Latest / Arabian Nights Tales from Volume 09 / 043 - Night 973 - 974

Transcript

043 - Night 973 - 974 · Arabian Nights Tales from Volume 09

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Section forty three of the Book of the Thousand Knights
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: and a Knight, Volume nine. This is a LibriVox recording.
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: by Mark Ernest The Book of the Thousand Knights and
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: a Knight, Volume nine by Anonymous, translated by Richard Francis
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: Burton Knight nine hundred and seventy three. When it was
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: the nine hundred and seventy third night, she pursued it.
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: Hath reached me o auspicious King that when the jeweler
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: took the knife from Kamar al Zaman, he knew it,
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: but was ashamed to say, this is my knife, So
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: he asked, where didst thou buy it. Kamar al Zaman
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: answered as Hahlamah had charged him, and jeweler said the
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: knife was cheap at that price, for it is worth
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: five hundred dinars. But fire flamed in his heart and
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: his hands were tied from working at his craft. Kamar
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: al Zaman continued to talk with him whilst he was
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: drowned in the sea of solicitudes, and for fifty words
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: wherewith the youth bespoke him, He answered him, but one
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: for his heart ached, and his frame was racked, and
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: his thoughts were troubled, and he was even as Saith
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: the poet. I have no words, though folk would have
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: me talk, And who bespeak me find me thought waylaid
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: plunged in the care sees undiscovered deaths, nor aught of
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: difference sea TwixT man and maid. When Kamar al Zaman
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: saw his case thus changed, he said to him, belike,
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: thou art busy at this present, and leaving him, returned
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: in hottest haste to his own house, where he found
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: Hahleimah standing at the passage door awaiting him. Quoth she
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: hast thou done as I bade thee? And quoth he yes.
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: She asked what said he to thee? And he answered,
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: he told me that the knife was at that price,
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: for that it was worth five hundred dinars. But I
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: could see that he was troubled. So I left him
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: and know not what befell him. After that, cried she
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: give me the knife, and wreck thou not of him.
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: Then she took the knife, and restoring it to its place.
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: Set down Now after Kamar al Zaman's departure. Fire flamed
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: in the jeweler's heart, and suspicion was sore upon him,
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: and he said to himself, needs must I get up
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: and go look for the knife and cut down doubt
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: with certainty. So he rose and repaired to his house
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: and went in to his wife, snorting like a dragon,
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: And she said to him what mattereth thee? O? My lord?
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: He asked, where is my knife? And she answered in
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: the chest, and smote hand upon breast, saying, O, my
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: grief be like thou hast fallen out with someone, and
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: art come to fetch the knife to spite him withal
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: said he give me the knife, let me see it,
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: but said she not till thou swear to me that
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: thou wilt not smite any one therewith. So he swore
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: this to her, and she opened the chest and brought
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: out to him the knife, and he fell to turning
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: it over, saying, verily, this is a wondrous thing. Then
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: quoth he to her, take it and lay it back
• 3:17
  Speaker 1: in its place, And she tell me the meaning of
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: all this? He answered, I saw with our friend a
• 3:24
  Speaker 1: knife like this, and told her all that had passed
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: between himself and the youth, adding, but when I saw
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: it in the chest, my suspicion ended in certainty, said
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: she haply, thou misdoubtest of me, and deemedest that I
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: was the Levantine's mistress and had given him the knife.
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: He replied, yes, I had my doubts of this, but
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: when I saw the knife, suspicion was lifted from my heart.
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: Rejoined she, O, man, there is now no good in thee.
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: And he fell to excusing himself to her till he
• 3:58
  Speaker 1: appeased her, after which he fared forth and returned to
• 4:02
  Speaker 1: his shop. Next day, she gave Kamar al Zaman her
• 4:06
  Speaker 1: husband's watch, which he had made with his own hand,
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: and whereof none had the like, saying, go to his
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: shop and sit by his side, and say to him.
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: I saw again to day him whom I saw yesterday.
