Latest / Arabian Nights Tales from Volume 09 / 019 - Night 925 - 926
Transcript
- 0:05Speaker 1: Section nineteen of the Book of the Thousand Knights and
- 0:08Speaker 1: a Night, Volume nine. This is a LibriVox recording. All
- 0:14Speaker 1: LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information
- 0:19Speaker 1: or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by
- 0:24Speaker 1: Andre Levy Andre Levy dot net, Lisbon, Portugal. The Book
- 0:29Speaker 1: of the Thousand Knights and a Knight, Volume nine by anonymous,
- 0:34Speaker 1: translated by Richard Francis Burton Knight nine hundred and twenty five.
- 0:45Speaker 1: When it was the nine hundred and twenty fifth night,
- 0:47Speaker 1: she pursued it, hath reached me o auspicious king. That
- 0:52Speaker 1: the King blamed himself, saying twas I that hearkened to
- 0:56Speaker 1: you and mine ignorance, and slew my wazirs, so that
- 1:00Speaker 1: now I find none to stand in their stead. And
- 1:03Speaker 1: unless Allah succur me with one of sound judgment, who
- 1:07Speaker 1: shall guide me to that wherein is my deliverance? I
- 1:11Speaker 1: am fallen into utter perdition. Then he arose and withdrew
- 1:16Speaker 1: into his bed chamber, bemoaning his wazirs and wise men,
- 1:20Speaker 1: and saying, would heaven those lions were with me at
- 1:25Speaker 1: this time, though but for an hour, so I might
- 1:28Speaker 1: excuse myself unto them, and look on them, and bemoan
- 1:33Speaker 1: to them my case and the travail that hath betided
- 1:36Speaker 1: me after them, and he abode all his day sunken
- 1:42Speaker 1: in the sea of cark and care neither eating nor drinking.
- 1:47Speaker 1: But as soon as the night fell dark, he arose, and,
- 1:51Speaker 1: changing his raiment, donned old clothes and disguised himself, and
- 1:56Speaker 1: went forth at a venture to walk about the city,
- 1:59Speaker 1: so haply he might hear from any some word of comfort.
- 2:03Speaker 1: As he wandered about the main streets, behold, he chanced
- 2:07Speaker 1: upon two boys who had sought her retired seat by
- 2:10Speaker 1: a wall, and he observed that they were equal in age,
- 2:13Speaker 1: or about twelve years old. As they talked together, he
- 2:18Speaker 1: drew near them whereas he might hear and apprehend what
- 2:21Speaker 1: they said, and seen to them, and heard one say
- 2:24Speaker 1: to the other, listen, no, my brother, to what my
- 2:28Speaker 1: sire told me yester night of the calamity which hath
- 2:31Speaker 1: betided him in the withering of his crops before their time,
- 2:34Speaker 1: by reason of the rarity of rain and the sore
- 2:37Speaker 1: sorrow that has fallen on the city. Quoth the other,
- 2:42Speaker 1: whatest thou not the cause of this affliction, And quoth
- 2:45Speaker 1: the first no, And if thou canst pray tell it
- 2:49Speaker 1: me rejoined the other, Yes, I WoT it and will
- 2:54Speaker 1: tell it thee know that I have heard from one
- 2:57Speaker 1: of my father's friends that our king slew his wazirs
- 3:02Speaker 1: and grandees, not for aught of offense done of them,
- 3:06Speaker 1: but only by reason of his love for women and
- 3:08Speaker 1: inclination to them. For that his ministers forbade him from this,
- 3:13Speaker 1: and he would not be forbidden and commanded to do
- 3:17Speaker 1: them die in obedience of his wives. Then he slew Shemus,
- 3:21Speaker 1: my sire, who was his wazir, and the razir of
- 3:24Speaker 1: his father before him, and the chief of his council.
