by Muhsin Mahdi
But we fear that you will wrong us again.
The caliph said, “Ja’far, never in my life have I heard anything lovelier.” Ja’far, realizing that the caliph was no longer angry, replied, “You are right, O Commander of the Faithful.” Then they descended from the tree and the caliph said to Ja’far, “I wish to join them and hear the girl sing before me.” Ja’far replied, “If we go in, we will spoil their pleasure and Shaikh Ibrahim will die of fright on the spot.” The caliph said, “I will not let him recognize me.” Then he left Ja’far standing and walked to the side overlooking the Tigris River.
While he was pondering what to do, he saw a fisherman fishing below the palace wall. It happened that the caliph had earlier heard a noise below the windows, and when he had asked the keeper of the garden Shaikh Ibrahim, “What is that noise?” the keeper had replied, “It is the voices of the fishermen,” and the caliph had said to him, “If you let them in again, I will hang you.” So the keeper had forbidden the fishermen from fishing there. But on that night a fisherman named Karim happened to pass by and, seeing the garden gate open, said to himself, “The keeper must have gone to sleep and forgot to shut the gate. I will carry my net and take advantage of his carelessness and go in and fish below the palace, for at this hour all is quiet and the fish are calm.”
But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence.
THE TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTIETH NIGHT
The following night Shahrazad said:
I heard, O happy King, that the fisherman happened to look back and suddenly saw the caliph. When he recognized him, his whole body began to tremble and he said, “O Commander of the Faithful, I did not do this because I took your commandment lightly, but because my poverty and need drove me to it.” The caliph said, “Don’t be afraid. Cast the net for me.” The fisherman cast the net, and when he pulled it up, he found in it various kinds of fish. The caliph was pleased and said, “Pick out the salmon and clean them,” and the fisherman did as he bade. Then the caliph said, “Fisherman, take off your clothes,” and the fisherman took off a robe sewn in ninety patches and a turban. The caliph took the fisherman’s clothes and put them on, saying to him, “Put on my clothes,” and the fisherman did so. Then the caliph veiled his face and said to the fisherman, “Go on your business.” Then he took a clean basket, covered the bottom with green leaves, and placed the fish inside. Then he went back and stood before Ja’far, who took him for a fisherman, but when the caliph began to laugh, Ja’far recognized him and asked, “Are you the Commander of the Faithful?” and he replied, “Yes,” adding, “Stay here until I return.”
Then the caliph went up to the palace door and knocked. Nur al-Din said, “Shaikh, there is knocking at the door.” The old man cried out, “Who is there?” and the caliph replied, “I, Karim the fisherman. I heard that you had guests and brought you some fish.”
When Nur al-Din and Anis al-Jalis heard the mention of the fish, they were glad, and she said to the old man, “For my sake, please open the door and let him bring us the fish.” The old man rose and opened the door, and when the caliph entered and saluted, Shaikh Ibrahim said to him, “Welcome, you gambling thief! Show us what you have.” The caliph showed them the fish, and the girl said, “By God, these are fine fish, but they would have been better if they had been fried.” Shaikh Ibrahim said to the caliph, “Why didn’t you bring us the fish ready fried; what shall we do with them? Go, fry them, and bring them back,” and he yelled at him. The caliph went out running until he came up to Ja’far and said, “O Ja’far!” Ja’far asked, “What is the good news, O Commander of the Faithful?” The caliph replied, “They want the fish fried.” Ja’far said, “I will fry them,” but the caliph replied, “By the tombs of my fathers and forefathers, none shall fry them but I, with my own hands.” Then the caliph went to the keeper’s hut, where he found everything he needed, to the salt and marjoram. Then he placed the frying pan on the stove, poured in some sesame oil and, lighting the fire, placed the fish in the frying pan and fried them. Then he added lemons and radishes, carried the dish back to the palace, and set it before them. They all ate, and when they finished, Nur al-Din said to the caliph, “O fisherman, you have done us a good deed.” Then he put his hand in his pocket and took out a paper purse.
