Latest / Arabian Nights Tales from Volume 09 / 036 - Night 959 - 960

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036 - Night 959 - 960 · Arabian Nights Tales from Volume 09

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  Speaker 1: Section thirty six of the Book of the Thousand Knights
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  Speaker 1: and the Night Volume nine. This is a LibriVox recording.
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  Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
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  Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. The
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  Speaker 1: Book of the Thousand Knights and a Night, Volume nine
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  Speaker 1: by Anonymous, translated by Richard Francis Burton, Night nine hundred
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  Speaker 1: and fifty nine. When it was the nine hundred and
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  Speaker 1: fifty ninth night, she said, it has reached me o
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  Speaker 1: auspicious king that Ibrahim continued. Then they carried me before
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  Speaker 1: the walley, and he, seeing the blood stains on my hand, cried,
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  Speaker 1: these needeth no proof. Strike off his head. Now hearing
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  Speaker 1: these words, I wept with sore, weep in the tears
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  Speaker 1: streaming from my eyes, and recited these two couplets. We
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  Speaker 1: trod the steps that for hours were writ and whose
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  Speaker 1: steps are written he needs must tread, and whose death
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  Speaker 1: is decreed in one land to be his, ne'er shall
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  Speaker 1: perish in other stead. Then I sobbed a single sob
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  Speaker 1: and fell as soon, and the headsman's heart was moved
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  Speaker 1: to ruth for me, and he exclaimed, by Allah, this
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  Speaker 1: is no murderous face, but the chief said, smite his neck.
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  Speaker 1: So they seated me on the rug of blood and
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  Speaker 1: bound my eyes, after which the sworder drew his sword
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  Speaker 1: and asking leave of the Wali, was about to strike
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  Speaker 1: off my head, whilst I cried out, alas my strangerhood.
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  Speaker 1: When lo and behold I heard a noise of horse
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  Speaker 1: coming up, and a voice calling aloud, leave him, stay
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  Speaker 1: thy hand or sworder. Now there was for these a
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  Speaker 1: wondrous reason and a marvelous cause. And it was thus
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  Speaker 1: Al Khazib Wazir of Egypt, had sent his head chamberlain
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  Speaker 1: to the Caliph Harun al Rashid, with presents and a
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  Speaker 1: letter saying, my son has been missing this ear past,
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  Speaker 1: and I hear that he is in Baghdad. Wherefore a
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  Speaker 1: crave of the bounty of the vice Regent of Allah,
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  Speaker 1: that he make search for tidings of him, and do
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  Speaker 1: his endeavor to find him and send him back to
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  Speaker 1: me with the chamberlain. When the Caliph read the missive,
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  Speaker 1: he commanded the chief of the police to search out
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  Speaker 1: the truth of the matter, and he ceased not to
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  Speaker 1: inquire after Ibrahim till it was told him that he
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  Speaker 1: was at Bassarah whereupon he informed the Caliph, who wrote
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  Speaker 1: a letter to the viceroy, and giving it to the
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  Speaker 1: Chamberlain of Egypt, bade him repair to Bassarah and take
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  Speaker 1: with him a company of the Wazir's followers. So of
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  Speaker 1: his eagerness to find the son of his lord, the
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  Speaker 1: chamberlain set out forthright and happened by the way upon
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  Speaker 1: Ibrahim as he stood on the rug of blood. When
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  Speaker 1: the Wali saw the chamberlain, he recognized him and alighted
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  Speaker 1: to him. And as he asked, what young man is that,
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  Speaker 1: and what is his case? The chief told him how
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  Speaker 1: the matter was, And the chamberlain said, and indeed he
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  Speaker 1: knew him, not for the son of the Sultan. Verily,
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  Speaker 1: this young man hath not the face of one who murdereth.
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  Speaker 1: And he bade loose his bonds. So they loosed him,
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  Speaker 1: and the chamberlain said, bring him to me, and they
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  Speaker 1: brought him. But the officer knew him, not his butty,
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  Speaker 1: being all gone for the horrors he had endured. Then
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  Speaker 1: the Chamberlain said to him, O, youth, tell me thy case,
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  Speaker 1: and how cometh this slain woman with thee Ibrahim looked
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  Speaker 1: at him, and, knowing him said to him, woe to thee.
