heard this description, my thoughts dwelt so much on Cairo that I was unable to sleep that night.
Some time later my uncles prepared merchandise for a trade journey to Cairo, and I went to my father and importuned him with tears until he prepared merchandise for me too and let me go with them, saying to them, “Don’t let him go to Cairo, but leave him behind to sell his goods in Damascus.” Having provided ourselves for the journey, we set out from Mosul and journeyed until we reached Aleppo, where we stayed for a few days. Then we pressed on until we reached Damascus, which I found to be a pleasant, peaceful, and prosperous city, abounding in trees and rivers and birds, like a garden in Paradise, and abounding in “fruits of all kinds,” like one of the gardens in Rudwan.5 We stayed in one of the caravansaries, to my delight, while my uncles sold my goods at a profit of five dinars for each dinar. Then they left me and went on to Egypt, while I stayed in Damascus, in a large house, known as the house of Sudun ‘Abd al-Rahman, which I rented for two dinars a month. It had a marble hall, a storeroom, an extra room with cupboards, and a fountain with water running day and night. I lived there, spending my money on feasting and drinking, until I had squandered most of it.
One day, as I sat at the door of my lodging, there came up a young lady so finely dressed that I have seen none better. I invited her to come in and could hardly believe it when she actually accepted.
But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence. Then Dinarzad said, “Sister, what a strange and entertaining story!” Shahrazad replied, “What is this compared with what I shall tell you tomorrow night if the king spares me and lets me live!”
THE ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FOURTH NIGHT
The following night Shahrazad said:
I heard, O happy King, that the Jewish physician told the king of China that the young man said:
When she entered, I felt bound to honor the invitation, and I went in and closed the door behind us. When she sat and raised her veil and took off her cloak, I saw that she was extremely beautiful, like a painted moon, and her love took hold of my heart. I went out and bought from a special shop a tray of the most delicate foods and fruits, as well as wine and whateve
r was needed for the occasion. We ate, and when it got dark, I lighted the candles and set up the cups, and we drank until we were drunk. Then I slept with her and spent the best of nights. In the morning, I offered her ten dinars, but she frowned and said, “Shame on you, man from Mosul, to think that you can have me for gold or money!” Then taking out ten dinars herself, she swore that if I did not take them, she would never come back, saying, “Darling, expect me again in three days, between sundown and nightfall, and take these ten dinars to prepare a banquet similar to this.” Then she bade me good-bye and went away, taking my heart with her, while I could hardly wait for the three days to go by.
On the appointed day, I prepared a banquet to my liking, and she came after sundown, wearing high wooden shoes, a black headcloth, and a bonnet and exhaling sweet perfumes. We ate and drank and dallied and laughed, and when it got dark, I lighted the candles, and we drank until we got drunk. Then I slept with her, and when she arose in the morning, she gave me ten dinars and, saying, “We will meet as usual,” went away.
Three days later I again prepared a banquet, and when she came as usual, we sat and ate and dallied and conversed. When it got dark and we sat to drink, she said, “My lord, by God, am I not beautiful?” I replied, “Yes, by God, you are.” She said, “Will you then allow me to bring with me a young lady who is even more beautiful and younger than I, so that she may play, laugh, and enjoy herself, for she has been sequestered for a long time, and she has asked to go out and spend the night with me?” I replied, “By God, yes.” In the morning, she gave me fifteen dinars and, saying “Buy more provisions, for we will have a new guest when we meet as usual,” went away. On the third day I prepared a banquet.
But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence. Then Dinarzad said, “Sister, what a strange and entertaining story!” Shahrazad replied, “What is this compared with what I shall tell you tomorrow night if the king spares me and lets me live!”
THE ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FIFTH NIGHT
The following night Shahrazad said:
I heard that the Jewish physician told the king of China that the young man said:
Soon after sundown, she came with a girl, as we had agreed on. I received them with pleasure and delight and lighted the candles, and when the girl unveiled herself, she revealed a face that redounded to “the Glory of God, the Best of Creators.” Then we sat down to eat, and I kept feeding the new girl, while she looked at me and smiled, and when we finished eating and I set the wine and the fruits and sweets before them, I drank with her, while she smiled and winked at me as I gazed on her, all-consumed with love. My friend, seeing that the girl’s eyes were fixed on mine and mine on hers, laughed and asked playfully, “My darling, isn’t this girl, whom I have brought you, more beautiful and charming than I?” I replied, “By God, yes, she is.” She asked, “Would you like to sleep with her?” I replied, “Yes, by God, I would like to.” She said, “After all, she is only a visitor here tonight, while I am always here.” Then girding herself, she rose in the middle of the night and prepared our bed, and I took the girl in my arms and slept with her that night, while my friend prepared a bed for herself in the extra room and slept there alone.
When I awoke in the morning, I found myself drenched and thought that I was wet with perspiration. I sat up and tried to rouse the girl, but when I shook her by the shoulders, her head rolled off, and I realized that she had been slain. I lost my senses and, crying out, “O gracious Protector,” sprang up, and the world began to turn black before my eyes. Then I looked for my friend, and when I could not find her, I realized that it was she who, out of jealousy, had murdered the girl. I said to myself, “There is no power and no strength, save in God, the Almighty, the Magnificent. What shall I do now?” I thought for a while and finally said to myself, “I am afraid that the murdered girl’s family will look for her; no one is safe from the treachery of women.” Then I took off my clothes and dug a hole in the middle of the hall and, placing the girl with all her jewelry in it, covered it back with earth and replaced the slabs of the marble pavement. Then I put on clean clothes and, taking what was left of my money in a small box, locked up the house and left. I took courage, went to the landlord, and paid him a year’s rent, saying “I am going to join my uncles in Cairo.” Then I paid for my voyage at the king’s caravansary and departed.