But morning overtook Sbahrazad, and she lapsed into silence.
THE TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIRST NIGHT
The following night Shahrazad said:
I heard, O happy King, that Nur al-Din took out a paper purse containing thirty dinars, which were the remainder of the money the chamberlain had given him before he fled, and said to the caliph, “O fisherman, excuse me, for this is all I have. By God, had I known you before I spent all my inheritance, I would have done away with the bitterness of poverty in your heart. Take this as a token of my good will.” Then he threw the money to the caliph, who caught it and, kissing it, put it away. The caliph, whose only wish was to hear the girl sing, said to Nur al-Din, “My lord, you have rewarded me handsomely, but I would like you to do me one more favor and let the young lady sing a song for me.” Nur al-Din said, “O Anis al-Jalis; sing something for the sake of this fisherman.” Anis al-Jalis took the lute and, tuning it, played a measure, then sang the following verses:
The fingers of the fair caressed the strings
And ravished the soul with her dulcet lute
And with her singing cured the very deaf
And “Bravo!” cried out one who had been mute.
Then she played another measure, so beautifully that she dazzled their wits, and sang the following verses:
When with your visit you honored our land,
You filled the air with incense and dispelled the gloom;
Therefore, with camphor, rosewater, and musk
It well behooves me my house to perfume.
The caliph was delighted and said, “I have never heard anyone sing as well.” Nur al-Din said to him, “Take her as a gift from me to you.” Then he rose, intending to put on his robe and depart, but Anis al-Jalis turned to him and said, “Where are you going? If you must leave me, then stay a while and let me tell you how I feel.” Then she recited the following verses:
My memories and longing have tormented me
Until they turned me into a poor ghost.
O my darling, I have not forgot you;
Am still the same, still to my torments host.
If one was able to swim in his tears,
I would be the first in my tears to swim.
O you whose love has filled my brimming heart
As wine fills up the wine cup to the brim,
Whose love has wracked my body and my soul,
The fate I dreaded has forced us apart.
O Khaqan’s son, O my sole wish and hope,
Who will always reign and rule in my heart,
For my sake you transgressed against our lord,
To spend in exile the rest of your days.
May God give you to me, even though you
Gave me to Karim, who deserves the praise.
When the caliph heard her conclude, “You gave me to Karim …”
But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence.
THE TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SECOND NIGHT
The following night Shahrazad said:
When the caliph heard her conclude with the words, “You gave me to Karim,” he turned to Nur al-Din and asked, “My lord, the girl said in her verses that you had transgressed against her lord and master. Against whom did you transgress, and who is it who has a claim on you?” Nur al-Din replied, “Fisherman, what has happened to me and to this girl is extraordinary.” The caliph said, “Tell me your story.” Nur al-Din asked, “Do you wish to hear it in prose or in verse?” The caliph replied, “O my lord, prose is words, but verse is strung pearls.” Nur al-Din bowed his head and recited the following verses:
O my dear friend, I can no longer sleep,
And my grief has increased since I left home.
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br /> I had a father once who loved me well,
But left me and lay dead under a dome.
Then after him misfortunes fell on me
And with a broken heart have left me now.
He had bought me a girl so beautiful
That her fair figure put to shame the bough.
Then I spent all my substance for her sake
And lavished all I had on every friend.
When all was gone, I put her up for sale,
Forced by my dire need to that loathsome end.
But when the auctioneer called out for bids
And a vile old man was having his way,
I was so furious that I angrily
From the broker wrested the girl away,
When that vile old man out of pent-up hate,
Gave me a blow that hurt and made me smart,
But I fell on him with hard rights and lefts,
Knocking him down, until I soothed my heart.
Then I left and hastened back to my house
And out of fear myself from my foes hid,
And when the king sent men to have me seized,
A great and wise chamberlain came and bid
Me flee my native land and go abroad
And leave behind my many envious foes.
