Latest / Arabian Nights Tales from Volume 09 / 030 - Night 947 - 948

Transcript

030 - Night 947 - 948 · Arabian Nights Tales from Volume 09

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Section thirty of the Book of the Thousand Nights and
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: a Night, Volume nine. This is a LibriVox recording. All
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. The Book
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: of the Thousand Knights and a Night, Volume nine by Anonymous,
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: translated by Richard Francis Burton, Night nine hundred and forty seven.
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: When it was the nine hundred and forty seventh night,
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: she said it hath reached me o auspicious king, that
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: when the Caliph arose from his seat, with Jafar and
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: the rest of the party, all entered the wardrobe, where
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: they dorned merchant's gear. Then they went down to the tigris, and,
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: embarking in a gilded boat, dropped down with the stream
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: till they came to the place they sought. When they
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: heard the voice of her damsel singing to the lute
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: and chanting these couplets to him. When the wine cup
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: is near, I declare, while in coppice loud, shrillith and trillith,
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: haz o'er how long this repining from joys and delight?
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: Wake up? For this life is a borrowed where take
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: the cup from the hand of the friend, who is
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: dear with languishing eyelids and languorous hair. I soared on
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: his cheek a fresh rose, which amid his side locks
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: the fruit of the grenado tree. Bear thou woodest deemed
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: that the place where he tear his fair cheek were ashes,
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: while cheeks hues incendiary wear. Quoth the blamer. Forget him,
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: But where's my excuse? When his side face is growing
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: the downiest hair. When the Caliph heard this, he said, oh, Jafar,
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: how goodly is that voice? And the vizir replied, oh,
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: our Lord, never smote. My hearing ought sweeter or goodlier
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: than their singing. But good, my lord, hearing from behind
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: a wall is only half hearing. How would it be?
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: And we heard it from behind a curtain, quoth the Caliph. Come, oh, Jafar,
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: let us play the parasites with the master of this house,
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: and haply we shall look upon the songstress face to face,
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: And quoth Ja'afar, I hear and I obey. So they
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: landed and sought admittance. When behold there came out to
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: them a young man, fear of favor, sweet of speech,
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: and fluent of tongue, who said to them, well come
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: and welcome, o lords that honor me with your presence,
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: Enter in all comfort and convenience. So they went in,
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: and he with them to a saloon with four faces,
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: whose ceiling was decorated with gold, and its walls adorned
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: with ultramarine. At its upper end was a dance whereon
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: stood a goodly row of seat, and thereon sat an
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: hundred damsels like moons. The house master cried out to them,
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: and they came down from their seats. Then he turned
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: to Ja'afar and said to him, oh, my lord, I
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: know not the honorable of you from the more honorable
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: Bess Milah deign he that is the highest in rank
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: among you. Favor me by taking the head of the
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: room and let his brethren sit each in his several stead.
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: So they sat down, each according to his degree, whilst
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: musrur a board standing before them in their service. And
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: the host asked them, oh, my guests, with your leave,
• 4:02
  Speaker 1: shall I set somewhat of food before you? And they
• 4:06
  Speaker 1: answered yes. Hearing this, he bade his handmaids bring food,
• 4:11
  Speaker 1: whereupon four damsels with girded wastes placed in front of
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: them a table, whereon were rare meats of that which
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: flieth and walketh earth and swimmeth seas sand, grouse and quails,
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: and chickens and pigeons. And written on the raised edge
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: of the tray were verses such as sorted with the entertainment.
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: So they ate till they had enough, and washed their hands,
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: after which said the young man, Oh, my lords, if
• 4:43
  Speaker 1: you have any want, let us know it, that we
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: may have the honor of satisfying it. They replied, tis well,
• 4:52
  Speaker 1: we came not to thy dwelling save for the sake
• 4:54
  Speaker 1: of a voice we heard from behind the wall of
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: thy house, and we would fain hear it again and
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: know her to whom it belongeth. So and thou deem
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: right to vouchsafe us this favor. It will be of
• 5:08
  Speaker 1: the generosity of thy nature. And after we will return
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: whence we came, quoth the host, ye are welcome, And
• 5:17
  Speaker 1: turning to a black slave girl, said to her, fetch me,
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: thy mistress, such an one. So she went away, and,
• 5:25
  Speaker 1: returning with the chair of chinawair cushioned with brocade, set
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: it down, then withdrew again, and presently returned with the
• 5:33
  Speaker 1: damsel as she were the moon on the night of
• 5:36
  Speaker 1: its full who sat down on the chair. Then the
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: black girl gave her a bag of satin, wherefrom she
• 5:44
  Speaker 1: brought out a lout, inlaid with gems and jacinths and
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: furnished with pegs of gold. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: of day and ceased to say her permitted say end
• 5:56
  Speaker 1: of night nine hundred and forty seven, night nine hundred
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: and forty eight, When it was the nine hundred and
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: forty eighth night, she continued it. Hath reached me o
• 6:09
  Speaker 1: auspicious king, that when the damsel came forward, she took
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: her seat upon the chair and brought out from its
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: case a lute, And behold it was inlaid with gems
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: and jacinths, and furnished with pegs of gold. Then she
• 6:24
  Speaker 1: tuned its strings, even as seth the poet of her
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: and her lute in these lines. She sits it in
• 6:32
  Speaker 1: lap like a mother fawned, and she strikes the strings
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: that can make it speak, and near smiteth her right
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: and injurious touch, but her left repairs off her right
• 6:44
  Speaker 1: the wreck. Then she strained the lute to her bosom,
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: bending over it as mother bendeth over babe and swept
• 6:53
  Speaker 1: the strings, which complained, as child to mother complaineth, after
• 6:57
  Speaker 1: which she played upon it and began improvising these couplets.
