by Muhsin Mahdi
She replied, “I will tell you my name. I am called Jullanar of the Sea. My father was a sea-king, who then died and left his kingdom to my mother, my brother, and myself, but another sea-king defeated us and took the kingdom from us. My mother is descended from the daughters of the sea, not the daughters of the land and clay. My brother is called Sayih. One day I quarreled with him and left, swearing by the Almighty God that I would throw myself into the hands of a man of the land. I came out of the sea and sat down on the shore of the Island of the Moon, where an old man came up to me and, taking me to his house, tried to make love to me. But I refused and hit him on the head, so hard that I almost killed him! Then he took me out and sold me to that pious, fair, and honorable merchant who bought me for two thousand dinars, and brought me here and sold me to you. Had you not, O King, offered me your kindness and love and preferred me over your favorites, concubines, and all other women, I would never have stayed with you even one single hour but would have thrown myself from this window into the sea and returned to my people. I was also too ashamed to return with child, for fear that my people would distrust me, think ill of me, and refuse to believe, even if I swore to them, that it was a king who had bought me with his money and made me his lot in life.”
When the king heard her explanation, he thanked her and kissed her between the eyes and said, “By God, O my lady and my darling, if you leave me even for a single hour, I will die. But for God’s sake, tell me how do the people of the sea walk there without sinking and dying?” She replied, “O King, we walk in water just as you people walk on land, without being wetted or hurt by the water,” adding, “We do this by virtue of the words inscribed on the seal ring of God’s prophet Solomon, son of David—Peace be on him—and stay dry without being touched by the water. You should know, O King, that the time of my delivery is near, and I therefore wish my mother, my uncle’s daughters, and my brother to come so that they may see me with you and find out that I am bearing the child of one of the kings of the land, who has bought me with his money and treated me kindly, and so that I may make peace with them; besides, your women are daughters of the land who do not know how to assist in birth the daughters of the sea or how to help them or take care of them properly. Moreover, I wish them to come, so that you may satisfy yourself that I am truly a daughter of the sea and that my father was a king.”
When the king heard her explanation, he replied …
But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence.
THE TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SEVENTH NIGHT
The following night Shahrazad said:
I heard, O happy King, that when the king heard Jullanar’s explanation, he replied, “Do as you wish, and I will agree with whatever you do.” She said, “You should also know, O King, that we walk in the sea and see the daylight and the sun and the sky and see the night and the moon and the stars, without being harmed at all. In the sea there are people of all types and creatures of all kinds, just as there are on land, and more.” The king marveled at what she said. Then she took out from her bosom a case of Javanese aloewood and took out from it a bead of the same wood. Then she threw the bead into the fire, whistled, and spoke words that the king did not understand, and there arose a great cloud of smoke. She said to the king, “Rise and hide in a closet, so that you may see my brother, mother, and cousins without being seen by them, for I intend to bring them here and show you the Almighty God’s marvelous handiwork and the forms He created in the sea.” The king ran and, hiding in a closet, watched what she did.
No sooner had she finished her incantation than the sea began to foam and surge, and suddenly the water split asunder and a young man emerged. He had sprouting mustaches, rosy cheeks, and teeth as glittering as gems. He was more handsome than the moon and as lovely as his sister Jullanar. He was followed by a gray-haired old woman and five young ladies who looked like moons and resembled Jullanar in beauty. The king saw the old woman and the young man and young ladies …
But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence.
THE TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY-EIGHTH NIGHT
The following night Shahrazad said:
I heard, O happy King, that the king saw the old woman and the young man and young ladies walk on the surface of the water until they reached the palace, while Jullanar went to the window to receive them. When they saw her, they were happy and they leapt and flew like birds and in an instant stood beside her, embracing her tearfully and telling her how much they had missed her. Then they said to her, “O Jullanar, you have been away for three years, and we have been desolate without you, unable to enjoy food or drink.” Jullanar kissed her brother’s head and his hands and feet and did the same to her mother and her cousins. Then they sat for a while, expressing to each other how they had suffered during their separation. Then they questioned her about her present situation, with whom she was living, to whom the palace belonged, and who had brought her there. She said to them, “When I left you, I came out from the sea and sat on the shore of the Island of the Moon, where a man found me and sold me to a merchant who sold me to the king of this city for ten thousand dinars. I have had a happy life with him, for he has forsaken all his concubines and slave-girls on my account, has turned away even from the affairs of the kingdom, and has devoted himself to me.” When her brother heard this, he said, “O sister, rise and let us return to our home and family.” When the king heard what the brother said, he lost his senses from shock and fright, saying to himself, “I am afraid that she will listen to her brother, leave me, and cause my death by her departure, for I am madly in love with her, especially since she is bearing my child, and I will die of longing for her and for my son.” But when Jullanar heard her brother’s words, she laughed and said, “O brother, you should know that the man I am living with is a pious, generous, and honorable man who has never said one bad word to me, who has treated me kindly, and who has given me the best of lives.”
But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence.
