Latest / Arabian Nights Tales from Volume 09 / 048 - Night 981 - 982
Transcript
- 0:00Speaker 1: Section forty eight of the Book of the Thousand Knights
- 0:03Speaker 1: and a Night, Volume nine. This is a LibriVox recording.
- 0:07Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
- 0:11Speaker 1: information or the volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording
- 0:16Speaker 1: by phone The Book of the Thousand Knights and the Night,
- 0:19Speaker 1: Volume nine by Anonymous, translated by Richard Francis Burton, Night
- 0:26Speaker 1: nine hundred eighty one. When it was the nine hundred
- 0:30Speaker 1: and eighty first night she pursued, it had reached me
- 0:33Speaker 1: o auspicious king that Abdullah bin Fazil continued to the Caliph.
- 0:39Speaker 1: When I saw them in displight, it was grievous to me,
- 0:42Speaker 1: and I mourned for them, and my reason fled my head.
- 0:45Speaker 1: So I rose and embraced them and wept over their condition.
- 0:49Speaker 1: Then I put on one of them the police of Sable,
- 0:52Speaker 1: and on the other the fur coat of Maniver, and
- 0:55Speaker 1: carrying them to the Hammam, sent thither for each of
- 0:58Speaker 1: them a suit of apparel, such as we fitted a
- 1:01Speaker 1: merchant worth a thousand. When they had washed and donned
- 1:05Speaker 1: each his suit, I carried them to my house, where,
- 1:08Speaker 1: seeing them well nigh famished, I set a tray of
- 1:11Speaker 1: food before them, and ate with them, caressing them and
- 1:14Speaker 1: comforting them. Then he again turned to the two dogs
- 1:18Speaker 1: and said to them, was this so o, my brothers?
- 1:22Speaker 1: And they bent their heads and lowered their eyes. So
- 1:25Speaker 1: Abdullah continued, when they had eaten, O, Vicar of Allah,
- 1:30Speaker 1: quoth I to them, what hath befallen you? And where
- 1:33Speaker 1: are your goods? And quoth they? We fared up the
- 1:37Speaker 1: river till we came to a city called Kufa, where
- 1:40Speaker 1: we sold for ten dinars the piece of stuff that
- 1:42Speaker 1: had caused half a ducat, and that which cost us
- 1:45Speaker 1: a dukat for twenty. So we profited greatly and bought
- 1:49Speaker 1: Persian stuffs at the rate of ten sequins per piece
- 1:52Speaker 1: of silk, worth forty in Bassorah. Thence we removed to
- 1:56Speaker 1: a city called al Kalgu, where we sold and bought
- 1:59Speaker 1: and made gain galore and a mass of wealth great store.
- 2:03Speaker 1: And they went on to set forth to me the
- 2:05Speaker 1: places and profits. So I said to them, since you
- 2:09Speaker 1: had such good luck and lot, how cometh it that
- 2:12Speaker 1: I see you return naked? They sighed and answered, oh,
- 2:17Speaker 1: our brother, some one must have evil eyed us. And
- 2:20Speaker 1: in travel there is no trusting. When we had gotten
- 2:23Speaker 1: together these moneys and goods, we freated the ship therewith
- 2:26Speaker 1: and set sail, intending for Bassorah. We fared on three days,
- 2:31Speaker 1: and on the fourth day we saw the sea rise
- 2:33Speaker 1: and fall, and roar and foam and swell and dash,
- 2:36Speaker 1: whilst the waves clash together with a crash, striking out
- 2:40Speaker 1: sparks like fire in the darks. The winds blew contrary
- 2:44Speaker 1: for us, and our craft struck upon the point of
- 2:46Speaker 1: a bill projected rock, where it break up and plunged
- 2:49Speaker 1: us into the river, and all we had with us
- 2:52Speaker 1: was lost in the waters. We abode struggling on the
- 2:55Speaker 1: surface a day and the night till Allah sent us
- 2:58Speaker 1: another ship, who his crew picked us up. And we
- 3:01Speaker 1: begged our way from town to town, suffering mighty sore hardships,
- 3:05Speaker 1: and selling our body clothes piecemeal to buy us food
- 3:09Speaker 1: till we drew near Bassorah. Nor did we make the
- 3:12Speaker 1: city till we had drained to draft of a thousand miseries.