- 3:27Speaker 1: But right soon thou shalt see how Allah will do
- 3:30Speaker 1: with him by reason of the sins against them, and
- 3:33Speaker 1: how he shall avenge them of him. The other boy asked,
- 3:38Speaker 1: what can Allah do now that they are dead? And
- 3:41Speaker 1: his fellow answered, know that the king of out her
- 3:44Speaker 1: Hind maketh light of our monarch, and hath sent him
- 3:49Speaker 1: a letter berating him and saying to him, build me
- 3:53Speaker 1: a castle amid almost the sea, or I will send
- 3:56Speaker 1: unto thee Badhia, my wazir, with twelve hordes of horse,
- 4:01Speaker 1: each twelve thousand strong, to seize upon thy kingdom and
- 4:06Speaker 1: slay thy men, and carry thee and thy women into captivity.
- 4:10Speaker 1: And he hath given him three days time to answer
- 4:14Speaker 1: after the receipt of that missive. Now thou must know, o,
- 4:18Speaker 1: my brother, that this king about her Hind is a
- 4:21Speaker 1: masterful tyrant, a man of might and prowess in fight,
- 4:26Speaker 1: and in his realm are much people. So unless our
- 4:31Speaker 1: king make shift offend him off for himself, he will
- 4:34Speaker 1: fall into perdition. Whilst the King of Hind, after slaying
- 4:38Speaker 1: our sovereign, will seize on our possessions and massacre our men,
- 4:43Speaker 1: and make prize of our women. When the King heard
- 4:47Speaker 1: this there talk, his agitation increased, and he inclined to
- 4:52Speaker 1: the boy's, saying, surely this boy is a wizard, and
- 4:56Speaker 1: that he is acquainted with this thing without learning it
- 4:59Speaker 1: from me, For the latter is in my keeping, and
- 5:02Speaker 1: the secret also, and none hath knowledge of such matter
- 5:06Speaker 1: but myself, how then knoweth this boy of it. I
- 5:11Speaker 1: will resort to him and talk with him, and I
- 5:13Speaker 1: pray Allah that our deliverance may be at his hand.
- 5:18Speaker 1: Whereupon the king approached the boy softly, and said to him, O, thou,
- 5:23Speaker 1: dear boy, what is this thou sayest of our king,
- 5:27Speaker 1: that he did ill of the evilest in slaying his
- 5:30Speaker 1: wazirs and the chiefs of his state. Indeed he send
- 5:33Speaker 1: against himself and his subjects. And thou art right in
- 5:37Speaker 1: that which thou sayest. But tell me, o, my son,
- 5:41Speaker 1: whence knowest thou that the King of out her Hin
- 5:43Speaker 1: hath written him a letter berating him and bespeaking him
- 5:46Speaker 1: with the grievous speech. Whereof thou tellest the boy replied, O, brother,
- 5:52Speaker 1: I know this from the sand, wherewith thy take comte
- 5:55Speaker 1: of night and day, and from the saying of the ancients.
- 5:59Speaker 1: No mistree from Allah is hidden. For the sons of
- 6:02Speaker 1: Adam have in them a spiritual virtue which discovereth to
- 6:06Speaker 1: them the darkest secrets, answered weird Kan, true, O, my son,
- 6:12Speaker 1: But whence learnest thou geomancy, and thou young of years?
- 6:17Speaker 1: Quoth the boy, My father taught it me, And quoth
- 6:22Speaker 1: the king? Is thy father alive or dead? He is dead,
- 6:27Speaker 1: replied the boy. Then wird Kan asked, is there any
- 6:33Speaker 1: resource or device for our king whereby to ward off
- 6:37Speaker 1: from himself? And his kingdom this sore calamity. And the
- 6:41Speaker 1: boy answered, saying, it befitteth not that I speak with
- 6:45Speaker 1: thee of this, But an the King sent for me
- 6:49Speaker 1: and ask me how he shall do to baffle his
- 6:52Speaker 1: foe and get free of his snares. I will acquaint
- 6:55Speaker 1: him with that, wherein, by the power of Allah Almighty
- 6:58Speaker 1: shall be his salve rejoined weirt kan And who shall
- 7:04Speaker 1: tell the king of this that he may send for
- 7:06Speaker 1: thee and invite thee to him? The boy retorted, I
- 7:11Speaker 1: hear that he seeketh men of experience and good counsel.
