Latest / Khaled, A Tale of Arabia / 07 - Khaled, A Tale of Arabia by Francis Marion Crawford

Transcript

07 - Khaled, A Tale of Arabia by Francis Marion Crawford · Khaled, A Tale of Arabia

0:00
Speaker 1: Seven. Not many days passed after this, before the women
0:06
Speaker 1: of the Harem began to whisper among themselves in the
0:09
Speaker 1: passages and outer chambers. See, they said, how our master
0:15
Speaker 1: favors this foreign woman, who is in all probability a
0:19
Speaker 1: devil from the Persian mountains. Every day he will have
0:23
Speaker 1: her to sing to him and to bring him drink,
0:26
Speaker 1: and to sit at his feet. And he has given
0:29
Speaker 1: her several bracelets of gold and a large ruby. Surely
0:34
Speaker 1: it will be better for us to flatter her and
0:37
Speaker 1: show her reverence, for if not, she will before long
0:41
Speaker 1: give us sticks to eat, and we shall mourn our folly.
0:45
Speaker 1: So they began to exhibit great respect for Almasta, giving
0:49
Speaker 1: her always the best seat amongst them, and setting aside
0:53
Speaker 1: for her the best portions of the mutton, and the
0:56
Speaker 1: whitest of the rice, and the largest of the sweetmeats,
1:00
Speaker 1: and the mellowest of the old sugar dates. So that
1:03
Speaker 1: Almasta fared sumptuously. But though she understood the reason why
1:08
Speaker 1: the women treated her so much more kindly than before,
1:12
Speaker 1: she was careful always to appear thankful and to speak
1:16
Speaker 1: softly to them, for she feared Zehoa, to whom they
1:20
Speaker 1: might speak of her, and who was very powerful with
1:23
Speaker 1: the Sultan. She was indeed secretly transported with joy, for
1:29
Speaker 1: she loved Kalid, and she began to think that before
1:32
Speaker 1: long he would marry her. This was her only motive also,
1:38
Speaker 1: for she was not otherwise ambitious, and though she afterwards
1:42
Speaker 1: did many evil deeds, she did them all out of
1:45
Speaker 1: love for him. Though Khalid was by no means soft hearted,
1:50
Speaker 1: he could not but pity her sometimes, seeing how she
1:53
Speaker 1: was deceived by his kindness, while he was only making
1:57
Speaker 1: a pretense of preferring her in order to Gainziehoa was love.
2:01
Speaker 1: Often he sat long with closed eyes while she sang
2:04
Speaker 1: to him or played softly on the barbat, and he
2:08
Speaker 1: tried to fancy that the voice in the presence were Zehoa's.
2:12
Speaker 1: But her strange language disturbed him, for there were sounds
2:16
Speaker 1: in it, like the hissing of serpents, and like choking,
2:20
Speaker 1: which caused him to start suddenly just when her voice
2:23
Speaker 1: was sweetest. For the Georgian tongue is barbarous and not
2:27
Speaker 1: like any human speech under the sun, resembling by turns
2:31
Speaker 1: the inarticulate warbling of birds and the croaking of ravens,
2:35
Speaker 1: and the noises made by an angry cat. Nevertheless, Khalid
2:40
Speaker 1: always made a pretense of being pleased, though he enjoined
2:44
Speaker 1: upon Almasta to learn to sing in Arabic. For Arabic,
2:49
Speaker 1: he said to her, is the language of paradise and
2:53
Speaker 1: is spoken by all beings among the blessed. From Adam
2:57
Speaker 1: or Father who waits for the resurrection in the first heaven,
3:01
Speaker 1: to the birds that fly among the branches of the tree,
3:03
Speaker 1: said rat near the throne of Allah, singing perpetually the
3:08
Speaker 1: verses of al Koran. The black eyed virgins reserved for
3:13
Speaker 1: the faithful, also speak only in Arabic. Shall I be
3:17
Speaker 1: of the hohur ala Yun of whom you speak? Almasta inquired,
3:22
Speaker 1: how is it possible that you should be of the
3:24
Speaker 1: black eyed ones? When your eyes are blue? Kalaid asked, laughing,
3:30
Speaker 1: And besides, are you not an unbeliever? I believe what
3:35
Speaker 1: you believe, and am learning your language. There is no
3:38
Speaker 1: Allah beside Allah, and Mohammed is Allah's prophet, and Mohammed
3:44
Speaker 1: is ALA's prophet. Al Maasa repeated, devoutly good, and the
3:50
Speaker 1: six articles of belief are also necessary. Teach me, said Almasta,
3:55
Speaker 1: laying dabarbat upon the carpet and folding her hands. You
4:00
Speaker 1: must believe first in Allah, and secondly in all the angels. Thirdly,
4:05
Speaker 1: you must believe in al Koran, fourthly in the prophets
4:09
Speaker 1: of Allah, fifthly in the resurrection of the dead and
4:12
Speaker 1: the Last Judgment. And lastly that your destiny is about
4:16
Speaker 1: your neck, so that you cannot escape it. I believe
4:21
Speaker 1: in everything, said al Maasta, who understood nothing of these
4:25
Speaker 1: sacred matters. Shall I now be one of the hood
4:28
Speaker 1: al oyum? But you have blue eyes. When I know
4:33
Speaker 1: that I am dying, I will paint them black, said
4:36
Speaker 1: al Masta, laughing sweetly. The angels Monkar and Nokir will
4:42
Speaker 1: discover your deception, said Khalid. When you are dead and buried,
4:47
Speaker 1: these two angels, who are black, will enter your tomb.