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  Speaker 1: Dost thou not know me? Am I not Ibrahim son
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  Speaker 1: of thy lord? Haply thou art come in quest of me?
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  Speaker 1: With this, the chamberlain conceded him straightly, and, knowing him
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  Speaker 1: right well, threw himself at his feet, which when the
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  Speaker 1: wall is saw his color changed, and the chamberlain cried
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  Speaker 1: to him, thigh upon thee you tyrent? Was it thine
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  Speaker 1: intend to slay the son of my master Alhazib Wazir
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  Speaker 1: of Egypt. The chief of police kissed his court, saying, O,
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  Speaker 1: my lord, how should I know him? Found him in
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  Speaker 1: this plight, and saw the girl lying slain by his side,
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  Speaker 1: rejoined the chamberlain out on thee thou art not fit
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  Speaker 1: for the office. This is a lad of fifteen, and
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  Speaker 1: he hath not slain a sparrow, So how should he
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  Speaker 1: be a murderer? Why didst thou not have patience with
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  Speaker 1: him and question him of his case? Then the chamberlain
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  Speaker 1: and the Wali cried to the man, make search for
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  Speaker 1: the young lady's murderer. So they re entered the bath, and,
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  Speaker 1: finding him, brought him to the chief of police, who
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  Speaker 1: carried him to the Caliph, and acquainted him with that
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  Speaker 1: which had occurred. Al Rashid bade slain the slair, and
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  Speaker 1: sending for Ibrahim, smiled in his face and said to him,
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  Speaker 1: tell me thy tale and that which hath betided thee.
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  Speaker 1: So he recounted to him his story from first to last,
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  Speaker 1: and it was grievous to the Caliph, who called Masrur
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  Speaker 1: his sworder and said to him, go straightway and fall
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  Speaker 1: upon the house of Abu al Kazim al Sandalani, and
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  Speaker 1: bring me him and a young lady. The eunuch went
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  Speaker 1: forth at once, and breaking to the house, found Jamilah
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  Speaker 1: bound with her own hair and nigh upon death. So
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  Speaker 1: he loosened her, and, taking the painter, carry them both
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  Speaker 1: to the Caliph, who marveled at Jamila's beauty. Then he
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  Speaker 1: turned to al Sandalani and said, take him and cut
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  Speaker 1: off his hands, wherewith he beat the young lady. Then
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  Speaker 1: crucify him and deliver his moneys and possessions to Ibrahim.
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  Speaker 1: They did his beating, and as they were thus behold
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  Speaker 1: in came Abu alai Is, governor of Bassarah, the lady
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  Speaker 1: Jamilah's father, seeking aid of the Caliph against Ibrahim bing
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  Speaker 1: al Khazib Wazir of Egypt, and complaining to him that
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  Speaker 1: the youth had taken his daughter quoth al Rashid he
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  Speaker 1: hath been the means of delivering her from torture and slaughter.
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  Speaker 1: Then he sent for Ibrahim, and when he came, he
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  Speaker 1: said to Abu Allais, wilt thou not accept of thee
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  Speaker 1: his young men son of the Soudan of Egypt, as
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  Speaker 1: husband of thy daughter. Replied, Abu allahis I hear and
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  Speaker 1: I obey Allah and thee o commander of the faithful.
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  Speaker 1: Whereupon the Caliph sammoned the Kazi and the witness and
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  Speaker 1: marry the young lady to Ibrahim. Furthermore, he gave him
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  Speaker 1: all al Sandalandi's wealth and equipped him for his return
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  Speaker 1: to his own country, where he abode with Jamilah in
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  Speaker 1: the utmost of blis and the most perfect of happiness,
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  Speaker 1: till there came to them the destroyer of delights and
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  Speaker 1: the sunderer of societies, and glory be to the living
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  Speaker 1: who dieth not. They also relate O auspicious king a
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  Speaker 1: tale and the Tabu al Hahasan of Khorasan. The Caliph
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  Speaker 1: al Mutazid Blah was a high spirited prince and a
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  Speaker 1: noble minded lord. He had in Bagdad six hundred wazirs,
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  Speaker 1: and of the affairs of the folk not was hidden
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  Speaker 1: from him. He went forth one day he and ibnham
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  Speaker 1: Dun to divert himself with observing his lieges and hearing
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  Speaker 1: the latest news of the people, And being overtaken with
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  Speaker 1: the heats of noonday, they turned aside from the main
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  Speaker 1: thoroughfare into a little by street at the upper end,
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  Speaker 1: whereof they saw a handsome and high builded mansion discoursing
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  Speaker 1: of its owner with the tongue of praise. They set
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  Speaker 1: down at the gate to take rest, and presently out
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  Speaker 1: came two eunuchs, as they were moons on their fourteenth night.