• 4:19
  Speaker 1: He had a watch in his hand, and said to me,
• 4:21
  Speaker 1: wilt thy buy this watch? Quoth I? Whence hadst thou it?
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: And quoth he? I was with my mistress, and she
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: gave me this watch. So I bought it of him
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: for eight and fifty gold pieces. Look at it? Is
• 4:35
  Speaker 1: it cheap at that price? Or deer? Note what he
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: shall say to THEE, then return to me in haste
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: and give me the watch. So Kamar al Zaman repaired
• 4:45
  Speaker 1: to the jeweler and did with him as she had
• 4:47
  Speaker 1: charged him. When obeyed saw the watch, he said, this
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: is worth seven hundred ducats, and suspicion entered into him.
• 4:56
  Speaker 1: Then the youth left him, and, returning to the wife,
• 4:58
  Speaker 1: gave her back the watch. Presently, her husband suddenly came in,
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: snorting and said to her, where is my watch? Said she,
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: here it is, and he cried, give it to me.
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: So she brought it to him, and he exclaimed, there
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: is no majesty and there is no might save in
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: Allah the Glorious, the Great. And she too exclaimed, O, man,
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: there is something the matter with THEE. Tell me what
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: it is? He replied, what shall I say? Verily? I
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: am bewildered by these chances, And he recited these couplets.
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: Although the merciful be doubtless with me. Yet I am
• 5:33
  Speaker 1: sore bewildered, for new griefs have compassed me about or
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: ere I knew it. I have endured till patience itself
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: became impatient of my patience. I have endured waiting till
• 5:44
  Speaker 1: heaven fulfill my destiny. I have endured till e' endurance
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: owned how I bore up with her a thing more
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: bitter than bitter aloes. Yet though a bitterer thing is
• 5:56
  Speaker 1: not than is that drug, it were more bitter to me,
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: Ye should patience leave me unsustained? Then, said he to
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: his wife, O woman, I saw with the merchant our friend,
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: first my knife, which I knew for that its fashion
• 6:11
  Speaker 1: was a device of my own wit, Nor doth its
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: like exist. And he told me of it a story
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: that troubled the heart. So I came back and found
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: it at home again. To day I see him with
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: the watch, whose fashion also is of my own device,
• 6:26
  Speaker 1: Nor is there the fellow of it in Bassah. And
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: of this also he told me a story that saddened
• 6:32
  Speaker 1: my heart. Whereof I am bewildered in my wit, and
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: know not what is to come to me, quoth she
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: The purport of thy speech is that thou suspectedest me
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: of being the friend of that merchant and his layman,
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: and eke of giving him thy good. So thou camest
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: to question me and make proof of my perfidy. And
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: had I not shown thee the knife and the watch.
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: Thou hadst been certified of my treason. But since O
• 6:59
  Speaker 1: man thou deemest me this ill deem, henceforth I will
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: never again break with thee bread, nor drain with thee drink,
• 7:06
  Speaker 1: for I loathe thee with the loathing of prohibition. So
• 7:10
  Speaker 1: he gentled her and excused himself till he had appeased her,
• 7:13
  Speaker 1: and returned, repenting him of having bespoken her. Thus to
• 7:17
  Speaker 1: his shop, where he set, and Shahrazad perceived the dawn
• 7:21
  Speaker 1: of day and ceased to say her permitted say end
• 7:25
  Speaker 1: of night nine hundred and seventy three night nine hundred
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: and seventy four, When it was the nine hundred and
• 7:34
  Speaker 1: seventy fourth night, she resumed it. Hath reached me o
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: auspicious King, that when the jeweler quitted his wife, he
• 7:41
  Speaker 1: repented having bespoken her. Thus, and returning to his shop,
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: he set there in disquiet, sore, and anxiety galore, between
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: belief and unbelief about eventide. He went home alone, not
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: bringing Kamar al Zamon with him. Whereupon, quoth his wife,
• 7:58
  Speaker 1: where is the merchant? And quoth he in his lodgings,
• 8:02
  Speaker 1: She asked, is the friendship between THEE and him grown cold,
• 8:06
  Speaker 1: and he answered, by Allah, I have taken a dislike
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: to him because of that which hath betided me from him.