4:51
Speaker 1: They are of extremely terrible appearance. Then they will make
4:55
Speaker 1: you sit upright in the grave and will examine you
4:58
Speaker 1: first as to your bel and then as to your deeds.
5:02
Speaker 1: You will then not be able to tell lies. If
5:05
Speaker 1: you truly believe and have done good, your soul will
5:08
Speaker 1: then be breathed out of your lips and will float
5:11
Speaker 1: in a state of rest over your grave until the
5:14
Speaker 1: last judgment. But if not, the black angels will beat
5:18
Speaker 1: your head with iron maces and tear your soul from
5:21
Speaker 1: your body with a torment greater than that caused by
5:25
Speaker 1: tearing the flesh from the bones. I believe in everything,
5:29
Speaker 1: Almasta said again, supposing that her assent would please him.
5:34
Speaker 1: You find it an easy matter to believe what I
5:37
Speaker 1: tell you, he said, for he could see that she
5:40
Speaker 1: would have received any other faith as readily. But it
5:45
Speaker 1: is not easy for a woman to enter paradise. And
5:48
Speaker 1: since it is your destiny to have blue eyes, they
5:51
Speaker 1: will not become black. The hur al Oyoun, however, are
5:55
Speaker 1: not mortal women, and no mortal woman can ever be
5:58
Speaker 1: one of them. Means they are especially prepared for the faithful.
6:03
Speaker 1: But a man's wife's may enter paradise with him, in
6:06
Speaker 1: a glorified beauty which may not be inferior to that
6:09
Speaker 1: of the black eyed ones. If, for instance, abdul Kharim
6:13
Speaker 1: had lived and been your husband, you might, by faith
6:17
Speaker 1: and good works, have entered heaven with him as one
6:20
Speaker 1: of his wives. Almasta looked long at Khalid, trying to
6:24
Speaker 1: see whether he still suspected her, and indeed he found
6:28
Speaker 1: it very hard to do so for her look was
6:31
Speaker 1: clear and innocent, as that of a young dove that
6:34
Speaker 1: is fed by a familiar hand. I would like to
6:38
Speaker 1: enter paradise with you, said Almasta, with an appearance of timidity.
6:43
Speaker 1: Is it not possible. It may be possible, but I
6:48
Speaker 1: doubt it, Khalid answered with gravity. In those days, while
6:53
Speaker 1: Khalid thus spent many hours with Almasta, Sehoa often remained
6:58
Speaker 1: for a long time in another part of the Aram,
7:01
Speaker 1: either surrounded by her women or sitting alone upon the
7:04
Speaker 1: balcony over the court, absorbed in watching the people who
7:08
Speaker 1: came and went. The slaves were surprised to see that
7:11
Speaker 1: Khalid seemed to prefer the society of the Georgian to
7:15
Speaker 1: that of his wife, but they dared say nothing to Sihoa,
7:19
Speaker 1: and contented themselves with watching her face and endeavoring to
7:23
Speaker 1: find out whether she were displeased at what was happening,
7:27
Speaker 1: or really indifferent as she appeared to be. Almasta herself
7:31
Speaker 1: was distrustful, supposing that Khalid and Sehoa were in league
7:36
Speaker 1: together to entrap her into a self accusation. And though
7:40
Speaker 1: her heart was transported with happiness while she was with Khalid,
7:44
Speaker 1: yet she did not forget to be cautious whenever any
7:47
Speaker 1: reference was made to Abdul Kharim's death. She also took
7:51
Speaker 1: the long needle out of her hair and hid it
7:53
Speaker 1: carefully in a corner, in a crevice between the pavement
7:57
Speaker 1: and the wall, lest it should at any time fall
8:00
Speaker 1: from its place and bring suspicion upon her. Khalid watched
8:04
Speaker 1: Zihoah as narrowly as the women did to see whether
8:08
Speaker 1: any signs of jealousy showed themselves in her face, and
8:11
Speaker 1: sometimes they talked together of al Maasta. It is strange,
8:16
Speaker 1: said Khalid, that Allah, being all powerful, should have provided
8:21
Speaker 1: matter for dissension on earth by creating one woman more
8:25
Speaker 1: beautiful than another, the one with blue eyes, the other
8:29
Speaker 1: with black, the one with red hair, and the other
8:32
Speaker 1: with hair needing Hannah to brighten it. Are not all
8:35
Speaker 1: women the children of one mother, and are not all men?