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  Speaker 1: Quoth one of them to his fellow, would heaven some
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  Speaker 1: guests would seek admission this day, my master would not
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  Speaker 1: eat but with guests. And we are come to this hour,
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  Speaker 1: and I have not yet seen a soul. The caliph
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  Speaker 1: marveled at their speech, and said, this is a proof
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  Speaker 1: of the house master's liberality. There is no help but
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  Speaker 1: that we go in to him and not his generosity,
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  Speaker 1: and this shall be a means of favor betiding him
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  Speaker 1: from us. So he said to the eunuch, ask leave
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  Speaker 1: of thy lord for the admission of a company of strangers.
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  Speaker 1: For in those days it was the caliph's wont when
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  Speaker 1: as he was minded to observe his subjects, to disguise
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  Speaker 1: himself in merchant's garb. The eunuch went in and told
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  Speaker 1: his master, who rejoiced, and rising, came out to them
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  Speaker 1: in person. He was fair of favor and finer form,
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  Speaker 1: and he appeared clad in a tunic of silk and
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  Speaker 1: a gold laced mantle, and he dripped with scented waters,
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  Speaker 1: and wore in his hand a signet ring of rubies.
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  Speaker 1: When he saw them, he said to them, well come
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  Speaker 1: and welcome to the Lord, who favored us with the
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  Speaker 1: utmost of favor by their coming. So they entered the
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  Speaker 1: house and found it such as would make a man
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  Speaker 1: forget family and fatherland, for it was like a piece
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  Speaker 1: of paradise. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
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  Speaker 1: ceased to say her permitted say end of night nine
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  Speaker 1: hundred and fifty nine, night nine hundred and sixty. When
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  Speaker 1: it was the nine hundred and sixtieth night, she continued,
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  Speaker 1: it had reached me all auspicious king that when the
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  Speaker 1: Caliph entered the mansion, he and the men with him,
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  Speaker 1: they saw it to be such as would make one
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  Speaker 1: forget family and fatherland, for it was like a piece
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  Speaker 1: of paradise. Within it was a flower garden, full of
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  Speaker 1: all kinds of trees, confounding sight, and its dwelling places
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  Speaker 1: were furnished with costly furniture. They sat down, and the
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  Speaker 1: Caliph fell to gazing at the house and the household gear.
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  Speaker 1: Quoth ibn Hamden. I looked at the Caliph and saw
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  Speaker 1: his countenance change, and, being wont to know from his
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  Speaker 1: face whether he was amused or unhangered, said to myself,
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  Speaker 1: I wonder what hath vexed him. Then they brought a
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  Speaker 1: golden bathing, and we washed our hands, after which they
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  Speaker 1: spread a silken cloth and set there on a table
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  Speaker 1: of rattan. When the covers were taken off the dishes,
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  Speaker 1: we saw that in meats rare as the blooms of
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  Speaker 1: prime in the season of their utmoscarcity two fold and single.
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  Speaker 1: And the host said, bis millah, O, my lords, by allah,
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  Speaker 1: hunger priggeth me, so favor me by eating of this food.
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  Speaker 1: As is the fashion of the noble. Thereupon he began
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  Speaker 1: tearing fowls apart and laying them before us, laughing the while,
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  Speaker 1: and repeating verses, and telling stories, and talking gaily with
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  Speaker 1: pleasant sayings. Such assorted with the entertainment, we ate and drank.
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  Speaker 1: Then removed to another room, which confounded beholders with its beauty,
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  Speaker 1: and which reeked with exquisite perfumes. Here they brought us
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  Speaker 1: a tray of fruits freshly gathered, and sweet meats, the
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  Speaker 1: finest flavored. Whereas our joys increased and our care ceased,
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  Speaker 1: but with all the caliph continued ibn abdoun cease not
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  Speaker 1: to wear a frowning face, and smiled not at that
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  Speaker 1: which gladden all souls. Albeit it was his wont to
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  Speaker 1: love mirth and merriment and the putting away of cares.