So we fled in the dead of night and came
To Baghdad, where we found refuge from our woes.
As we were banqueting and drinking here,
You came to visit unexpectedly.
And caught me with little money to give
For the fine gift you had given kindly.
But I give you, fisherman, my sole love,
And ’tis from my wish, hope, idol I part.
Accept then from me this, my precious gift,
Certain that I have given you my heart.
The caliph said, “My lord Nur al-Din, tell me the story in detail,” and Nur al-Din told him the story from beginning to end. Then the caliph asked him, “Where do you intend to go from here?” Nur al-Din replied, “God’s world is wide.” The caliph said, “I will write a letter to give to King Muhammad ibn-Sulaiman, and when he reads it, he will no longer bother you or harm you.”
But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence.
THE TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY-THIRD NIGHT
The following night Shahrazad said:
I heard, O happy King, that the caliph, who was disguised as a fisherman, said “I will write a letter to the king, and he will no longer harm you.” Nur al-Din asked, “Is there in the whole world a fisherman who corresponds with kings?” The caliph replied, “The king and I studied together under the same tutor. I was above him, but he became a king, while I became a fisherman. Yet whenever I write to ask him for a favor, he fulfills my wish.” When Nur al-Din heard this, he said, “Very well, write and show me.” The caliph took paper and ink and, after the invocation to God, wrote the following:
This letter is from Harun al-Rashid son of al-Mahdi to His Highness Muhammad ibn-Sulaiman al-Zainabi, my cousin, seedling of my bounty, and shareholder in my estate. The bearer of this letter is Nur al-Din Ali son of ibn-Khaqan the vizier. As soon as you receive it, abdicate and, let Nur al-Din Ali ibn-Khaqan take your place. Fail not to carry out my command, and peace be on you.
Then the caliph gave the letter to Nur al-Din, who took it, kissed it, then put it in his turban and departed.
When Nur al-Din was gone, Ibrahim the keeper turned to the caliph and said, “Enough, enough! You have brought us a couple of fish worth no more than twenty fils,6 yet you received a full purse for them and now you intend to get the girl too.” It happened that when the caliph had earlier gone to fry the fish and bring them back, he had said to Ja’far, “Go to my palace, bring back one of my royal robes, and return with Masrur and four armed officers and wait below the window. When you hear me cry out, ‘Help, help!’ come up at once with the officers, dress me in the robe, and stand in attendance,” and Ja’far had done the caliph’s bidding and stood waiting below the window. When the old man spoke with the caliph, the caliph replied, “Shaikh, I will give you half of the money in the purse, but I will keep the girl.” The old man said, “By God, you will keep no more than one-half of the girl. As for the purse, open it and let me see what is in it. If it is silver, take a dirham for yourself and give me the rest, but if it is gold, give it all to me, and for your fish I will give you a dirham’s worth of change, which I have in my pocket.” The caliph replied, “I will give you nothing.” The old man took a porcelain plate and hurled it at the caliph, who evaded it and let it smash against the wall. Then the old man went into a storeroom to fetch a stick.
But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence.
THE TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FOURTH NIGHT
The following night Shahrazad said:
I heard, O happy King, that the old man went into a storeroom to fetch a stick with which to beat the fisherman, who was the caliph, while the caliph cried out from the window, “Help, help!” and was at once joined by Ja’far and the officers, who dressed him in his royal robe, seated him on a chair, and stood in attendance. When the old man came out of the storeroom with the stick, rushing toward the fisherman, he was stunned to see instead the caliph seated on a chair and Ja’far standing in attendance. He began to bite his nails in bewilderment and to exclaim, “Am I asleep or awake?” The caliph turned to him and said, “O Shaikh Ibrahim, what state do I see you in?” The old man became sober at once and, rolling on the ground, recited the following verses:
Forgive my error, for it was a slip,
And grant your slave, O lord, your clemency.