8:39
Speaker 1: Her sons also asked Zihoah, it is strange that Allah,
8:44
Speaker 1: being all powerful, should have provided matter for sorrow by
8:48
Speaker 1: creating one man with a spirit easily satisfied and the
8:52
Speaker 1: other with a soul tormented by discontent. Khalid looked fixedly
8:57
Speaker 1: at his wife and bent his brows, but in secret,
9:01
Speaker 1: he was glad, for he supposed that she was beginning
9:04
Speaker 1: to be jealous. However, he made a pretense of being displeased.
9:09
Speaker 1: Is man a rock that he should never change? He asked,
9:13
Speaker 1: Or has he but one eye with which to see
9:16
Speaker 1: but one kind of beauty? Have I not two hands,
9:20
Speaker 1: two feet, two ears, two nostrils, and two eyes? That
9:24
Speaker 1: is true, Zehoah answered, But a man has only one
9:28
Speaker 1: heart with which to love, one voice with which to
9:31
Speaker 1: speak kind words, and one mouth with which to kiss
9:35
Speaker 1: the woman he has chosen. And if a man had
9:38
Speaker 1: two souls, they would rend him so that he would
9:41
Speaker 1: be mad. At this, Kalid laughed a little and would
9:46
Speaker 1: gladly have shown Zihoah that she was right. But he
9:49
Speaker 1: feared to be treated with indifference if he yielded to
9:52
Speaker 1: her argument so soon, and he held his peace. Nevertheless,
9:58
Speaker 1: Zehovah continued, after a time, you are right, and so
10:01
Speaker 1: am I. You said, indeed, not many days ago, that
10:05
Speaker 1: your two hands should wither at the wrists if you
10:08
Speaker 1: took another wife. Yet I advised you to do so.
10:12
Speaker 1: And now it is clear from what you say that
10:14
Speaker 1: you wish to marry Almasta. I am your handmaiden. Take
10:18
Speaker 1: her therefore and be contented, for she loves you. But
10:23
Speaker 1: now Kalid was much disturbed as to what he should answer,
10:26
Speaker 1: for he had hoped that Sekhoa would break out into
10:29
Speaker 1: jealous anger. He could not accept her advice because of
10:34
Speaker 1: his oath, and still more because of his love for her.
10:37
Speaker 1: Yet he could not send away Almasta, since by doing
10:41
Speaker 1: so he would be giving over his last hope of
10:44
Speaker 1: obtaining Zehovah's love by rousing her jealousy. Take her, Zehovah repeated.
10:51
Speaker 1: The palace is wide and spacious. There is room for
10:54
Speaker 1: us both and for two others also, if need be,
10:57
Speaker 1: according to divine law, take her and let there be contentment.
11:01
Speaker 1: Have you not said that she is more beautiful than I? No,
11:06
Speaker 1: answered Khalid, I have not said so, you have thought it,
11:10
Speaker 1: which is much the same. For you said that her
11:13
Speaker 1: hair was red, but that mine needed Hannah to brighten it.
11:17
Speaker 1: Marry her. Therefore, this very day, send for the kadi
11:21
Speaker 1: and order a feast, and let it be done quickly.
11:25
Speaker 1: Is it nothing to you whether I take her or not?
11:28
Speaker 1: Khalid asked, seeking desperately for something to say. Is it
11:33
Speaker 1: for me to set myself up against the Holy law?