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: And time, my lover restore me, I'll blame him pain, saying, pass, oh,
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: my dear, the bowl, and in passing drain the wine
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: which had never mixed with the heart of man. But
• 7:15
  Speaker 1: he passes to joy from annoy, and to pleasure from pain.
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: Then Zaphir arose to his task of sustaining the cup.
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: Didest ear seaful moon that in hand the star hath
• 7:29
  Speaker 1: teen how oft I talked through the night, when its
• 7:34
  Speaker 1: rounded loon shed on darkness of Tigris bank a beamy rain,
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: And when Luna sank in the west, twas as though
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: she'd wave o'er the length of the watery waste a
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: gilded glave. When she had made an end of her verse,
• 7:51
  Speaker 1: she wept with sore weeping, and all over in the
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: place wept aloud till they were well nigh dead. Nor
• 7:59
  Speaker 1: was there one of them, but took leave of his
• 8:02
  Speaker 1: wits and rent his raiment and beat his face for
• 8:06
  Speaker 1: the goodliness of her singing. Then said al rashied this
• 8:11
  Speaker 1: damsel's song verily did noteth that she is a lover
• 8:15
  Speaker 1: departed from her beloved, quoth her master. She hath lost
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: father and mother, But quoth the Caliph, this is not
• 8:24
  Speaker 1: the weeping of one who hath lost mother and father,
• 8:27
  Speaker 1: but the yearning of one who hath lost him. She
• 8:31
  Speaker 1: loveth and he was delighted with her singing, and said
• 8:34
  Speaker 1: to Isaac, by Allah, never saw I her like? And
• 8:39
  Speaker 1: Isaac said, O, my Lord, indeed I marvel at her
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: with utterest marvel, and I am beside myself for delight.
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: Now al rashed with all this, stinted not to look
• 8:51
  Speaker 1: upon the housemaster and note his charms and the daintiness
• 8:55
  Speaker 1: of his fashion. But he saw on his face a
• 8:58
  Speaker 1: pallor as he would die. So he turned to him
• 9:01
  Speaker 1: and said, O, youth, And the other said, add some
• 9:05
  Speaker 1: at thy service. O my lord. The Caliph asked, knowest
• 9:10
  Speaker 1: thou who we are? And he answered, no, quoth ja'afar,
• 9:16
  Speaker 1: wilt thou that I tell thee the names of each
• 9:19
  Speaker 1: of us? And quoth the young man yes. When the
• 9:23
  Speaker 1: Vizir said, this is the commander of the faithful descendant
• 9:28
  Speaker 1: of the uncle of the Prince of the apostles, and
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: named to him the others of the company. And after
• 9:35
  Speaker 1: which quoth al Raschid, I wish that thou acquaint me
• 9:40
  Speaker 1: with the cause of the paleness of thy face, whether
• 9:43
  Speaker 1: it be acquired or natural, from thy birth tide, quoth he, O,
• 9:49
  Speaker 1: Prince of true believers. My case is wondrous, and my
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: affair marvelous. Were it craven with gravers on the eye
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: corners it were a warner, to who so will be warned,
• 10:01
  Speaker 1: said the caliph. Tell it to me, haply, thy healing
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: may be at my hand, said the young man, O,
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: Commander of the faithful, lend me thine ears, and give
• 10:11
  Speaker 1: me thy whole mind. And he come tell it me,
• 10:15
  Speaker 1: for thou makest me long to hear it. So the
• 10:18
  Speaker 1: young man began know then, O Prince of true Believers,
• 10:23
  Speaker 1: that I am a merchant of the merchants of the sea,
• 10:26
  Speaker 1: and come from Oman city, where my sire was a trader,
• 10:30
  Speaker 1: and a very wealthy trader, having thirty ships trafficking upon
• 10:34
  Speaker 1: the main, who dearly hire was thirty thousand dinars. And
• 10:39
  Speaker 1: he was a generous man, and had taught me writing
• 10:42
  Speaker 1: and all wareof a white hath need. When his last
• 10:46
  Speaker 1: hour drew near. He called me to him and gave
• 10:50
  Speaker 1: me the customary charge. Then Almighty Allah took him and
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: admitted him to his mercy, and may he continue the
• 10:57
  Speaker 1: commander of the faithful on life. Now, my late father
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: had partners trading with his coin and voyaging on the ocean.