• 8:13
  Speaker 1: Quoth she go fetch him to please me? So he
• 8:17
  Speaker 1: arose and went in to Kamar al Zaman in his house,
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: where he saw his own goods strewn about, and knew them.
• 8:24
  Speaker 1: At this sight, fire was kindled in his heart, and
• 8:27
  Speaker 1: he fell a sigh. Quoth the youth, how is it
• 8:30
  Speaker 1: that I see thee? Melancholy obeyed, was ashamed to say,
• 8:34
  Speaker 1: here are my goods in thy house? Who brought them hither?
• 8:37
  Speaker 1: So he replied only a vexation, hath betided me, But
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: come thou with me to my house, that we may
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: solace ourselves there. The other rejoined, let me be in
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: my place. I will not go with thee. But the
• 8:50
  Speaker 1: jeweler conjured him to come and took him to his house,
• 8:53
  Speaker 1: where they supped and passed the evening together. Kamar al Zaman,
• 8:57
  Speaker 1: talking with the jeweler, who was drowned in the sea
• 9:00
  Speaker 1: of solicitude, and for a hundred words, wherewith the guest
• 9:04
  Speaker 1: bespoke him, answered him only one word. Presently the handmaid
• 9:09
  Speaker 1: brought them two cups of drink as usual, and they drank,
• 9:12
  Speaker 1: whereupon the jeweler fell asleep, but the youth abode on
• 9:16
  Speaker 1: wake because his cup was not drugged. Then came Holamah
• 9:20
  Speaker 1: and said to her lover, how deemest thou of yonder cornanted,
• 9:24
  Speaker 1: who is drunken in his heedlessness and weedeth not the
• 9:27
  Speaker 1: wiles of women. There is no help for it but
• 9:30
  Speaker 1: that I coozen him into divorcing me. Tomorrow I will
• 9:33
  Speaker 1: disguise myself as a slave girl and walk after thee
• 9:37
  Speaker 1: to his shop. Where do thou say to him, o master?
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: I went to day into the khan of al Yashirja,
• 9:43
  Speaker 1: where I saw this damsel and bought her for a
• 9:46
  Speaker 1: thousand dinars. Look at her for me and tell me
• 9:49
  Speaker 1: whether she was cheap at that price or deer. Then
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: uncover to him my face and breasts, and show all
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: of me to him, After which do thou carry me
• 9:59
  Speaker 1: back to thy ho house. Whence I will go to
• 10:01
  Speaker 1: my chamber by the secret passage, so I may see
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: the issue of our affair with him. Then the twain
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: passed the night in birth and merriment, converse and good cheer,
• 10:11
  Speaker 1: dalliant and delight till dawn, when she returned to her
• 10:14
  Speaker 1: own place, and sent the handmaid to arouse her lawful
• 10:18
  Speaker 1: lord and her lover. Accordingly they arose and prayed the
• 10:21
  Speaker 1: dawn prayer and break their fast and drink coffee, after
• 10:25
  Speaker 1: which Obaid repaired to his shop, and Kamara al Zaman
• 10:28
  Speaker 1: betook himself to his own house. Presently in came Halima
• 10:32
  Speaker 1: to him by the tunnel, in the guise of a
• 10:34
  Speaker 1: slave girl, and indeed she was by birth a slave girl.