- 7:15Speaker 1: So I will go up with them to him and
- 7:17Speaker 1: tell him that wherein shall be his welfare and the
- 7:20Speaker 1: warding off of this affliction from him. But an he
- 7:25Speaker 1: neglect the pressing matter and busy himself with his loveliness
- 7:29Speaker 1: among his women. And I go to him of my
- 7:32Speaker 1: own accord, designing to acquaint him with the means of deliverance.
- 7:36Speaker 1: He will assuredly give orders to slay me, even as
- 7:40Speaker 1: he slew those his wazirs. And my courtesy to him
- 7:44Speaker 1: will be the cause of my destruction. Wherefore the folk
- 7:48Speaker 1: will think slightly of me and belittle my wit and
- 7:51Speaker 1: I shall be of those of whom it is said,
- 7:54Speaker 1: he whose science excellth his sense, perisheth by his ignorance.
- 8:01Speaker 1: When the king heard the boy's words, he was assured
- 8:04Speaker 1: of his sagacity and the excellence of his merit was manifest,
- 8:08Speaker 1: and he was certified that deliverance would betide him and
- 8:12Speaker 1: his subjects at the boy's hands. So presently he resumed
- 8:17Speaker 1: the colloquy and asked him, whence art thou, and where
- 8:21Speaker 1: is thy home? And the boy answered, this is the
- 8:25Speaker 1: wall of our house. The King took note of the place,
- 8:29Speaker 1: and farewelling, the boy returned to his palace in high spirits.
- 8:34Speaker 1: There he changed his clothes and called for meat and
- 8:38Speaker 1: wine forbidding his women from him, And he ate and drank,
- 8:43Speaker 1: and returned thanks to Allah the most High, and besought
- 8:46Speaker 1: him of succure and deliverance. And he craved his pardon
- 8:50Speaker 1: and forgiveness for that which he had done with his
- 8:53Speaker 1: wazirs and dolemma, and turned to him with sincere repentance,
- 8:57Speaker 1: imposing on himself many a prayer and long fasting by
- 9:01Speaker 1: way of discipline vow. On the morrow he called one
- 9:05Speaker 1: of his confidential eunuchs and describing to him the boy's home,
- 9:10Speaker 1: bade him repair thither and bring him to his presence
- 9:13Speaker 1: with all gentleness. Accordingly, the slave sought out the boy
- 9:17Speaker 1: and said to him, the King summoneth THEE, that good
- 9:22Speaker 1: may betie THEE from him, and that he may ask
- 9:25Speaker 1: THEE a question. Then shalt thou return safe and sound
- 9:28Speaker 1: to thy dwelling. Ask the boy, what is the King's
- 9:33Speaker 1: need of me? That he biddeth me to him on
- 9:36Speaker 1: this wise? And the eunuch answered my lord's occasion with
- 9:41Speaker 1: thee is question and answer a thousand times hearkening and
- 9:46Speaker 1: a thousand times obeying the commandment of the king, replied
- 9:50Speaker 1: the boy, and accompanied the slave to the palace. When
- 9:54Speaker 1: he came into the presence, he prostrated himself before Allah,
- 9:58Speaker 1: and after salaming, call down blessings on the King, who
- 10:02Speaker 1: returned his salutation and bade him be seated. And Shahrazad
- 10:07Speaker 1: perceive the dawn of day and ceased to say her
- 10:11Speaker 1: permitted say end of night nine hundred and twenty five
- 10:20Speaker 1: night nine hundred and twenty six, when it was the
- 10:25Speaker 1: nine hundred and twenty sixth night, she resumed it. Hath
- 10:29Speaker 1: reached me o auspicious king that when the boy appeared
- 10:33Speaker 1: before the king and saluted him with the Salaam, whirt,
- 10:36Speaker 1: Kan returned his salutation and bade him be seated. So
- 10:41Speaker 1: he sat down, and the king asked him. Knowest thou
- 10:45Speaker 1: who talked with THEE yester night? Answered the boy yes,
- 10:50Speaker 1: And the King said, and where is he tis he
- 10:54Speaker 1: who speaketh with me at this present? Said the boy
- 10:58Speaker 1: rejoined the king, Thou sayest sooth, o friend, and bade
- 11:03Speaker 1: set him a chair beside his own, whereon he made
- 11:07Speaker 1: him sit and called for a meat and drink. Then
- 11:10Speaker 1: they talked awhile, and the King said, Ho, thou the
- 11:14Speaker 1: Wazir in our talk yester night? Thou toldest me that
- 11:18Speaker 1: thou hadst a device whereby thou couldst defend us from
- 11:21Speaker 1: the malice of the King of Hind. What is this contrivance?