But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence. Then Dinarzad said, “Sister, what a strange and entertaining story!” Shahrazad replied, “What is this compared with what I shall tell you tomorrow night if the king spares me and lets me live!”
THE ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SIXTH NIGHT
The following night Shahrazad said:
I heard, O King of the age, that the Jewish physician told the king of China that the young man said:
I set out on my journey, and God granted me safe passage, and I reached Cairo. When I met my uncles, I found that they had already sold their goods on credit. They were glad to see me but surprised at my arrival. I said to them, “You were gone for too long, and I yearned to see you.” But I did not tell them that I had any money with me. I stayed with them, enjoying Cairo and its sights, and began to spend the rest of my money, squandering it on feasting and drinking. When the time drew near for my uncles’ departure, I hid myself from them, and when they looked for me but could not find me, they said, “He must have gone back to Damascus,” and departed, and I came out of hiding and lived in Cairo for three years, sending every year to the landlord in Damascus the rent for the house, until at last I had squandered all my money and had nothing left but the fare for the journey back.
I paid the fare and set out, and God granted me safe passage, and I reached Damascus. I dismounted at the house, where the landlord, who was a jeweler, received me gladly. I unsealed the lock, opened the door, and went in. When I swept the house and wiped it clean, I found under the bed, where I had slept with the murdered girl, a gold necklace set with ten gemstones that boggled the mind. When I saw it, I recognized it, picked it up and, holding it in my hand, wept for a long time. Then, having cleaned the house, I placed the furniture as it was before. I stayed at home for a couple of days, then went to the bath, rested, and put on fresh clothes. By then I had absolutely no money left. Driven by fate and tempted by the devil, I took the necklace, wrapped it in a handkerchief, and, carrying it to the market, handed it to a broker. When he saw it, he kissed my hand and said, “By God, this is fine; by God, this is a fine and fortunate way to start business. O what a blessed morning!” Then he took me to the shop of my landlord, who made me sit by his side.
We waited until the market was full, and the broker took the necklace, offered it secretly, and without my knowledge got two thousand dinars for it. He returned to me, saying, “Sir, we thought that the necklace was gold, but it turned out to be fake, and I was offered a thousand dirhams for it. Will you accept the offer?” I replied, “Yes, I accept, for I know that it was brass.” When the broker heard my reply, he realized that there was a problem with the necklace and struck a bargain with the chief merchant, who went to the chief of the police and told him that the necklace had been stolen from him and that the thief had been apprehended, dressed as a merchant.
Suddenly, calamity fell upon me, for as I sat in the shop, the officers seized me unawares and took me to the chief of the police. When he asked me about the necklace, I told him what I had told the broker, and he laughed, thinking that I had stolen it, and before I knew it, I was stripped and beaten with rods until, smarting from the blows, I lied, saying, “Yes, I stole it.” After they wrote down my confession, they cut off my hand, and when they seared it with boiling oil, I fainted and remained unconscious for half of that day. Then they gave me wine to drink, and my landlord carried me away and said to me, “My son, being a nice young man of substance and means, why did you have to steal? When you steal from people, none will have mercy on you. Son, you stand convicted; leave my house and find yourself another lodging; go in peace.” I fe
lt disappointed and said to him, “Sir, I wonder whether you can give me three days to find another place.” He replied, “Very well,” and left me, sad and worried, wondering, “If I go back home with my hand cut off, how shall I face my people and convince them that I am innocent?” and I wept bitterly.
But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence. Then Dinarzad said, “Sister, what a strange and entertaining story!” Shahrazad replied, “What is this compared with what I shall tell you tomorrow night if I live!”
THE ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SEVENTH NIGHT
The following night Shahrazad said:
I heard, O happy King, that the Jewish physician told the king of China that the young man said:
I was ill for two days, and on the third day I suddenly found my landlord and the chief merchant, who had bought the necklace from me and accused me of stealing it from him, standing at my door, with five police officers standing on guard. I asked them, “What is the matter?” but they bound me at once and put around my neck a collar attached to a chain, saying, “The necklace that was with you belongs to the governor of Damascus, who told us that for three years it had been missing, together with his daughter.” When I heard what they said, my heart sank within me, and I went with them, with a cut-off hand. So I covered my face, saying to myself, “I will tell the governor my true story, and if he wishes, let him kill me, and if he wishes, let him pardon me.”
They brought me to the governor and made me stand before him, and when he looked at me, he said, “Unbind him. Is he the one who took my necklace to the market to sell?” They replied, “Yes, he is.” He said, “He did not steal it; why did you cut off his hand unjustly? Poor fellow!” When I heard this, I took heart and said to him, “My lord, by God, I did not steal the necklace, but they slandered me, and this merchant, claiming that the necklace belonged to him and accusing me of stealing it, took me to the chief of the police and when the chief had me beaten with rods, I smarted from the blows and lied against myself.” The governor said, “Don’t be afraid.” Then he sentenced the chief merchant who had taken the necklace from me, saying to him, “Pay him indemnity for his hand, or I will beat you until I flay your hide.” And he cried out to the officers, who dragged the merchant away, while I remained with the governor. He said to me, “My Son, speak the truth and tell me the story of the necklace and how you came by it. Don’t lie, and be truthful, for the truth will make you free.” I replied, “By God, this has been my intention.” Then I related to him in detail what had happened to me and the young lady and how she had brought with her the girl who owned the necklace and had murdered her at night, out of jealousy. When he heard my story, he shook his head, wrung his hands, and, with tears in his eyes, said, “To God we belong and to Him we return.” Then turning to me, he said, “My son, let me explain everything to you. It so happened that …”