THE TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY-NINTH NIGHT
The following night Shahrazad said:
I heard, O happy King, that Jullanar added, “I am bearing his child, and just as I am the daughter of a king, he too is a king and the son of a king. He has no son, but the Almighty God has been generous to me, and I pray to Him to bless us with a son to inherit his father’s kingdom.” When her brother and her mother and cousins heard this, they rejoiced and said to her, “You know your place in our heart; if you wish to stay here, we will gladly abide by your wish.” She replied, “Yes, by God, I do.” When the king heard this, he realized that she truly loved him and that she wished to stay with him and he was grateful to her and loved her even more.
Then Jullanar called for food, and the waiting women set the tables and laid on them all kinds of food, sweets, and fruits. They began to eat but soon said to her, “Your lord is a stranger whom you have praised to us because of your gratitude for his kindness to you and your love for him. We have entered his house without his leave and we have eaten his food, yet he has neither shown us himself nor eaten with us.” They were so angry at the king that the fire flamed from their mouths as if from torches. When the king saw this, he was mad with terror, while Jullanar rose and, going into the closet, said to him, “O King, you have seen and heard how I praised you and how they wanted to carry me with them down to the sea and take me home.” The king replied, “By God, I was not sure of your love until this moment. May God reward you.” She replied, “O King, ‘Is the reward of kindness anything but kindness’? You have treated me kindly and generously and you have made me your lot in life; how can I bear to part from you?”
But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence.
THE TWO HUNDRED AND FORTIETH NIGHT
The following night Shahrazad said:
I heard, O happy King, that Jullanar said to the king, “How can I bear to part from you? You should know that when I praised you to my brother and mother and c
ousins, they felt a great affection for you and desired to see you, saying, ‘We will not leave until we meet him and eat with him, so that his bread and salt may bind us together.’” The king replied, “I hear and obey, but I am afraid of them because of the fire I saw flaming from their mouths, for although I was not near them, I almost died of fright.” Jullanar laughed and said, “Do not worry, for they do this only when they are angry, and they got angry this time because I had invited them to eat without you.” Then she took the king by the hand and led him to them, as they sat before the food, waiting for him. When he came up to them, he greeted and welcomed them and they greeted him back with utmost respect, sprang up to their feet, and kissed the ground before him. Then they said to him, “O King of the age, we have only one request for you; take care of this unique pearl, Jullanar of the Sea, who is worthy of you just as you are worthy of her. By God, all the kings of the sea sought her hand in marriage, but we rejected them because we could not bear to part from her even for a single moment. Had you not been a pious, upright, honorable, and noble-hearted man, God would not have blessed you with this queen. Glory be to Him who made you cherish her and made her favor you and serve you, for you are like those of whom the poet said:
She is worthy of none but him,
And he of none but her,
That should another seek her hand,
The earth would be astir.”
The king thanked them and thanked Jullanar and sat to converse and eat with them until they had had enough and washed their hands. Then he lodged them in a private apartment where they lived for a full month, during which he never left their company for a single hour.
When the month had passed, Jullanar said, “The time of my delivery is at hand,” and the king provided for her all the medicines and potions she needed for herself and her child. Then she went into labor and the women gathered around her, and the labor increased until the Almighty God granted her safe delivery, and she gave birth to a boy as lovely as the moon. When his mother looked at him, she was extremely happy to see him. Then her mother went to the king and announced the birth of his son.
But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence.
THE TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY-FIRST NIGHT
The following night Shahrazad said:
I heard, O happy King, that Jullanar’s mother went to the king, and when she announced the birth of his son, he rejoiced and knelt in gratitude before the Almighty God. Then he bestowed robes of honor, distributed money, and gave gifts. When he was later asked, “What do you wish to name him?” he replied, “I name him Badr,” and the boy was called Badr. Then the king bade the princes and chamberlains bid the people decorate the city, and he opened the jails and clothed the widows and orphans and gave alms to the poor and freed many Mamluks, as well as male and female slaves, and held celebrations and gave a magnificent banquet, to which he invited the select few as well as the general public. The celebrations lasted for ten full days.
On the eleventh day, as the king sat with Jullanar and her brother and mother and cousins, Jullanar’s brother rose and, taking the newborn Badr, played with him, made him dance, then carried him in his arms, while the king and Jullanar looked at the boy and rejoiced. Suddenly her brother, taking them by surprise, flew with the boy out of the window, far from the shore, and dove with him into the sea. When the king saw the uncle take his son, plunge with him into the sea, and disappear, he let out a great cry, and his soul almost left his body. He tore his clothes and began to weep and wail. When Jullanar saw him in this condition, she said to him, “O King of the age, do not fear or weep for your son. I love him even more than you do, and he is with my brother, who does not mind the sea or fear drowning. If he thought that the boy would be in any danger, he would not have taken him there. Soon he will come back with your son safely, God the Almighty willing.”
