by Muhsin Mahdi
She went away in a hurry; then she came back and said, “Beware that none should be with you in the house, for he may tell.” The jeweler related later: “I replied, ‘There is no one with me.’ Then with the utmost caution, she went out and returned, followed by a lady who was followed by two maids. When the lady entered, her perfume filled the house and her beauty lighted it, and when I saw her, I sprang to my feet and, offering her a cushion, seated her and sat before her. She sat without speaking until she was rested, and she unveiled her face, and I thought that it was the full moon or the rising sun. Then she turned to the girl with a weak motion and asked, ‘Is this the man?’ The girl replied, ‘Yes he is.’ I greeted her, and she returned my greeting in the best of manners and said, ‘Our confidence in you moved us to come to you, entrust you with our secret, and count on your silence. May you be worthy of such confidence and trust, for you seem to be a man of honor; loyalty, and generosity. Then she inquired about my situation, my family, and my friends, and I acquainted her with my circumstances, adding, ‘You should know, my lady, that I have another house that I have set apart for entertaining my friends and colleagues, and there is nothing there save what I have told your maid.’ Then she questioned me about my involvement in the affair, and I told her, and when I finished, she sighed, expressing sadness for the loss of Abu al-Hasan, and invoked blessings on him. Then she said, ‘You should know that the minds of men are alike in desires, although different in situation and purpose, and although men are diverse in their pursuits, no task is accomplished without speech, no wish is fulfilled without endeavor, and no rest is enjoyed without toil.’”
But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence. Then Dinarzad said, “Sister, what an 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 EIGHTY-NINTH NIGHT
The following night Shahrazad said:
I heard, O happy King, that Shams al-Nahar admonished the jeweler, adding, “‘No secret is confided without trust nor is an endeavor undertaken without ability; no success is achieved save with the help of the generous, nor is a serious matter entrusted save to a man of nobility and honor. Each man deserves to be thanked according to the kindliness of his intentions, the extent of his application, and the efficacy of his deeds. As for you, no man exceeds you in humanity and generosity. You know my secret, understand my situation, and see that I have been driven beyond my endurance. This girl, as you well know, I hold in trust and high favor, for she keeps my counsel and transacts my affairs; therefore, trust her in everything she tells you or asks you to do, and you will be pleased; besides, you will be safe from any danger, for we will not ask you to come to any place before making sure that it is secure. She will bring you news from me and act as our go-between.’ Then she rose, hardly able to stand, and I saw her to the door of the house and returned, having seen of her beauty, witnessed of her actions, and heard of her speech what dazzled my eyes and captivated my mind.
“Then I changed my clothes and went to Ali ibn-Bakkar’s house. His servants rushed toward me from all directions and brought me to him. I found him lying prostrate on the bed, and when he saw me, he said, ‘Welcome! You have tarried too long and added worry to my worries. I have not closed my eyes since I saw you last. Yesterday the girl came to me with a sealed letter,’ and he went on to tell me all that had passed, adding, ‘I am perplexed and my patience fails me, for I have neither the knowledge nor the power to find relief, for Abu al-Hasan was of great help and comfort to me because she knew him and liked him.’ I laughed and he said, ‘Why do you laugh at my tears and the tale of my trial and woe?’ Then he recited the following verses:
He who laughs at my tears would now have wept,
Had he suffered like me the pain I know,
For none can feel compassion for the damned,
Save one like him who knows protracted woe.”
When the jeweler heard this, he told Ali ibn-Bakkar all that had passed since the jeweler left him, and when he finished, Ali ibn-Bakkar wept bitterly and said, “In any event I am lost; may God grant me a speedy end, for I have lost all satisfaction, all patience, and all resolve, and were it not for you, I would have wasted away with passion and died of sorrow. You will be my comforter in my affliction until God’s will is done, for His are the grace and the blessing and His are the thanks and the praise. I will be your slave at your mercy, and I will contradict you in nothing but follow you in everything.” The jeweler related later: “I said to him, ‘O my lord, nothing will quench this fire, save your reunion, but this must not be in my house, which is exposed to danger and harmful consequences, but in another more suitable place of mine, which I prefer for the purpose. There the two of you will meet to converse, complain to each other of your suffering, and renew your vows, and you will be all by yourselves.’ He replied, ‘Do what you wish.’ I stayed with him that night, entertaining him with conversation, till daybreak.”
But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence. Then Dinarzad said to her sister, “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 NINETIETH NIGHT
The following night Shahrazad said:
It is related, O happy King, that the jeweler said: “I stayed with him that night and in the morning returned to my house and hardly had I sat down, when the maidservant arrived. I told her what had passed between Ali ibn-Bakkar and myself, and she said, ‘It is better if we meet at our place.’ I replied, ‘My place is safer.’ She said, ‘You are right. I will go to my lady, tell her what you have said, and convey to her your invitation.’ She went out and, returning soon, said, ‘Go to your other house and make it ready.’ Then she took out a purse and, giving it to me, said, ‘Use this money to buy food and drink.’ But I swore that I would never touch it, and she took the purse back and departed.