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: Then he went out, and she walked behind him till
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: he came to the jeweler's shop, and, saluting him, sat
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: down and said, oh, Master, I went into the khan
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: of al Yashija to day to look about me, and
• 10:50
  Speaker 1: saw this damsel in the broker's hands. She pleased me,
• 10:53
  Speaker 1: so I bought her for a thousand dinars, and I
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: would have thee look upon her and see if she
• 10:59
  Speaker 1: be cheap at that price, ice or no, so saying,
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: he uncovered her face, and the jeweler saw her to
• 11:04
  Speaker 1: be his own wife, clad in her costliest clothes, tricked
• 11:08
  Speaker 1: out in her finest trinkets, and cold and hened, even
• 11:11
  Speaker 1: as she was wont to adorn herself before him in
• 11:14
  Speaker 1: the house. He knew with full knowledge her face and
• 11:18
  Speaker 1: dress and trinkets for those he had wrought with his
• 11:21
  Speaker 1: own hand, and he saw on her fingers the seal
• 11:24
  Speaker 1: rings he had newly made for Kamar al Zaman, whereby
• 11:27
  Speaker 1: he was certified with entire assurance that she was indeed
• 11:31
  Speaker 1: his very wife. So he asked her, what is thy name,
• 11:34
  Speaker 1: o slave girl? And she answered Halimah, naming to him
• 11:38
  Speaker 1: her own name. Whereat he was amazed and said to
• 11:41
  Speaker 1: the youth, for how much didst thou buy her? He
• 11:44
  Speaker 1: replied for a thousand dinars, and the jeweler rejoined, thou
• 11:48
  Speaker 1: hast gotten her for gradis, for her rings and clothes
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: and trinkets are worth more than that, said Kamar al Zaman.
• 11:55
  Speaker 1: May Allah, rejoice THEE with good news. Since she pleaseth THEE,
• 12:00
  Speaker 1: I will carry her to my house, and obeyed, said,
• 12:03
  Speaker 1: do thy will. So he took her off to his house,
• 12:07
  Speaker 1: whence she passed through the secret passage to her own
• 12:09
  Speaker 1: apartment and set there. Meanwhile, fire flamed in the jeweler's heart,
• 12:14
  Speaker 1: and he said to himself, I will go to see
• 12:17
  Speaker 1: my wife if she be at home. This slave girl
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: must be her counterpart, and glory be to him who
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: alone hath no counterpart. But if she be not at home,
• 12:27
  Speaker 1: tis she herself? Without a doubt. Then he set off running,
• 12:31
  Speaker 1: and coming to his house, found his wife sitting in
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: the same clothes and ornaments he had seen upon her
• 12:36
  Speaker 1: in the shop, whereupon he beat hand upon hand, saying,
• 12:40
  Speaker 1: there is no majesty and there is no might save
• 12:43
  Speaker 1: in Allah the glorious. The great o Man asked, she
• 12:47
  Speaker 1: art thou mad or what aileth thee? Tis not thy
• 12:51
  Speaker 1: wont to do thus? And needs must it be that
• 12:53
  Speaker 1: something hath befallen THEE? Answered he, if thou wilt have
• 12:58
  Speaker 1: me tell, thee be not vexed, quoth she say on?
• 13:02
  Speaker 1: So he said, our friend the merchant hath bought a
• 13:06
  Speaker 1: slave girl whose shape is as thy shape, and her
• 13:09
  Speaker 1: height as thy height. Moreover, her name is even as
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: thy name, and her apparel is the like of thine apparel.
• 13:16
  Speaker 1: Brief she resembleth THEE in all her attributes, and on
• 13:20
  Speaker 1: her fingers are seal rings like thy seal rings, and
• 13:24
  Speaker 1: her trinkets are as thy trinkets. So when he displayed
• 13:27
  Speaker 1: her to me, methought it was thyself, and I was
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: perplexed concerning my case. Would we had never seen this
• 13:35
  Speaker 1: merchant nor companied with him, And would he had never
• 13:38
  Speaker 1: left his own country, and we had not known him?
• 13:41
  Speaker 1: For he hath troubled my life, which before was serene,
• 13:45
  Speaker 1: causing ill feeling to succeed good faith, and making doubt
• 13:48
  Speaker 1: to enter into my heart. Said she look in my face,
• 13:53
  Speaker 1: be like I am she who was with him, and
• 13:55
  Speaker 1: he is my lover. And I disguise myself as a
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: slave girl, and agreed with him that he should display
• 14:01
  Speaker 1: me to thee, so he might lay a snare for thee.