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  Speaker 1: And I knew that he was no envious, wheatn oppressor,
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  Speaker 1: So I said to myself, would heaven, I knew what
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  Speaker 1: is the cause of his moroseness, and why we cannot
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  Speaker 1: dissipate his ill humor. Presently they brought the tray of wine,
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  Speaker 1: which friends doth cojoin, and clarified drafts in flagons of
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  Speaker 1: gold and crystal and silver, and the host smote with
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  Speaker 1: a rattan wand on the door of the inner chamber,
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  Speaker 1: whereupon behold it opened, and out came three damsels, high
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  Speaker 1: bosomed virginity, with faces like the sun, at the fourth
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  Speaker 1: hour of the day, one a lutist, another a harpist,
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  Speaker 1: and the third a dancer artist. Then he set before
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  Speaker 1: us dried fruits and confections, and drew between us and
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  Speaker 1: the damsels a curtain of brocade, with tassels of silk
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  Speaker 1: and rings of gold. The Caliph paid no heed to
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  Speaker 1: all these, but said to the host, who knew not
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  Speaker 1: who was in his company? Art thou one noble? Said he, no,
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  Speaker 1: my Lord, I am but a man of the sons
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  Speaker 1: of the merchants, and am known among the folk as
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  Speaker 1: Abu al Hassan Ali, son of Ahmad of Khorasan. Quoth
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  Speaker 1: the Caliph, dost thou know me, o man? And quoth
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  Speaker 1: he by Allah, my Lord, I have no knowledge of
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  Speaker 1: either of your honors. Then said I to him, O, men,
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  Speaker 1: this is the commander of the faithful Al Mutazid Bellah,
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  Speaker 1: grandson of al Mutawakil al Allah. Whereupon he rose and
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  Speaker 1: kissed the ground before the Caliph, trembling for fear of him,
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  Speaker 1: and said, O, Prince of true believers, I conjure THEE
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  Speaker 1: by the virtue of thy pious forbearers, And thou hast
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  Speaker 1: seen in me any shortcomings or lack of good manners
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  Speaker 1: in thy presence? Do thou forgive me? Replied the Caliph.
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  Speaker 1: As for that which thou hast done with us of
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  Speaker 1: honoring and hospitality, nothing could have exceeded it. And as
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  Speaker 1: for that wherewith I have to reproach THEE here, and
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  Speaker 1: thou tell me the truth respecting it, and it command
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  Speaker 1: itself to my sense, thy shall be saved from me.
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  Speaker 1: But an thou tell me not the truth, I would
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  Speaker 1: take THEE with manifest proof and punish THEE with such
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  Speaker 1: punishment as never yet punished any Quoth the man Allah
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  Speaker 1: forbid that I tell THEE. Allah. But what is it
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  Speaker 1: that thou reproachest to me, O Commander of the faithful,
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  Speaker 1: quoth the Caliph. Since I enter di Mension and looked
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  Speaker 1: upon its grandeur, I have noted the furniture and vessels therein,
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  Speaker 1: nay even thy clothes, and behold or all of them
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  Speaker 1: is the name of my grandfather, Al Mutawakil al Allah
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  Speaker 1: answered Abu al Hassan, Yes, O, commander of the faithful,
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  Speaker 1: the Almighty protect thee. Truth is thine inner garb, and
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  Speaker 1: sinceri it is thine outer garment, And none may speak
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  Speaker 1: otherwise than truly in thy presence. The Caliph bade him
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  Speaker 1: be seated, and said, tell us, so he began know,
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  Speaker 1: a commander of the faithful, that my father belonged to
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  Speaker 1: the markets of the money changers and druggists, and lying
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  Speaker 1: drapers and heady. In each bazaar a shop and an agent,
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  Speaker 1: and all kinds of goods. Moreover, behind the money changer's
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  Speaker 1: shop he had an apartment where he might be private,
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  Speaker 1: appointing the shop for buying and selling. His wealth was
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  Speaker 1: beyond count and to his riches there was none amount.