11:37
Speaker 1: Or did any one exact from you a promise that
11:39
Speaker 1: you would not take another wife. And if you rashly
11:42
Speaker 1: promised anything of your own free will, the promise is
11:46
Speaker 1: not binding, seeing that there is no authority for it
11:49
Speaker 1: in al Koran, and that no one desires you to
11:52
Speaker 1: keep it. Neither I nor almasda Zehoah laughed at her
11:57
Speaker 1: own speech, and Khalid was too much to say disturbed
12:00
Speaker 1: to notice that the laugh was rather of scorn than
12:03
Speaker 1: of mirth. How shall I take a woman who is
12:07
Speaker 1: perhaps a murderess? He asked? Shall I take her who
12:10
Speaker 1: was perhaps the cause of your revered father's death? May
12:14
Speaker 1: Allah give him peace? Surely? The very thought is terrible
12:17
Speaker 1: to me, and I will not do it. Will you
12:21
Speaker 1: convict her without witnesses? And where is your witness? Did
12:25
Speaker 1: not the physician explain the reason of the death? And
12:29
Speaker 1: did he suspect that there was anything unnatural about it?
12:32
Speaker 1: But if you still think that she destroyed my father
12:35
Speaker 1: and abdul Kharim, peace on them both. Why do you
12:39
Speaker 1: make her sit all day long at your feet and
12:42
Speaker 1: sing to you in her barbarous language which resembles the
12:46
Speaker 1: barking of jackals? And why do you command her to
12:49
Speaker 1: bring you drink and fan you when it is hot,
12:52
Speaker 1: and you sleep in the afternoon. This shows a forgiving
12:56
Speaker 1: and trustful disposition. This is an unenterable argument, thought Khalid,
13:02
Speaker 1: being very much perplexed. Can I answer that I do
13:05
Speaker 1: all this in order to see whether Zehovah is jealous?
13:09
Speaker 1: She will certainly laugh to herself and say in her
13:12
Speaker 1: heart that she has married a fool. So he said nothing,
13:17
Speaker 1: but bent his brows again, and endeavored to seem angry.
13:21
Speaker 1: But Zehovah took no notice of his face and continued
13:24
Speaker 1: to urge him to marry Almasca. Have you ever seen
13:28
Speaker 1: such a woman? She asked? Have you ever seen such eyes?
13:33
Speaker 1: Are they not like twin heavens of a deep blue,
13:36
Speaker 1: each having a shining sun in the midst Is not
13:39
Speaker 1: her hair like seventy thousand pieces of gold poured out
13:44
Speaker 1: upon the carpet from a height. Her nose is a
13:47
Speaker 1: straight piece of pure ivory. Her lips are rather than
13:51
Speaker 1: pomegranates when they are ripe, and her cheeks are as
13:54
Speaker 1: smooth as silk. Moreover, she is as white as milk
13:59
Speaker 1: freshly take and from the camel, whereas my hands are
14:03
Speaker 1: of the color of blanket bread before it is baked.
14:07
Speaker 1: Your hands are much smaller than hers, said Khalid, who
14:11
Speaker 1: could not suffer Zehoa to discredit her own beauty. I
14:15
Speaker 1: do not know, she answered, looking at her fingers, but
14:19
Speaker 1: they are less white. And Almasta is far more beautiful
14:22
Speaker 1: than I. You yourself said so, I never said so,
14:26
Speaker 1: Khalid replied, more and more perplexed. There are two kinds
14:31
Speaker 1: of beauty, that is what I said. Allah has willed it.
14:35
Speaker 1: Almasta is a slave, and her hands are large. It
14:39
Speaker 1: is a pity, for she is like a mare that
14:41
Speaker 1: has many good points, but whose hoofs are overgrown through
14:45
Speaker 1: too much idleness in the stable. I say that there
14:48
Speaker 1: are two kinds of beauty Yours is that of the
14:51
Speaker 1: free women of a pure and beautiful race. Hers is
14:55
Speaker 1: that of the slave accidentally born beautiful. Kihoah gathered up
15:01
Speaker 1: her three long black tresses and laid them across her
15:04
Speaker 1: knees as she sat. Then she shook off her golden bracelets,
15:08
Speaker 1: one after the other, to the number of a score,
15:12
Speaker 1: and heaped them upon the hair. Which do you like best,
15:16
Speaker 1: she asked, the black or the gold, the day or
15:19
Speaker 1: the night. Here you see them together and can judge
15:23
Speaker 1: fairly between them. Khalid sought for a crafty answer, and
15:27
Speaker 1: made a pretense of pondering the matter deeply. After the night,
15:32
Speaker 1: he said, at last, the day is very bright and glorious,
15:36
Speaker 1: but when we have looked on it long, only the
15:38
Speaker 1: night can bring rest and peace. He was pleased with
15:43
Speaker 1: himself when he had made this answer, supposing that Sihoa
15:47
Speaker 1: would find nothing to say, but he had only laid
15:50
Speaker 1: a new trap for himself. This is quite true, she answered, laughing.