- 3:15Speaker 1: But had we come safely off with that which was
- 3:18Speaker 1: by us, we had brought back riches that might be
- 3:21Speaker 1: even with those of the king. But this was foreordained
- 3:24Speaker 1: to us of Allah. I said, O, my brothers, let
- 3:29Speaker 1: not your hearts be grieved. For wealth is the ransom
- 3:32Speaker 1: of bodies, and safety is property. Since Allah hath written
- 3:36Speaker 1: you of the saved, this is the end of desire.
- 3:39Speaker 1: For want and wealth are but as it were, illusions
- 3:42Speaker 1: of dreams, and God gifted is he who said, if
- 3:45Speaker 1: a man from destruction can save his head, let him
- 3:49Speaker 1: hold his wealth as a slice of nail. I continued, Oh,
- 3:54Speaker 1: my brothers, we will suppose that our sire died to
- 3:57Speaker 1: day and left us all this wealth that is with me,
- 4:00Speaker 1: where I am right willing to share it with you equally.
- 4:03Speaker 1: So I fetched the departure from the Kazi's court and
- 4:06Speaker 1: brought out to him all my money, which he distributed
- 4:09Speaker 1: into three equal parts, and we each took one. Then
- 4:13Speaker 1: said I to them, O, my brothers, Allah blessed a
- 4:16Speaker 1: man in his daily bread, if he be in his
- 4:19Speaker 1: own country, so that each of you open him a
- 4:21Speaker 1: shop and sit therein to get his living. And he
- 4:25Speaker 1: to whom aught is ordained in the secret purpose needs,
- 4:28Speaker 1: must he get it. Accordingly, I helped each of them
- 4:31Speaker 1: to open a shop and filled it for him with goods,
- 4:34Speaker 1: saying to them sell and buy, and keep your moneys,
- 4:38Speaker 1: and spend not thereof For all you need of meat
- 4:41Speaker 1: and drink, and so forth I will furnish to you.
- 4:44Speaker 1: I continue to entreat them generously, and they fell to
- 4:48Speaker 1: selling and buying by day, and returning at eventide to
- 4:51Speaker 1: my house, where they lay the night. Nor would I
- 4:53Speaker 1: suffer them to expend aught of their own substance. But
- 4:57Speaker 1: whenever I sat talking with them, they would praise travel
- 5:01Speaker 1: and proclaim its pleasures, and vaunt the gains they had
- 5:03Speaker 1: made therein. And they ceased not to urge me to
- 5:06Speaker 1: accompany them in traveling over foreign parts. Then he said
- 5:10Speaker 1: to the dogs, was this so o, my brothers? And
- 5:14Speaker 1: they again bowed their heads and lowered their eyes in
- 5:16Speaker 1: confirmation of his words. He continued on such wise, O,
- 5:22Speaker 1: Vicar of Allah. They continued to urge me and tempt
- 5:25Speaker 1: me to travel by vaunting the great gains and profit
- 5:28Speaker 1: to be obtained thereby, till I set to them needs,
- 5:31Speaker 1: must I fare with you for your sake? Then I
- 5:34Speaker 1: entered into a contract of partnership with them, and we
- 5:37Speaker 1: chartered a ship, and, packing up all manner of precious
- 5:40Speaker 1: stuffs and merchandise of every kind, freighted it therewith, after
- 5:45Speaker 1: which we embarked in it all we needed, and setting
- 5:48Speaker 1: sail from Bassorah, launched out into the dashing sea swollen
- 5:52Speaker 1: with caching surge, whereinto whoso entereth is lone and lorn,
- 5:56Speaker 1: and whence whoso cometh forth is as a babe new born.
- 6:00Speaker 1: We ceased not sailing on till we came to a
- 6:03Speaker 1: city of the cities, where we sold and bought and
- 6:05Speaker 1: made great cheap. Thence we went on to another place,
- 6:09Speaker 1: and we ceased not to pass from land to land
- 6:12Speaker 1: and port to port, selling and buying and profiting till
- 6:15Speaker 1: we had gotten as great wealth and much advantage. Presently
- 6:19Speaker 1: we came to a mountain, where the captain cast anchor
- 6:22Speaker 1: and said to us, O passengers, go ye ashore, ye
- 6:26Speaker 1: shall be saved from this day, and make search. It
- 6:30Speaker 1: may be ye shall find water. All landed I amongst
- 6:34Speaker 1: the crown and dispersed about the island in search of water.