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  Speaker 1: But he had no child other than myself, and he
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  Speaker 1: loved me and was tenderly faint of me. When his
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  Speaker 1: last hour was at hand, he called me to him
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  Speaker 1: and commended my mother to my care, and charged me
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  Speaker 1: to fear Almighty Allah. Then he died. May Allah have
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  Speaker 1: mercy upon him and continue the prince of true believers
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  Speaker 1: on life. And I gave myself up to pleasure and
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  Speaker 1: eating and drinking, and took to myself comrades and intimates.
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  Speaker 1: My mother used to forbid me from these, and to
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  Speaker 1: blame me for it, but I would not hear a
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  Speaker 1: word from her till my money was all gone, when
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  Speaker 1: I sold my lands and houses, and nought was left
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  Speaker 1: me save the mansion wherein I now dwell. And it
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  Speaker 1: was a goodly steed or commander of the faithful. So
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  Speaker 1: I said to my mother I wished to sell the house.
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  Speaker 1: But she said, O, my son, an thou sell it,
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  Speaker 1: thou wilt be dishonored, and woult have no place wherein
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  Speaker 1: to take shelter. Quoth I tis worth five thousand dinars,
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  Speaker 1: And with one thousand of its price, I will buy
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  Speaker 1: me another house and trade with the rest. Quoth she
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  Speaker 1: wilt thou sell it to me at that price? And
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  Speaker 1: I replied yes. Whereupon she went to a coffer, and,
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  Speaker 1: opening it, took out a porcelain vessel, wherein were five
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  Speaker 1: thousand dinars. When I saw this, messeemed the house was
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  Speaker 1: all of gold. And she said to me, O, my son,
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  Speaker 1: think not that this is of thy father's good By allah,
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  Speaker 1: my son, it was of my own father's money, and
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  Speaker 1: I have treasured it up against a time of need,
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  Speaker 1: for in thy father's day I was a wealthy woman
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  Speaker 1: and had no need of it. I took the money
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  Speaker 1: from her, O Prince of true believers, and fell again
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  Speaker 1: to feisty and carousing and merry making with my friends,
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  Speaker 1: and heeding my mother's words and admonitions, till the five
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  Speaker 1: thousand dinars came to an end. When I said to
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  Speaker 1: her I wished to sell the house, said she, O,
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  Speaker 1: my son, I forbade thee from selling it before, of
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  Speaker 1: my knowledge that thou hadst the need of it. So
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  Speaker 1: how wilt thou sell it a second time? Quoth I
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  Speaker 1: be not long sum of speech with me, for I
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  Speaker 1: must and will sell it. And quoth she then sell
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  Speaker 1: it to me for fifteen thousand dinars, on condition that
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  Speaker 1: I take charge of thine affairs. So I sold her
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  Speaker 1: the house at that price, and gave up my affairs
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  Speaker 1: into her charge. Whereupon she sought out the agents of
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  Speaker 1: my father and gave each of them a thousand dinars,
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  Speaker 1: keeping the rest in her own hands, and ordering the
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  Speaker 1: outgo and the income. Moreover, she gave me money to
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  Speaker 1: trade withal, and said to me sit dow in thy
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  Speaker 1: father's shop. So I did her bidding a commander of
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  Speaker 1: the faithful, and took up my abode in the chamber
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  Speaker 1: behind the shop, in the market of the money changers.
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  Speaker 1: And my friends came and bought of me, and I
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  Speaker 1: saw to them whereby I made good cheap, and my
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  Speaker 1: wealth increased. When my mother saw me in this fair way,
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  Speaker 1: she discovered to me that which she had treasured up
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  Speaker 1: of jewels and precious stones, pearls and gold. And I
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  Speaker 1: bought back my houses and lands that I had squandered,
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  Speaker 1: and my wealth became great as before. I abode thus
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  Speaker 1: for some time, and the factors of my father came
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  Speaker 1: to me, and I gave them stocking trade, and I
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  Speaker 1: built me a second chamber behind the shop. One day,
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  Speaker 1: as I sat there, according to my custom of prince
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  Speaker 1: of true believers, there came up to me a damsel
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  Speaker 1: never saw eyes a fair than she of favor, and said,
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  Speaker 1: is this the private shop of Abu al Hassan Ali
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  Speaker 1: Ibn al Ahmad al Khorassani, answered I yes, And she
• 18:20
  Speaker 1: asked where is he he am, I said I, And
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  Speaker 1: indeed my wit was dazed at the excess of her loveliness.