15:55
Speaker 1: That is also the reason why Allah made the day
15:58
Speaker 1: and the night to follow each other in succession, lest
16:02
Speaker 1: men should grow weary of eternal light or eternal darkness.
16:06
Speaker 1: For the same reason, also, since you have a wife
16:09
Speaker 1: whose hair is black, I counsel you to take a
16:12
Speaker 1: red haired one. In this way you will obtain that
16:15
Speaker 1: variety which the taste of man craves. If I follow
16:20
Speaker 1: your advice, you will regret it, said Kalid. You think
16:25
Speaker 1: I shall be jealous, but you are mistaken. I am
16:28
Speaker 1: what I am. Can another woman make me more or
16:32
Speaker 1: less beautiful? Moreover, I shall always be first in the palace.
16:37
Speaker 1: Though you take three other wives. The others will rise
16:41
Speaker 1: up when you come in, but I shall remain sitting.
16:44
Speaker 1: I shall always be the first wife. Undoubtedly that is
16:49
Speaker 1: your right, Khalid replied, do you suppose that I wish
16:53
Speaker 1: to put any woman in your place? Then? Zehoah laughed
16:57
Speaker 1: and laid her hand upon Khalid's arm. How foolish men are,
17:02
Speaker 1: she exclaimed, Do you think you can deceive me? Do
17:06
Speaker 1: you imagine, because I have answered you and talked with
17:09
Speaker 1: thee to day and listened to your arguments, that I
17:12
Speaker 1: do not understand your heart, Oh Khalid, this is true
17:16
Speaker 1: which you often say of yourself, that your wit is
17:19
Speaker 1: in your arm. If I were a warrior and stood
17:22
Speaker 1: before you with a sword in my hand, you could
17:25
Speaker 1: argue better, for you would cut off my head and
17:28
Speaker 1: the argument would end suddenly. But Allah has not made
17:32
Speaker 1: you settle, and words in your mouth are of no
17:35
Speaker 1: more avail than a sword would be in mine. For
17:38
Speaker 1: you entangle yourself in your own language, as I should
17:41
Speaker 1: wound myself if I tried to handle a weapon. At this,
17:46
Speaker 1: Khalide was much disconcerted, and he stroked his beard, thoughtfully,
17:50
Speaker 1: looking away so as not to meet her eyes. I
17:53
Speaker 1: do not know what you mean, he said. At last,
17:56
Speaker 1: you certainly imagine something which has no existence. I imagine nothing
18:02
Speaker 1: for I have seen the truth ever since the first day.
18:05
Speaker 1: When you desire to be alone with Almasta, you are
18:09
Speaker 1: only foolishly trying to make me jealous of her in
18:13
Speaker 1: order that I may love you better. When Khalid saw
18:17
Speaker 1: that she understood him, he was without any defense, for
18:21
Speaker 1: he had built a wall of sand for himself, like
18:24
Speaker 1: a child playing in the desert, which the first breath
18:27
Speaker 1: of wind causes to crumble, and the second blast leaves
18:30
Speaker 1: no trace of it behind. And am I foolish because
18:34
Speaker 1: I have done this thing? He cried, not attempting to
18:38
Speaker 1: deny the truth. Am I a fool because I desire
18:42
Speaker 1: your love? But it is folly to speak of it,
18:45
Speaker 1: for you will reproach me and say that I am
18:48
Speaker 1: discontented and will offer me another woman for my wife.
18:53
Speaker 1: Go leave me alone if you do not love me.
18:56
Speaker 1: The sight of you is as vinegar poured into a
18:59
Speaker 1: fresh wound and salt rubbed into eyes that are sore
19:02
Speaker 1: with the sand. Go why do you stay? Do you
19:06
Speaker 1: not believe me? Do you wish me to kill you
19:09
Speaker 1: that I may have peace from you? It is a
19:12
Speaker 1: pity that you did not marry one of the hundred
19:14
Speaker 1: suitors who came before me, for you certainly loved one
19:18
Speaker 1: of them. Since you cannot love me, you doubtless loved
19:22
Speaker 1: the Indian prince. Would you have him back? I can
19:25
Speaker 1: give you his bones, for I slew him with my
19:28
Speaker 1: own hands and buried him in the red desert, where
19:31
Speaker 1: his soul is sitting upon a heap of sand, waiting
19:34
Speaker 1: for the day of resurrection. Then Zikhoa was greatly astonished,
19:39
Speaker 1: for neither she nor any one else had ever known
19:42
Speaker 1: what had been the end of that suitor. And after
19:46
Speaker 1: waiting a long time, his people who had been with
19:49
Speaker 1: him had departed sorrowing to their own country, and she
19:53
Speaker 1: had heard no more of them. What is this, she
19:56
Speaker 1: asked in amazement. Why did you kill him? And how
20:00
Speaker 1: could you have done this thing? Unseen? Since he was
20:03
Speaker 1: guarded by many attendants. I took him out of the
20:06
Speaker 1: palace in the night when all were asleep, and then
20:10
Speaker 1: I killed him, said Khalid, And Zihoa could get no
20:14
Speaker 1: other answer, for he would not confess that he had
20:17
Speaker 1: been one of the Genie, lest she should not believe
20:20
Speaker 1: the truth, or else believing, should be afraid of him
20:24
Speaker 1: in the future. I will give you his bones, he said,
20:28
Speaker 1: if you desire them, for I know where they are,
20:31
Speaker 1: and you certainly loved him and are still mourning for him.