- 6:37Speaker 1: As for me, I climbed to the top of the mountain,
- 6:40Speaker 1: And whilst I went along, lo and behold, I saw
- 6:44Speaker 1: a white snake fleeing, and followed by a black dragon,
- 6:47Speaker 1: foul of favor and frightful of form. Hotly pursuing her.
- 6:52Speaker 1: Presently he overtook her and clipping her, seizing her by
- 6:55Speaker 1: the head, and bound his tail about her tail. Whereupon
- 6:58Speaker 1: she cried out, and I knew that he proposed to
- 7:01Speaker 1: rape her. So I was moved to ruth for her, and,
- 7:04Speaker 1: taking up a lump of granite five pounds or more
- 7:07Speaker 1: in weight, hurled it at the dragon. It smote him
- 7:11Speaker 1: on the head and crushed it. And ere I knew.
- 7:14Speaker 1: The white snake changed and became a young girl, bright
- 7:17Speaker 1: with beauty and loveliness and brilliancy and perfect grace, as
- 7:21Speaker 1: she were the shining full moon, who came up to me,
- 7:24Speaker 1: and kissing my hands, said to me, Allah vealed THEE
- 7:27Speaker 1: with two fold veils, one from shame in this world
- 7:31Speaker 1: and the other from the flame in the world to
- 7:33Speaker 1: come on the day of the great Upstanding, the day
- 7:36Speaker 1: when neither wealth nor children shall avail save to him
- 7:40Speaker 1: who shall come to Allah with a sound heart. And
- 7:44Speaker 1: presently she continued, O Mortal, thou hast saved my honor,
- 7:49Speaker 1: and I am indebted to THEE for kindness. Wherefore it
- 7:52Speaker 1: behooveth me to requite THEE. So saying she signed with
- 7:56Speaker 1: her hand to the earth which opened, and she descended
- 7:59Speaker 1: therein too. Then it closed up again over her. And
- 8:02Speaker 1: by this I knew that she was of the ginn As.
- 8:05Speaker 1: For the dragon fire was kindled in him and consumed him,
- 8:09Speaker 1: and he became ashes. I marveled at this and returned
- 8:12Speaker 1: to my comrades, whom I acquainted with whatso I had seen.
- 8:16Speaker 1: And we passed the night in the island. On the
- 8:19Speaker 1: morrow the captain weighed anchor and spread the sails and
- 8:22Speaker 1: coiled the ropes, and we sailed till the shore faded
- 8:25Speaker 1: from our gaze. We fared on twenty days without seeing
- 8:29Speaker 1: or land or bird, till our water came to an end.
- 8:31Speaker 1: And quoth the rise to us, o folk, our fresh
- 8:35Speaker 1: water is spent. Quoth we let us make for land.
- 8:40Speaker 1: Haply we shall find water. But he exclaimed, by Allah,
- 8:44Speaker 1: I have lost my way, and I know not what
- 8:47Speaker 1: course will bring me to the sea board. Thereupon betided
- 8:51Speaker 1: us sore chagrin, and we wept and besought Almighty Allah
- 8:54Speaker 1: to guide us into the right course. We passed that
- 8:57Speaker 1: night in the sorriest case. But God gifted is he
- 9:00Speaker 1: who said, how many a night have I spent in woes?