“I was still annoyed at her behavior, when I went to my other house. I took with me all the utensils in my possession, borrowed from every friend all sorts of fine vessels of gold and silver, carpets, drapes, and whatever else was needed, bought all the necessary provisions, and had everything ready. When the girl came and saw what I had done, she was pleased. I said to her, ‘Go now to Ali ibn-Bakkar and bring him here secretly.’ She went out and brought him back, finely dressed and looking all delicacy and grace. I received him with respect and courtesy and, seating him on a couch, set before him the most marvelous vessels and sat talking with him.
“The girl went away and returned after the evening prayer with Shams al-Nahar, attended only by two maids. When the two lovers saw each other, they were so overcome with passion that they stood still; then they fell down in a swoon. It was a terrible sight. I endeavored to revive him on one side, while the girl endeavored to revive Shams al-Nahar on the other until they came to themselves. When they regained some strength, they talked with each other for a while in a faint voice. Then I offered them some wine and they drank, and I set food before them and they ate. Then they fell to thanking me, and I asked them whether they would like some more wine and they said that they would. So I took them to another room, where they sat to drink, forgot their worries, enjoyed themselves, and grew merry, all the while feeling astonished and pleased with what I had done for them. Then Shams al-Nahar asked me, ‘Do you have a lute or some other musical instrument?’ I replied, ‘Yes, indeed,’ and brought her a lute. She took it and, tuning it, played and sang with consummate skill.”
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 NINETY-FIRST NIGHT
The following night Shahrazad said:
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sp; I heard, O happy King, that the jeweler said: “Shams al-Nahar took the lute and, tuning it, played and sang with consummate skill the following verses:
If you are a true messenger,
Deliver and be coy no more.
Say nothing save for my love’s news,
And let the truth my joy restore.
And if he did deign to reply,
Even without him I will live,
For with coyness he gains such charm
That I will his coyness forgive.
Then she sang these verses:
I lay sleepless as if in love with lack of sleep,
And pined as if pining was made for me,
As my tears coursed over my burning cheeks,
Who can at once in fire and water be?
“Her singing was so lovely that I had never heard anything like it before. But suddenly we heard terrifying noises and screams and felt as if the house was going to cave in under us. Then a servant, whom I had ordered to stand at the door of the house, rushed in and said, ‘Some unknown men have broken the door and are raiding the house,’ and, while a maid screamed from the rooftop, ten masked men, wearing swords and holding daggers, followed by ten more, attacked us. When I saw them, I ran out of the house and sought refuge in the house of one of my neighbors, and when I heard an uproar in my house, I concluded that the two lovers were found out and that they were being seized by the chief of police, and I remained in hiding till midnight.”
The jeweler did not dare to leave his hiding place, and when the master of the house came down and saw someone he did not recognize hiding in a corner of the hallway, he retreated with fright and returned with a drawn sword and asked, “Who are you?” The jeweler replied, “I am your friend so and so.” The man threw the sword away and said to the jeweler, “I am sorry for what has happened to you. May the Generous God restore your substance.” The jeweler said, “O my lord, tell me who were the men who raided my house.” The man replied, “They are the same men who robbed so and so and killed so and so. Yesterday they saw you bring in many fine and valuable utensils, and they plotted to rob you. I think that they have either kidnapped your guest or killed him.”
Then the two men went to the jeweler’s house, and when they entered, they found it stripped of everything and completely devastated, with broken doors and torn-out windows. The sight stunned the jeweler and broke his heart, and when he pondered upon his plight, what had happened to him and what he had done to himself, he began to worry about how to break the news to the friends from whom he had borrowed all the gold and silver utensils and how to make excuses to them. He also worried about Shams al-Nahar and Ali ibn-Bakkar and feared lest the caliph should find out about them from one of the maids and put him to death. He turned to his neighbor and asked, “My friend, what shall I do and what do you advise?” The man replied, “Be patient, keep calm, and trust in the Almighty God, for these same robbers have murdered some members of the household of the prefect of the police as well as the caliph’s own guard. The police are looking for them and patroling the streets, but no one has yet found them or dared to confront them, because there are so many of them.” Accordingly, the jeweler called on God to protect him from harm and went home.
But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence. Then Dinarzad said to her 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 NINETY-SECOND NIGHT
I heard, O happy King, that the jeweler called on God to protect him from harm and went home, saying to himself, “What has happened to me is just what Abu al-Hasan feared.” Soon the people began to rush to him from all sides, some consoling him, some saying nothing, and others demanding their goods, while he thanked some, explained to some, and defended himself to others, feeling so unhappy that he did not touch any food all day.