20:35
Speaker 1: If he could be alive, I would kill him again.
20:39
Speaker 1: I never loved him, Zehoa answered at last, how was
20:43
Speaker 1: it possible? But I would perhaps have married him, hoping
20:47
Speaker 1: to convert all his people to the true faith, as
20:51
Speaker 1: you have married me, in the hope or the assurance
20:54
Speaker 1: of giving your people a just king. You are angry, Khalid,
20:59
Speaker 1: and indeed I could be angry too, but with myself
21:03
Speaker 1: and not with you, as you are with me. Though
21:06
Speaker 1: it be for the same reason, for I begin to
21:10
Speaker 1: see and understand why you are discontented, and indeed I
21:14
Speaker 1: will do what I can to satisfy you. You must
21:18
Speaker 1: love me as I love you, if you would save
21:21
Speaker 1: me from destruction, said Khalid. Though Zehovah could not comprehend
21:27
Speaker 1: the meaning of the words, she saw by his face
21:30
Speaker 1: that he was terribly moved, and she herself began to
21:34
Speaker 1: be more sorry for him. Indeed, Khalide, she said, I
21:38
Speaker 1: will try to love you from this hour, but it
21:41
Speaker 1: is a hard thing because you cannot explain it, and
21:44
Speaker 1: it is not easy to learn what cannot be explained.
21:48
Speaker 1: Do you think that all women love their husbands. In
21:50
Speaker 1: this way, you mean am I unlike all the rest.
21:54
Speaker 1: Khalid took her hand and held it and looked into
21:57
Speaker 1: her eyes. Love is the first history of the world,
22:01
Speaker 1: he said, Death is the second. Between the two, there
22:05
Speaker 1: is nothing but a weariness, darkened with shadows and thick
22:09
Speaker 1: with mists. What is gold a cinder that glows in
22:13
Speaker 1: the darkness for a moment and falls away to a
22:16
Speaker 1: cold ash in our hand when we have taken it.
22:20
Speaker 1: But love is a treasure which remains. What is renown
22:24
Speaker 1: a cry uttered in the bazaar by men whose minds
22:28
Speaker 1: are subject to change, as their bodies are to death.
22:31
Speaker 1: But the voice of love is heard in Paradise, singing
22:35
Speaker 1: beside the fountains Tasnim and salsahil. What is power a
22:41
Speaker 1: net with which to draw wealth and fame from the
22:43
Speaker 1: waters of life? To what end we must die? Or
22:48
Speaker 1: is power a sword to kill our enemies? If their
22:51
Speaker 1: time is come, they will die without the sword? Or
22:55
Speaker 1: is it a stick to purify the hides of fools?
22:58
Speaker 1: The fool will die all like his master, and both
23:02
Speaker 1: will be forgotten. But they who love shall enter the
23:05
Speaker 1: seventh Heaven together, according to the promise of Allah. Death
23:10
Speaker 1: is stronger than man or woman, but love is stronger
23:14
Speaker 1: than death, and all else is but a vision seen
23:17
Speaker 1: in the desert, having no reality. I will try to
23:22
Speaker 1: understand it, for I see that you are very unhappy,
23:25
Speaker 1: said Zeoah. She was silent after this, for Khalid's words
23:30
Speaker 1: were earnest and sank into her soul. Yet the more
23:34
Speaker 1: she tried to imagine what the passion in him could
23:37
Speaker 1: be like, the less she was able to understand it.