• 14:04
  Speaker 1: He replied, what words are these? Indeed, I never suspected
• 14:09
  Speaker 1: that thou wouldst do the like of this deed. Now,
• 14:12
  Speaker 1: this jeweler was unversed in the wiles of women, and
• 14:15
  Speaker 1: knew not how they deal with men, Nor had he
• 14:17
  Speaker 1: heard the saying of him who said a heart bore
• 14:21
  Speaker 1: thee off in chase of the fair, as fled youth
• 14:24
  Speaker 1: and came age with his hoary hair. Layelah, troubles me
• 14:27
  Speaker 1: and love. Joys are far, and rival and risks bring
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: us cark and care. And wouldst ask me of woman?
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: Behold I am and physic of womankind wise, and where
• 14:39
  Speaker 1: when grislyth man's head and his moneys fail, his lot
• 14:43
  Speaker 1: in their love is a poor affair, nor that of
• 14:46
  Speaker 1: another gainsay. Women, He obeth ala best who saith them Nay,
• 14:52
  Speaker 1: and he prospers not who giveth them his bridal rein
• 14:55
  Speaker 1: to sway, for they'll hinder him from winning to perfection
• 14:59
  Speaker 1: in his gifts. Though a thousand years he study seeking
• 15:02
  Speaker 1: after Wisdom's way. And a third women satans are made
• 15:08
  Speaker 1: for woe of man to allah. I fly from such
• 15:11
  Speaker 1: satanises whom they lure by their love, He to grief
• 15:15
  Speaker 1: shall come and lose bliss of world and the faith
• 15:18
  Speaker 1: that blesses. Said she here am I sitting in my chamber.
• 15:23
  Speaker 1: So go thou to him forthright, and knock at the door,
• 15:26
  Speaker 1: and contrive to go in to him quickly. An thou
• 15:30
  Speaker 1: see the damsel with him tis a slave girl of
• 15:32
  Speaker 1: his who resembleth me, And glory be to him who
• 15:35
  Speaker 1: hath no resemblance. But an thou seen no slave girl
• 15:39
  Speaker 1: with him, then am I myself she whom thou sawest
• 15:42
  Speaker 1: with him in the shop. And thine ill thought of
• 15:45
  Speaker 1: me will be established true, answered obeyed and went out,
• 15:49
  Speaker 1: leaving her. Whereupon she passed through the hidden passage, and
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: seating herself by Kamar al Zaman, told him what had passed, saying,
• 15:57
  Speaker 1: open the door quickly and show me to him. Now
• 16:00
  Speaker 1: as they were talking, behold, there came a knocking at
• 16:03
  Speaker 1: the door, quoth Kamar al Zaman, who is at the door,
• 16:07
  Speaker 1: And quoth the jeweler, Ay, thy friend, thou display'dst to
• 16:12
  Speaker 1: me thy slave girl in the bazaar. And I rejoiced
• 16:14
  Speaker 1: for thee in her. But my joy in her was
• 16:17
  Speaker 1: not completed. So open the door and let me look
• 16:20
  Speaker 1: at her again, rejoined he so be it and opened
• 16:24
  Speaker 1: the door to him, whereupon he saw his wife sitting
• 16:27
  Speaker 1: by him. She rose and kissed their hands, and he
• 16:31
  Speaker 1: looked at her. Then she talked with him awhile, and
• 16:34
  Speaker 1: he saw her not to be distinguished from his wife,
• 16:36
  Speaker 1: and aught and said, Allah createth whatso he will. Then
• 16:41
  Speaker 1: he went away, more disheartened than before, and returned to
• 16:44
  Speaker 1: his own house, where he saw his wife sitting, for
• 16:47
  Speaker 1: she had foregone him thither by the Soudorain and Shahrazad
• 16:52
  Speaker 1: perceived the dawn of day and ceased, saying her permitted
• 16:55
  Speaker 1: say end of night nine hundred and seventy four. Recording
• 17:01
  Speaker 1: by Mark Ernest