- 9:05Speaker 1: That would grizzle the suckling babe with fear, but morrowed
- 9:08Speaker 1: not mourn ere to meet. There came adens from Allah
- 9:12Speaker 1: and victory near. But when the day arose in its
- 9:16Speaker 1: sheen and chon, we caught sight of a high mountain
- 9:19Speaker 1: and rejoiced therein. When we came to its skirts, the
- 9:22Speaker 1: captain said to us, oh folk, go ashore and seek
- 9:26Speaker 1: for water. So we all landed and salt water, but
- 9:29Speaker 1: found none. Whereat, we were sore afflicted because we were
- 9:32Speaker 1: suffering for want of it. As for me, I climbed
- 9:36Speaker 1: up to the mountain top, and on the other side
- 9:37Speaker 1: thereof I saw a spacious circle, distant from us an
- 9:41Speaker 1: hour's journey or more presently, I called my companions, and
- 9:45Speaker 1: as soon as they all rejoined me said to them,
- 9:48Speaker 1: look at yonder basin behind this mountain, For I see
- 9:51Speaker 1: therein a city high of base, and a strong corner place,
- 9:55Speaker 1: girt with sconce and rampartree, pasturage and lee. And doubtless
- 9:59Speaker 1: it wanted not water and good things. So hi we
- 10:02Speaker 1: thither and fetch drink therefrom and buy what we need
- 10:05Speaker 1: of provisions, meat and fruit, and return. But they said,
- 10:09Speaker 1: we fear lest the city folk be kafirs ascribing to Allah,
- 10:13Speaker 1: partners and enemies of the faith, and lay hand on
- 10:16Speaker 1: us and take us captive, or else slay us. So
- 10:19Speaker 1: should we cause the loss of our own lives, having
- 10:22Speaker 1: caused ourselves into destruction and evil emprise. Indeed, the proud
- 10:27Speaker 1: and presumptuous are never praiseworthy, for that they ever fare
- 10:31Speaker 1: in danger of calamities. Even as said of such a
- 10:34Speaker 1: one as certain poet, long as earth is earth, long
- 10:39Speaker 1: as sky is sky, the o'er proud is blamed, though
- 10:42Speaker 1: from risk he fly. So we will not expose ourselves
- 10:47Speaker 1: to peril, I replied, o folk, I have no authority
- 10:51Speaker 1: over you, So I will take my brothers and go
- 10:54Speaker 1: to Yonder city. But my brother said to me, they
- 10:58Speaker 1: also fear this thing and will not go with thee quoth.
- 11:02Speaker 1: I As for me, I am resolved to go thither,
- 11:05Speaker 1: and I put my trust in Allah. And except whatsoever
- 11:08Speaker 1: he shall decree to me, do ye therefore await me.
- 11:12Speaker 1: Whilst I went thither and returned to U. Twain and
- 11:16Speaker 1: Shahazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say
- 11:18Speaker 1: her permitted say end of night nine hundred and eighty
- 11:23Speaker 1: one night nine hundred and eighty two, when it was
- 11:28Speaker 1: to nine hundred and eighty second night, she resumed it.
- 11:32Speaker 1: Hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Abdullah said, do
- 11:36Speaker 1: ye twain await me whilst I went thither and returned
- 11:39Speaker 1: to you. So I left them and walked on till
- 11:42Speaker 1: I came to the gate of the place, and saw
- 11:44Speaker 1: it a city of building wondrous and projection marvelous at
- 11:48Speaker 1: boulevard's high towering, and towers strong builded, and palaces high soaring.
- 11:53Speaker 1: Its portals were of Chinese iron, verily gilded and graven
- 11:57Speaker 1: on such wise as confounded the wit. I entered the
- 12:00Speaker 1: gateway and saw there a stone bench whereon sat a man,
- 12:03Speaker 1: bearing on his forearm a chain of brass, where two
- 12:07Speaker 1: hung fourteen keys. So I knew him to be the
- 12:10Speaker 1: porter of the city, and that it had fourteen gates.
- 12:13Speaker 1: I drew near him and said to him peace be
- 12:16Speaker 1: with thee. But he returned not my Salam. And I
- 12:19Speaker 1: saluted him a second and a third time, but he
- 12:22Speaker 1: made me no reply. Then I laid my hand on
- 12:25Speaker 1: his shoulder and said to him, O, thou, why dost
- 12:28Speaker 1: thou not return my salam art thou asleep or deaf,
- 12:31Speaker 1: or other than a Moslem, that thou refrainest from exchanging
- 12:35Speaker 1: the salutation. But he answered me not neither stirred. So
- 12:39Speaker 1: I considered him and saw that he was stone. Quoth
- 12:42Speaker 1: I verily in admirable matter, this is a stone rotten
- 12:46Speaker 1: in the semblance of a son of Adam, and wanting
- 12:49Speaker 1: in naught save speech. Then I left him, and, entering
- 12:53Speaker 1: the city, beheld a man standing in the road. So
- 12:56Speaker 1: I went up to him and scrutinized him, and found
- 12:58Speaker 1: him stone. Presently, as I walked it down the broadways,
- 13:02Speaker 1: and saw that this was everywhere the case, I met
- 13:05Speaker 1: an old woman bearing on her head a bundle of
- 13:07Speaker 1: clothes ready for washing. So I went up to her,
- 13:11Speaker 1: and examining her, saw that she was stone, and the
- 13:14Speaker 1: bundle of clothes on her head with stone also. Then
- 13:17Speaker 1: I fared for the market, where I saw an oil
- 13:20Speaker 1: man with a scale set up and fronted by various
- 13:22Speaker 1: kinds of wares, such as cheese and so forth, all
- 13:25Speaker 1: of stone. Moreover, I saw all manner of tradesmen seated
- 13:29Speaker 1: in their shops, and men and women and children, some
- 13:32Speaker 1: standing and some sitting. But they were all stone, and
- 13:36Speaker 1: the stuffs were like spider's webs. I amused myself with
- 13:40Speaker 1: looking upon them, and as often as I laid hold
- 13:42Speaker 1: upon a piece of stuff, it powdered in my hands
- 13:45Speaker 1: like dust dispread. Presently I saw some chests, and opening
- 13:50Speaker 1: one of them, found it full of gold in bags.