23:41
Speaker 1: For some of Kali's actions had been foolish, but she
23:44
Speaker 1: supposed that there must have been some wisdom in them,
23:48
Speaker 1: having its foundation in the nature of love. What he
23:52
Speaker 1: says is true, she thought, I married him in order
23:55
Speaker 1: to give my people a just and brave king. And
23:58
Speaker 1: he is both brave and just. And I am certainly
24:02
Speaker 1: a good wife, for I should be dissolved in shame
24:05
Speaker 1: if another man were to see my face. And moreover,
24:09
Speaker 1: I am careful of his wants. And I take his
24:12
Speaker 1: caphia from his head with my own hands, and smooth
24:15
Speaker 1: the cushions for him, and bring him food and drink
24:19
Speaker 1: when he desires it, Or have I withheld from him
24:22
Speaker 1: any of the treasures of the palace or stood in
24:25
Speaker 1: the way of his taking another wife. Until to day
24:29
Speaker 1: I thought, indeed that this talk of love meant but little,
24:33
Speaker 1: and that he spoke of it because he desired an
24:35
Speaker 1: excuse for marrying al Maasta, who loves him. But when
24:39
Speaker 1: I said at a venture that he wished to make
24:41
Speaker 1: me jealous, he confessed the truth. Now, all the tales
24:45
Speaker 1: of love told by the old women are of young
24:48
Speaker 1: persons who have seen each other from a distance, but
24:51
Speaker 1: are hindered from marrying. And we are already married. Surely
24:56
Speaker 1: it is very hard to understand. After this, Hlid never
25:00
Speaker 1: called al Masta to sit at his feet and sing
25:03
Speaker 1: to him, as he had done before, and Zehoah was
25:06
Speaker 1: constantly with him in her stead. At first, almosta supposed
25:10
Speaker 1: that Khalid only made a pretense of disregarding her out
25:14
Speaker 1: of respect for his wife, But she soon perceived that
25:17
Speaker 1: he was indifferent and no longer noticed her. She then
25:22
Speaker 1: grew fierce and jealous, and her voice was not heard
25:25
Speaker 1: singing in the harem. But she went and took her
25:28
Speaker 1: needle again from the crevice in the pavement and hid
25:31
Speaker 1: it in her hair. And though Zehoah often called her
25:34
Speaker 1: when Khalid was not in the house. She made as
25:37
Speaker 1: though she understood even less of the Arabic language than before,
25:41
Speaker 1: and sat stupidly on the carpet, gazing at her hands.
25:45
Speaker 1: Zehoah wearied of her silence, for she understood the reason
25:48
Speaker 1: of it well enough. I am tired of this woman,
25:52
Speaker 1: she said to Khalid. Do you think I am jealous
25:55
Speaker 1: of her? Now? Khalid smiled a little, but said nothing,
25:59
Speaker 1: only shaking his head. I am tired of her, Zehoa repeated.
26:04
Speaker 1: She sits before me like a sack of barley in
26:07
Speaker 1: a green cellar's shop, neither moving nor speaking. She is yours.
26:12
Speaker 1: Khalid answered, Send her away, or we will give her
26:16
Speaker 1: in marriage to one of the sheikhs, who will take
26:18
Speaker 1: her away to the desert. In this way, she will
26:21
Speaker 1: not be able even to visit you, except when her
26:25
Speaker 1: husband comes into the city. But they decided nothing at
26:28
Speaker 1: that time. Some days later, Khalid was sitting alone upon
26:32
Speaker 1: a balcony Zihoa having gone to the bath, when Almasta
26:36
Speaker 1: came suddenly before him and threw herself at his feet,
26:40
Speaker 1: beating her forehead and tearing her hair, though not indeed
26:44
Speaker 1: in a way to injure it. What have I done?
26:47
Speaker 1: She cried? Why is my lord displeased? Khalid looked at
26:51
Speaker 1: her in surprise, but answered nothing at first. Why are
26:55
Speaker 1: my lord's eyes like frozen pools by da Kurah? And
26:59
Speaker 1: why is his forehead like Cosbic in a mist? Khalid
27:03
Speaker 1: laughed a little at her words. Cosbic is far from riad,
27:07
Speaker 1: he answered, And the waters of the Kurah do not
27:10
Speaker 1: irrigate the red desert. I am not displeased. On the contrary,
27:15
Speaker 1: I will give you a husband and a sufficient dowry.
27:18
Speaker 1: Go in peace. But Almasta remained where she was, weeping
27:23
Speaker 1: and beating her forehead. Let me stay, she cried, Let
27:27
Speaker 1: me stay, for I love you. I will eat the
27:30
Speaker 1: dust under your feet. Only let me stay, I think not,
27:34
Speaker 1: Khalid answered, you weary Zihoa, with your silence and your sullenness.