Soon the sea began to storm and surge and suddenly Sayih, the boy’s uncle, emerged safely with the boy and flew into the room with the boy nestling in his arms as quietly as the moon. Then Sayih turned to the king and said, “I hope that you were not frightened when I dove with him into the sea.” The king replied. “Yes, by God. Sayih, I thought that he would never return safely.” Sayih said, “I took him there to pencil his eyes with a special kohl blessed by the words inscribed on the seal ring of Solomon son of David. When a child is born to us …”
But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence.
THE TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY-SECOND NIGHT
The following night Shahrazad said:
I heard, O happy King, that Jullanar’s brother Sayih said to the king, “When a child is born to us, we pencil his eyes, as I have told you. Now you need not fear for him to drown, suffocate, or be harmed in any way by water, for just as you walk on land, we walk in the sea.” Then he pulled out from his pocket a sealed bag and, breaking the seal, emptied it, scattering strings of rubies and all kinds of jewels, in addition to three hundred emerald cabochons8 and three hundred gemstones, as big as pigeon eggs, glittering like the sun. He said, “O King, these big gemstones are a gift for your little son Badr, and these rubies, emeralds, and other jewels are a gift from us to you, since we had not brought you any, being unaware of Jullanar’s whereabouts or her situation. But now that we have met you and become one family, I have brought you this gift, and every little while I will bring you another like it, for these rubies and jewels are plentiful with us and I can easily get them, since I know their sources and whereabouts better than anyone else on land or in the sea.” When the king saw these jewels, he was dazzled and wonderstruck, and he said, “One of these jewels is worth my whole kingdom.” Then he thanked the young man Sayih and, turning to Queen Jullanar, said, “I am embarrassed before your brother, for he has generously given me this priceless gift that is beyond the reach of anyone on earth.” Queen Jullanar praised her husband and thanked her brother, who said, “O King of the age, it is you who have the prior claim on us, and it behooves us to thank you, for you have treated my sister kindly, and we have entered your dwelling and eaten your food. The poet says:
Had I for Su’da’s love before her wept,
I would have solace found and never had to rue,
But she wept first and made me weep and say,
‘The credit to him who is first to act is due.’
And if we stand at your service, O King of the age, a thousand years, we would not repay you enough.” The king thanked him profusely. They stayed with him forty days. Then Jullanar’s brother Sayih rose and, kissing the ground before the king, said, “O King of the age, you have done us many favors, but we have imposed on your generosity and now we request one last favor. Grant us leave to depart, for we long for our home, family, and relatives. But we will never cease to serve you and serve my sister Jullanar. By the Omnipotent God, we are not happy to leave you, but what shall we do, since we have been reared in the sea and find uncongenial the life of the land?” When the king heard this, he rose to his feet and bade farewell to the young man and his mother and cousins, as did Jullanar, and they all wept because of the sorrow of separation and said, “We will visit you often.” Then they rose and with one leap flew off, dove into the sea, and disappeared from sight, leaving the king in amazement.
The king continued to cherish Jullanar and treat her with the utmost generosity, while the boy grew and flourished and was catered to by many attendants. The king loved him exceedingly because he was very beautiful and because the older he grew, the more beautiful he became. His uncle and grandmother and cousins often came to visit the king, staying with him for a month or two, then going back home, while the boy continued to thrive, so that by the time he was fifteen, he was unequaled in charm, beauty, and perfect grace. By then he had learned grammar, lexicography, penmanship, history, and the Quran, as well as archery and spearplay.
But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence.
THE TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY-THIRD NIGHT
The following nigh
t Shahrazad said:
I heard, O happy King, that the boy had learned the skills of chivalry, such as archery, spearplay, playing with the ball and mallet,9 and every other skill befitting the son of a king. so that all the people of the city, men and women, spoke of none but him, for he was like him of whom the poet said:
His downy whiskers grew upon his cheeks
Like a fine drawing that dazzled my sight.
He was a lamp suspended from a chain
Of ambergris, in the dark of the night.
When the boy had learned everything that befits a king, his father, who loved him exceedingly, summoned the princes, the lords of the realm, and the chief officers of state and made them take an oath that they would make his son Badr king over them. They were very happy to take the oath because they loved the old king very much, for he was kind to everyone, spoke courteously, acted benevolently, and never said anything that did not benefit the people. The next day the king rode into the city with the princes, officers of state, and troops until he entered the city square. Then he returned, and when they drew near the royal palace, he and all the princes dismounted to wait on his son, while the new king continued to ride, surrounded by attendants and preceded by officers, who announced his progress, until they came to the entrance of the palace, where he stopped and was assisted by his father and the princess to dismount. Then he sat on the throne, while his father stood before him in the rank of a prince, and he issued edicts, adjudicated between the princes, deposed the unjust and appointed the just, and ruled till close to midday. Then he descended from the throne and went in to his mother Jullanar of the Sea, with the crown on his head, looking like the moon. When his mother saw him, with the king his father standing in attendance before him, she rose and, kissing him, congratulated him on having assumed the kingship and wished him and his father long life and victory over their enemies. He sat with his mother and rested till the hour of the afternoon prayer. Then he rode with his father and the officers of state to the city square, where he played with the ball and mallet till nightfall, then returned to the palace, attended by all the people. He did this every day.