I have confessed, as my own sin requires;
Where is the act expected of mercy?
The caliph forgave him and bade Anis al-Jalis be carried to the palace, where he assigned her a separate lodging and servants to attend her, saying to her. “You should know that I have sent your lord to be king in Basra, and, God willing, when I send him the order of investiture and the deed of bestowal, I will send you along.”
In the meantime Nur al-Din ibn-Khaqan journeyed on until he reached Basra and went to the king’s palace and gave the king the caliph’s letter. When the king read it, he kissed it and stood up three times, saying, “I hear and obey God and the Commander of the Faithful.” But when he was about to abdicate, the vizier arrived, and when the king showed him the letter, the vizier read it, then tore out the invocation to God, put it in his mouth, and chewed it. The king asked, “Why did you do that?” The vizier said, “My lord, did you think that this was the handwriting of the caliph?” The king asked. “Is it not?” The vizier replied, “No. by your life, O King of the age. It is nothing but a forgery by this devil. Would the caliph have sent him all by himself to assume the kingship without an order of investiture or a deed of bestowal?” The king asked, “What do you advise?” The vizier replied, “I advise you to hand this fellow over to me and wait, and if neither order of investiture nor deed of bestowal arrives, you will know that I am right and will punish him for what he did to me.”
But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence.
THE TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIFTH NIGHT
The following night Shahrazad said:
It is related, O happy King, that when the king heard the advice of the vizier ibn-Sawi, he replied, “Take him.” The vizier took Nur al-Din, and when he brought him to his own palace, he shouted to his servants, “Throw him to the ground,” and the servants threw him to the ground and beat him until he fainted. Then the vizier shackled him and threw him into jail, shouting to the jailer, whose name was Qutait, “Qutait, throw him into a deep cell and punish him.” The jailer beat Nur al-Din well into the night, until he fainted, and when he came to himself in the dark. he recited the following verses:
I will endure until I patience shock
And God fulfills my fate and His decree.
He who says that life is made of sweetness,
A day more b
itter than aloes will see.
Nur al-Din suffered the same treatment for ten days until the vizier decided to strike off his head. So he took some gifts and gave them to a group of unknown bedouins, saying, “Give these gifts to the king,” and when they presented the gifts to the king, the vizier said, “My lord, these gifts were not meant for you but for Nur al-Din, the new king.” The king replied, “You have reminded me of him. Bring him and let us strike off his head.” The vizier said, “When he beat me that time, my enemies gloated. Will you permit me to proclaim in the city, ‘Whoever wishes to watch the beheading of Nur al-Din Ali ibn-Khaqan, let him come to the royal palace’? Then the public will come to watch and I will be satisfied.”
But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence.
THE TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SIXTH NIGHT
The following night Shahrazad replied, “Very well,” and said:
I heard, O happy King, that the vizier said, “And I will be satisfied.” The king replied, “Do as you wish.” The vizier departed and bade the crier make the proclamation, and the crier did, and when the people heard it, they mourned and wept for Nur al-Din.
Then the vizier went to the jail with ten Mamluks and said to the jailer, “Bring me that young prisoner.” The jailer brought Nur al-Din, and when he opened his smarting eyes and saw his enemy the vizier preparing to kill him, he asked him, “Are you secure against fate; have you heard what the poet says?
For long they ruled us arbitrarily,
But suddenly vanished their powerful rule.”
The vizier said, “Do you threaten me, you good-for-nothing? After I strike off your head, despite the people of Basra, let fate do with me what it will, for the poet says:
He who outlives his foe one single day
Will have attained his wish and had his way.”
Then he ordered his attendants to set Nur al-Din on the back of a mule, and as they took him away, the people wept and, flocking around him, said, “O our lord Nur al-Din, even though we may endanger our lives, give us your permission and let each of us pick a stone and stone to death this wretched old vizier and his attendants and save you; and let whatever happens happen.”