27:40
Speaker 1: Let me stay, she repeated, over and over again. She
27:44
Speaker 1: was not making any pretense of grief, for the tears
27:47
Speaker 1: ran down abundantly and stained the red leather of Khalid's shoes.
27:52
Speaker 1: Though he was hard hearted, he was not altogether cruel.
27:56
Speaker 1: For a man who loves one woman greatly is somewhat
27:59
Speaker 1: softened towards all such as do not stand immediately in
28:03
Speaker 1: his way. It is true he thought that I have
28:07
Speaker 1: given this woman some occasion of hope, for I have
28:10
Speaker 1: treated her kindly during many days, and she has probably
28:14
Speaker 1: supposed that I would marry her, for she is less
28:17
Speaker 1: keen sighted than Zikhova, and moreover, she loves me. Do
28:22
Speaker 1: not drive me out, cried Almasta, for I shall die
28:26
Speaker 1: if I cannot see your face. What have I done?
28:30
Speaker 1: You have indeed done nothing worthy of your death, for
28:34
Speaker 1: I cannot prove that you killed abdul Karim. I will
28:38
Speaker 1: therefore give you a good husband, and you shall be happy.
28:42
Speaker 1: But Almasta would not go away, and embracing his knees,
28:46
Speaker 1: she looked up into his face, imploring him to let
28:49
Speaker 1: her remain. Klid could not but see that she was beautiful,
28:54
Speaker 1: for the mid daylight fell upon her white face and
28:57
Speaker 1: her red lips, and made shadows in her hair of
29:00
Speaker 1: the color of mellow dates, and reflections as bright as
29:03
Speaker 1: gold when the burnisher is still in the goldsmith's hand.
29:07
Speaker 1: Though he cared nothing for Almasta and little for her sorrow,
29:12
Speaker 1: his eye was pleased and he smiled. Then he looked
29:16
Speaker 1: up and saw Zehovah standing before him, just as she
29:19
Speaker 1: had come from the bath. Wrapped in loose garments of
29:23
Speaker 1: silk and gold. He gazed at her attentively, for there
29:26
Speaker 1: was a distant gleam of light in her eyes, and
29:29
Speaker 1: her cheeks were warm, though she stood in the shadow,
29:33
Speaker 1: so that he thought she had never been more beautiful,
29:36
Speaker 1: And he did not care to look at Almasta's face again.
29:40
Speaker 1: Why is Almasta lamenting in this way, Tihoa asked. She
29:44
Speaker 1: desires to stay in the palace. Khalid answered, but I
29:48
Speaker 1: have told her that she shall be married, and yet
29:51
Speaker 1: she wishes to stay. Let her be marrying quickly. Then
29:56
Speaker 1: is she a free woman that she should resist, or
29:59
Speaker 1: is she rich that she should refuse alms? Let her
30:02
Speaker 1: be married. There is a certain young man cousin to
30:06
Speaker 1: abdul Karim, a Bedouin of pure descent. Let him take
30:10
Speaker 1: her if he will, and let the marriage be celebrated tomorrow.
30:15
Speaker 1: But Almasta shook her head, and her tears never ceased
30:18
Speaker 1: from flowing. You will marry him, said Khalid, And if
30:23
Speaker 1: any harm comes to him, I will cause you to
30:26
Speaker 1: be put to death before the second call to prayer
30:28
Speaker 1: on the following morning. When Almasta heard this, her tears
30:33
Speaker 1: were suddenly dried, and her lips closed tightly. She rose
30:37
Speaker 1: from the floor and retired to a distance within the room.
30:41
Speaker 1: On that day, Khalid sent for the young man of
30:43
Speaker 1: whom he had spoken, whose name was Abdullah ibn Mohammed
30:47
Speaker 1: el Hahrir, and offered him Almasta for a wife. And
30:51
Speaker 1: he accepted her joyfully, for he had heard of her
30:54
Speaker 1: wonderful beauty, and was moreover much gratified by being given
30:59
Speaker 1: a woman whom the former sultan would probably have married
31:03
Speaker 1: if he had lived. Khalid also gave him a gray
31:06
Speaker 1: mare as a wedding gift, and a handsome garment. The
31:10
Speaker 1: marriage was therefore celebrated in the customary manner, and no
31:14
Speaker 1: harm came to Abdullah, But as the autumn had now
31:18
Speaker 1: set in, he soon afterwards left the city, taking Almasta
31:22
Speaker 1: with him to live in tents after the manner of
31:25
Speaker 1: the Bedouins. End of Chapter seven recording by maricel Qui