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  Speaker 1: She sat down and said to me, bid thy page
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  Speaker 1: weigh me out three hundred dinars. Accordingly, I bade him
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  Speaker 1: give her that sum, and he weighed it out to her,
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  Speaker 1: and she took it and went away, leaving me stupefied.
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  Speaker 1: Quoth my men to me, dost thou know her? And
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  Speaker 1: quoth I no? By Allah? He asked, then, why didst
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  Speaker 1: Thou bid me give her the money? And I answered,
• 19:01
  Speaker 1: by allah, I knew not what I said of my
• 19:03
  Speaker 1: amazement at her beauty and loveliness. Then he rose and
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: followed her without my knowledge, but presently returned weeping, and
• 19:11
  Speaker 1: with the mark of a blow in his face. I
• 19:14
  Speaker 1: inquired of him what ailed him, and he replied, I
• 19:17
  Speaker 1: followed the damsel to see whither she went. But when
• 19:20
  Speaker 1: she was aware of me, she turned and help me
• 19:23
  Speaker 1: this blow and all by knocked out my eye. After
• 19:27
  Speaker 1: this a month passed without her coming or commander of
• 19:30
  Speaker 1: the faithful, and I abode bewildered for love of her.
• 19:34
  Speaker 1: But at the end of this time, she suddenly appeared
• 19:37
  Speaker 1: again and saluted me where Yata was like to fly
• 19:40
  Speaker 1: for joy. She asked me how I did, and said
• 19:44
  Speaker 1: to me, haply thou saidst. To thyself. What manner of
• 19:49
  Speaker 1: tricksters is this? Who hath taken my money and made off?
• 19:53
  Speaker 1: Answered I, by allah, O, my lady, my money and
• 19:57
  Speaker 1: my life are all thy very own. With this, she
• 20:01
  Speaker 1: unveiled herself and sat down to rest, with the trinkets
• 20:04
  Speaker 1: and ornaments plying over her face and bosom. Presently, she
• 20:08
  Speaker 1: said to me, weigh me out three hundred dinars. Hearkening
• 20:13
  Speaker 1: and obedience, answered I, and weighed out to her the money.
• 20:18
  Speaker 1: She took it and went away, and I said to
• 20:21
  Speaker 1: my servant follow her. So he followed her, but returned
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: dumb struck. And some time passed without my seeing her.
• 20:29
  Speaker 1: But as I was sitting one day, behold, she came
• 20:31
  Speaker 1: up to me, and, after talking a while, said to me,
• 20:34
  Speaker 1: weigh me out five hundred dinars, for I have need
• 20:37
  Speaker 1: of them. I would have said to her, why should
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: I give thee my money? But my love in mense
• 20:43
  Speaker 1: hindered me from utterance, For O, Prince of true believers,
• 20:48
  Speaker 1: whenever I saw her, I trembled in every joint, and
• 20:51
  Speaker 1: my color pale, and I forgot what I would have said,
• 20:55
  Speaker 1: and became even as Saith the poet dis not. But
• 20:59
  Speaker 1: these when a sudden I see her, ma'am, chance I
• 21:02
  Speaker 1: bid not a word can say her. So I waited
• 21:07
  Speaker 1: out for her the five hundred ducats, and she took
• 21:11
  Speaker 1: them and went away, whereupon I arose and followed her
• 21:15
  Speaker 1: myself till she came to the jewel bazaar, where she
• 21:19
  Speaker 1: stopped at a man's shop and took off him a necklace.
• 21:22
  Speaker 1: Then she turned and, seeing me, said pay him five
• 21:26
  Speaker 1: hundred dinars for me. When the jeweler saw me, he
• 21:31
  Speaker 1: rose to me and made much of me, And I
• 21:33
  Speaker 1: said to him, give her the necklace and set down
• 21:37
  Speaker 1: the price to me. He replied, I hear and obey,
• 21:43
  Speaker 1: And she took it and went away. And Shahrazad perceived
• 21:49
  Speaker 1: the dawn of day and ceased, saying her permitted say
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: end of night nine hundred and sixty