• 11:06
  Speaker 1: So one day, as I sat in my house with
• 11:09
  Speaker 1: a company of merchants, as certain of my servants came
• 11:12
  Speaker 1: in to me and said, O, my Lord, there is
• 11:16
  Speaker 1: at the door a man who griveth admittance to thee.
• 11:20
  Speaker 1: I gave leave, and he came in, bearing on his
• 11:23
  Speaker 1: head a something covered. He set it down and uncovered it,
• 11:27
  Speaker 1: and behold, it was a box wherein were fruits out
• 11:30
  Speaker 1: of season, and herbs conserved in salt and fresh, such
• 11:35
  Speaker 1: as are not found in our land. I thanked him
• 11:38
  Speaker 1: and gifted him with an hundred dinars, and he went
• 11:42
  Speaker 1: away grateful. Then I divided these things amongst my friends
• 11:46
  Speaker 1: and guests who were present, and asked them whence they came.
• 11:50
  Speaker 1: Quoth they they come from Bassorah. And praised them, and
• 11:56
  Speaker 1: went on to portray the beauties of Bassorah. And all
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: agreed that there was not in the world goodlier than
• 12:02
  Speaker 1: Baghdad and its people. Then they fell to describing Baghdad
• 12:06
  Speaker 1: and the fine manners of its folk, and the excellence
• 12:09
  Speaker 1: of its air, and the beauty of its ordinance. Tell
• 12:12
  Speaker 1: my soul longed for it, and all my hopes clave
• 12:15
  Speaker 1: to looking upon it. So I arose, and selling my
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: houses and lands, ships and slaves, negroes and handmaids, I
• 12:24
  Speaker 1: got together my good to wit a thousand thousand dinars,
• 12:28
  Speaker 1: besides gems and jewels, wherewith I freighted a vessel, and
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: setting out their inn, with the whole of the property voiced.
• 12:37
  Speaker 1: A while then I hired a bar, and, embarking their
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: in with all my monies, sailed up the river some
• 12:44
  Speaker 1: days till we arrived at Baghdad. I inquired where the
• 12:47
  Speaker 1: merchants aboard, and what part was pleasantest for domicile, and
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: was answered the kirk Quarter. So I went thither, and,
• 12:56
  Speaker 1: hiding a house in a thoroughfare called the street of Saffron,
• 13:00
  Speaker 1: transported all my goods to it, and took up my
• 13:03
  Speaker 1: lodging therein for some time. At last, one day, which
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: was a Friday, I sallied forth to solace myself, taking
• 13:11
  Speaker 1: with me somewhat of coin I went first to a
• 13:15
  Speaker 1: cathedral masque called the Masque of Monsour, where the Friday
• 13:20
  Speaker 1: service was held, And when we had made an end
• 13:23
  Speaker 1: of congregational prayers, I feared forth with the folk to
• 13:27
  Speaker 1: a place height Kerne al Sirat, where I saw a
• 13:31
  Speaker 1: tall and goodly mansion with a balcony overlooking the river
• 13:35
  Speaker 1: bank and pierced with a lattice window. So I betook
• 13:39
  Speaker 1: myself thither with a company of folk, and sighted there
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: an old man sitting handsomely clad and exhaling perfumes. His
• 13:48
  Speaker 1: beard forked upon his breast in two waves like silver wire,
• 13:53
  Speaker 1: and about him were four damsels and five pages. So
• 13:57
  Speaker 1: I said to one of the folk, what is the
• 13:59
  Speaker 1: name of this old man, and what is his business?
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: And the man said, his name is Tohir ibn al Aloha,
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: and he is a keeper of girls. All who go
• 14:10
  Speaker 1: into him eat and drink and look upon fear faces.
• 14:14
  Speaker 1: Quoth I by Allah, this long while have I wandered
• 14:18
  Speaker 1: about in search of something like this. And Shahrazad perceived
• 14:22
  Speaker 1: the dawn of day and ceased, saying her permitted say
• 14:27
  Speaker 1: end of night nine hundred and forty eight. End of
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: section thirty