- 11:26Speaker 1: And how shall we maneuver to ward off his mischief
- 11:29Speaker 1: from us? Tell me that I may make THEE chief
- 11:32Speaker 1: of those who speak with me in the realm, and
- 11:34Speaker 1: choose THEE to be my grand Wazir, And do according
- 11:38Speaker 1: to thy judgment in all thou counselest me, and assign
- 11:41Speaker 1: THEE a splendid honorarium, answered the boy, O, King, keep
- 11:47Speaker 1: thy honorarium to thyself, and seek counsel in policy of
- 11:51Speaker 1: thy women, who directed THEE to slay my father Simus
- 11:55Speaker 1: and the rest of the Wazirs. When the King heard this,
- 11:58Speaker 1: he was ashamed and sign and said, O, thou, dear boy,
- 12:02Speaker 1: was Shimus indeed thy sire. The boy replied, Shimus was
- 12:07Speaker 1: indeed my sire, and I am, in truth his son.
- 12:13Speaker 1: Whereupon the King bowed his head whilst the tears ran
- 12:17Speaker 1: from his eyes, and he craved pardon of Allah. Then
- 12:21Speaker 1: said he, oh boy, indeed I did this of my
- 12:25Speaker 1: ignorance and the evil counsel of the women. For great
- 12:29Speaker 1: indeed is there malice. But I beseech THEE to forgive me,
- 12:34Speaker 1: and I will set THEE in thy father's stead and
- 12:37Speaker 1: make thy rank higher than his rank. Moreover, an thou
- 12:42Speaker 1: do away from us this retribution sent down from heaven.
- 12:46Speaker 1: I will deck thy neck with a collar of gold,
- 12:50Speaker 1: and mount THEE on the goodliest of steeds, and bid
- 12:54Speaker 1: the crier make proclamation before THEE, saying this is the
- 12:58Speaker 1: leaf boy the Wazir who sitteth in the second seat
- 13:02Speaker 1: after the king, and touching what thou sayest of the women,
- 13:07Speaker 1: I have it in mind to do vengeance on them
- 13:09Speaker 1: at such time as Almighty Allah shall will it. But
- 13:13Speaker 1: tell me now what thou hast with thee of counsel
- 13:16Speaker 1: and contrivance, that my heart may be content, quoth the Boy,
- 13:21Speaker 1: swear to me an oath that thou wilt not gainsay
- 13:25Speaker 1: me in whatso I shall say to THEE, and that
- 13:28Speaker 1: I from that which I fear shall be safe. And
- 13:32Speaker 1: quoth the King, this is the covenant of Allah between
- 13:36Speaker 1: me and THEE, that I will not go from thy word,
- 13:40Speaker 1: and that thou shalt be my chief counselor. And whatsoever
- 13:44Speaker 1: thou biddest me, that will I do. And the Almighty
- 13:48Speaker 1: Lord is witness betwixt us twain whatso I say therewith
- 13:55Speaker 1: The boy's breast waxed broad, and the field of speech
- 13:59Speaker 1: was open to him wide, And he said, O, King,
- 14:04Speaker 1: My read to THEE is that thou await the expiration
- 14:07Speaker 1: of the delay appointed to THEE for answering the courier
- 14:10Speaker 1: of the King of hind. And when he cometh before
- 14:13Speaker 1: THEE seeking their reply, do thou put him off to
- 14:17Speaker 1: another day? With this he will excuse himself to thee
- 14:21Speaker 1: on the ground of his master, having appointed him certain
- 14:24Speaker 1: fixed days and importune for an answer. But do thou
- 14:28Speaker 1: rebut him and defer him to another day, without specifying
- 14:32Speaker 1: what day it be. Then will he go forth from
- 14:35Speaker 1: thee an angered, and betake himself into the midst of
- 14:39Speaker 1: the city, and speak openly among the folk, saying, O,