While the jeweler remained in this condition, one of his servants came in and said, “My lord, there is a man at the door asking for you, a stranger whom I have never seen before.” When the jeweler went out, the man greeted him and said, “I have something to tell you.” The jeweler said, “Come in.” But the man replied, “No, let us go to your other house.” The jeweler said, “Do I have any other house left?” The man replied, “I know your plight and I bring you comfort.” The jeweler related later: “I said to myself, ‘I will go with him wherever he wishes.’ Then we went out and walked on until we came to my other house. But when he saw it, he said, ‘This house has no door, and we cannot sit here. Let us go somewhere else.’ Then he took me from place to place, without stopping at any, until the night overtook us.” The jeweler followed the man in bewilderment, without asking any questions, until they reached the open country and found themselves at the riverbank. Then the man said, “Follow me,” and began to run, and the jeweler, summoning all his strength, ran after him until they came to a boat. They got into the boat, and the boatman rowed them to the other side, where they landed. Then the man took the jeweler by the hand and led him to a long street that he had neither trodden before nor known to which part of Baghdad it belonged.
Soon the man stopped at a door, opened it, and, taking the jeweler in, locked it with a large iron key and brought him before ten men dressed alike. The jeweler greeted them, and they returned his greeting and bade him be seated, and he sat down, suffering from exhaustion and fright. Then they brought him some cold water with which he washed his hands and face and gave him some wine, which he drank. Then they brought food, and they all ate together.
The jeweler said to himself, “If they had meant me any harm, they would not have eaten with me.” After they washed their hands, they returned to their places, and when the jeweler took his seat before them, they asked him, “Do you know us?” He replied, “I do not know you, nor do I know the man who brought me here or where we are.” They said, “Tell us your case without lying.” The jeweler said, “My case is strange; do you know anything about it?” They replied, “Yes, it was we who took your goods yesterday and carried off your friend and the girl who was in your house.” The jeweler said, “May God save you! Where are my friend and the girl?” They pointed to two doors facing them and said, “They are there, each in a separate room. They insisted that none besides you should know of their situation, and since then we have never met them or questioned them. Their fine attire has puzzled us and stopped us from killing them. Tell us the truth about them, and do not worry about yourself or them.”
But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence. Then Dinarzad said to her 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 NINETY-THIRD NIGHT
The following night Shahrazad said:
I heard, O happy King, that when the jeweler heard what they said, he almost died of fright and said to them, “If generosity was lost, none would harbor it but you; if there existed a secret one fears to reveal, none would keep it but you; and if one faced a difficult problem, none would solve it but you.” He went on to expatiate in his praise until he saw that it would be more expedient and more useful to tell the truth at once than to conceal it, particularly since it was bound to come out eventually. So he told them the whole story, and when he finished, they asked, “Is this young man then Ali ibn-Bakkar and this young woman Shams al-Nahar?” He replied, “Yes, I have told you everything and kept nothing from you.” They were upset and, expressing regret, went to the two lovers and apologized to them. The jeweler related later: “Then they said to me, ‘Part of what we took from your house is gone, but here is what is left of it,’ and they gave me back most of the gold and silver utensils, saying, ‘We will carry them to your other house.’
“Then they divided themselves into two groups, one to go with me, the other with the two lovers, who stood, almost die
d of fright, but their fear and desire to escape made them move and leave the house. As we walked, I turned to them and asked, ‘What happened to the girl and to your two maids?’ Shams al-Nahar replied, ‘I know nothing about them.’ The men led us until we came to the riverbank. Then they made us get into the same boat and rowed us to the other side. We landed, but no sooner had we stood on firm ground than we found ourselves surrounded by a group of horsemen. The robbers leapt into the boat like eagles and flew away, while we stood motionless on the shore. The horsemen asked, ‘Who are you?’ and after some hesitation I replied, ‘We were kidnapped yesterday by these robbers, but we implored them meekly until they took pity on us and released us, as you have seen.’ They looked at me and Ali ibn-Bakkar and Shams al-Nahar and said, ‘You are not telling the truth. Tell us who you are, what are your names, and in what quarter you live.’ I did not know what to answer, but Shams al-Nahar took the captain of the troop aside, and as soon as she spoke with him, he dismounted and, setting her on his horse, began to lead it along by the bridle. Two of his men did the same with Ali ibn-Bakkar and myself, and we rode on until we reached a spot on the riverbank where the captain called out to someone who came pulling two boats. The captain made the two lovers and myself get into one, while his men got into the other. Then the boatmen rowed us until, feeling almost dead from fright, we reached the caliph’s palace [where the captain disembarked with Shams al-Nahar], then motioned to the boatman, who rowed us across the river to a spot that led to our quarter. We landed with two guards appointed for our protection, and when we reached Ali ibn-Bakkar’s house, the two guards bade us good-bye. As soon as they were gone, we collapsed on the spot and lay fast asleep through that night and the next day. When I came to myself, it was nightfall, and I saw Ali ibn-Bakkar lying motionless, with the men and women of his household weeping over him. When they saw that I was awake, they made me sit up and said, ‘Tell us what has happened to him, for you are the cause of his misfortune and ruin.’ I said, ‘O people …’”