- 14:42Speaker 1: people of the city, I am a courier of the
- 14:45Speaker 1: King of Outer Hind, who is a monarch of great
- 14:48Speaker 1: puissance and of determination such as softeneth iron. He sent
- 14:53Speaker 1: me with a letter to the king of this city,
- 14:55Speaker 1: appointing to me certain days, saying, an thou be not
- 14:58Speaker 1: with me by the time pointed, my vengeance shall fall
- 15:02Speaker 1: on thee. Now behold, I went in to the king
- 15:05Speaker 1: of this city and gave him the missive, which, when
- 15:08Speaker 1: he had read, he sought of me a delay of
- 15:11Speaker 1: three days, after which he would return me and answer
- 15:15Speaker 1: to the letter. And I agree to this of courtesy
- 15:17Speaker 1: and consideration for him. When the three days were past,
- 15:22Speaker 1: I went to seek the reply of him, but he
- 15:24Speaker 1: delayed me to another day. And now I have no
- 15:27Speaker 1: patience to wait longer. So I am about to return
- 15:30Speaker 1: to my lord, the King of utter hind and acquaint
- 15:33Speaker 1: him with that which hath befallen me. And ye o
- 15:36Speaker 1: folk are witnesses between me and him. All this will
- 15:41Speaker 1: be reported to THEE. And do thou send for him,
- 15:44Speaker 1: and speak him gently, and say to him, o, thou,
- 15:47Speaker 1: who seekest thine own ruin, what hath moved THEE to
- 15:51Speaker 1: blame us among our subjects? Verily thou deservest present death
- 15:55Speaker 1: at our hands. But the ancient say, clemency is the
- 16:00Speaker 1: attributes of nobility. Know that our delay in answering arose
- 16:05Speaker 1: not from helplessness on our part, but from our much
- 16:08Speaker 1: business and lack of leisure. To look into thine affair
- 16:11Speaker 1: and write a reply to thy king, then call for
- 16:15Speaker 1: the scroll and read it again, and laugh loud and long,
- 16:19Speaker 1: and say to the courier, hast thou a letter other
- 16:23Speaker 1: than this? If so we will write THEE in answer
- 16:25Speaker 1: to that. Also he will say, I have none other
- 16:29Speaker 1: than this letter. And do thou repeat thy question to
- 16:33Speaker 1: him a second time and a third time, and he
- 16:36Speaker 1: will reply, I have none other at all. Then say
- 16:40Speaker 1: to him, verily, this thy king is utterly witless, and
- 16:44Speaker 1: that he writeth us the like of this writ seeking
- 16:47Speaker 1: to arouse our wrath against him, so that we shall
- 16:51Speaker 1: go forth to him with our forces and domineer over
- 16:54Speaker 1: his dominions and capture his kingdom. But we will not
- 16:57Speaker 1: punish him this time for his unmannerly manner as shown
- 17:00Speaker 1: in this letter, because he is wanting in wit and
- 17:03Speaker 1: feeble of foresight. And it beseemeth not our dignity that
- 17:07Speaker 1: we first warn him not to repeat the like of
- 17:09Speaker 1: these childish extravagances. And if he risk his life by
- 17:13Speaker 1: returning to the like of this, he will deserve speedy destruction. Indeed,
- 17:18Speaker 1: methinks this King of Thine who sent thee on such errand,
- 17:22Speaker 1: must be an ignorant fool, taking no thought to the
- 17:25Speaker 1: issue of things, and having no wazir of sense and
- 17:28Speaker 1: good counsel with whom he may advise. Were he a
- 17:31Speaker 1: man of mind, he had taken counsel with o wazir
- 17:35Speaker 1: er sending us the like of this laughable letter. But
- 17:38Speaker 1: he shall have a reply similar to his script and
- 17:41Speaker 1: surpassing it, For I will give it to one of
- 17:43Speaker 1: the boys of the school to answer. Then send for me,
- 17:47Speaker 1: and when I come to the presence, bid me read
- 17:50Speaker 1: the letter and reply there too. When the king heard
- 17:54Speaker 1: the boy's speech, his breast broadened, and he approved his proposal,
- 17:58Speaker 1: and his device delight him. So he conferred gifts upon him,
- 18:03Speaker 1: and installing him in his father's office, sent him away rejoicing,
- 18:07Speaker 1: And as soon as expired the three days of delay
- 18:10Speaker 1: which he had appointed, the courier presented himself, and, going
- 18:14Speaker 1: in to the king, demanded the answer, but he put
- 18:17Speaker 1: him off to another day, whereupon he went to the
- 18:21Speaker 1: end of the carpet room and spack with unseemly speech,
- 18:24Speaker 1: even as the boy had foresaid. Then he betook himself
- 18:28Speaker 1: to the bazaar and cried, O, people of this city,
- 18:32Speaker 1: I am a courier of the King of Outer Hind,
- 18:35Speaker 1: and came with a message to your monarch, who still
- 18:38Speaker 1: putteth me off from a reply. Now the term is
- 18:42Speaker 1: past which my master limited to me, and your king
- 18:45Speaker 1: hath no excuse, and ye are witnesses unto this. When
- 18:51Speaker 1: these words reached the King, he sent for that courier
- 18:55Speaker 1: and said to him, O, thou that seeketh thine own
- 18:58Speaker 1: ruin art thou not the bearer of a letter from
- 19:01Speaker 1: king to king between whom are secrets? And how cometh
- 19:06Speaker 1: it that thou goest forth among the folk and publishest
- 19:09Speaker 1: king's secrets to the vulgar. Verily, thou meritest retribution from us.
- 19:16Speaker 1: But this we will forbear for the sake of returning
- 19:18Speaker 1: an answer by thee to this fool of a king
- 19:21Speaker 1: of thine. And it befitteth not that any return to
- 19:24Speaker 1: him reply, but the least of the boys of the school.
- 19:28Speaker 1: Then he sent for the Wazir's son, who came, and,
- 19:32Speaker 1: prostrating himself before Allah, offered up prayers for the king's
- 19:36Speaker 1: lasting glory and long life. Whereupon wird Kan threw him
- 19:40Speaker 1: the letter, saying, read that letter and write me an
- 19:44Speaker 1: acknowledgment thereof in haste. The boy took the letter and
- 19:48Speaker 1: read it, smiled, then he laughed. Then he laughed aloud
- 19:53Speaker 1: and asked the King. Didst thou send for me to
- 19:56Speaker 1: answer this letter? Yes, answered wir Kan, And the boy said, O, King,
- 20:02Speaker 1: methought thou hast sent for me on some grave occasion.
- 20:05Speaker 1: Indeed a lesser than I had answered this letter. But
- 20:08Speaker 1: tis thine to command o puissant potentate, quoth the King
- 20:13Speaker 1: write the reply forthright on account of the courier, for
- 20:16Speaker 1: that he is appointed a term, and we have delayed
- 20:19Speaker 1: him another day, quoth the king, with the readiest hearkening
- 20:23Speaker 1: and obedience, and pulling out paper, and in case wrote
- 20:27Speaker 1: as follows, And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased,
- 20:32Speaker 1: saying her permitted say end of night, nine hundred and
- 20:37Speaker 1: twenty six. Recording by Andrea Levy Andrea Levi dot Net,
- 20:43Speaker 1: Lisbon Porchial