- 13:53Speaker 1: So I laid hold upon the banks, but they crumbled
- 13:55Speaker 1: away in my grasp, whilst the gold aboat unchanged. I
- 13:59Speaker 1: carried off of it what I could carry, and said
- 14:01Speaker 1: to myself, where my brothers with me, they might take
- 14:05Speaker 1: of this gold their fill, and possess themselves of these
- 14:08Speaker 1: horse which have no owner. Then I entered another shop
- 14:12Speaker 1: and found her in more than this, but could bear
- 14:14Speaker 1: away no more than I had borne. I left this
- 14:17Speaker 1: market and went on to another, and thence to another
- 14:20Speaker 1: and another, much enjoying the sight of all manner of
- 14:23Speaker 1: creatures of various kinds, all several stones, even to the
- 14:27Speaker 1: dogs and the cats, till I came to the goldsmith's bazaar,
- 14:30Speaker 1: where I saw men sitting in their shops with their
- 14:33Speaker 1: stock in trade about them, some in their hands, and
- 14:36Speaker 1: others in crates of wicker work. When I saw this,
- 14:39Speaker 1: a commander of the faithful, I threw down the gold
- 14:42Speaker 1: and loaded myself with goldsmith's ware as much as I
- 14:45Speaker 1: could carry. Then I went on to the jewel market,
- 14:48Speaker 1: and saw there the jewelers seated in their shops, each
- 14:51Speaker 1: with a tray before him full of all sorts of
- 14:54Speaker 1: precious stones just since, and diamonds and emeralds, and blast
- 14:58Speaker 1: rubies and so forth. But all the shopkeepers were stones.
- 15:02Speaker 1: Whereupon I threw away the goldsmith's war and carried off
- 15:05Speaker 1: as many jewels as I could carry, regretting that my
- 15:08Speaker 1: brothers were not with me, so they might take what
- 15:10Speaker 1: they would of those costly gems. Then I left the
- 15:13Speaker 1: jewel market and went on till I came to a
- 15:16Speaker 1: great door, quaintly gilded and decorated after the fairest fashion,
- 15:20Speaker 1: within which were wooden benches, and in the porch sent
- 15:23Speaker 1: eunuchs and bodyguards, horsemen and footmen, and officers of police.
- 15:28Speaker 1: Each and every one robed in the richest of Raymond.
- 15:31Speaker 1: But they were all stones. I touched one of them,
- 15:34Speaker 1: and his clothes crumbled away from his body like cobwebs.
- 15:38Speaker 1: Then I passed through the door and saw a palace
- 15:40Speaker 1: without equal for its building, and the goodliness of the
- 15:43Speaker 1: works that where they are in. Here I found an
- 15:45Speaker 1: audience chamber full of grundees and wazirs, and officers and emirs,
- 15:51Speaker 1: seated upon chairs, and every one of them stone. Moreover,
- 15:55Speaker 1: I saw a throne of red gold, crusted with pearls
- 15:57Speaker 1: and gems, and seated thereon a son of Adam, arrayed
- 16:01Speaker 1: in the most sumptuous raiment, and bearing on his head
- 16:04Speaker 1: a chosround crown diademed with the finest stones, that shed
- 16:08Speaker 1: a light like the light of day. But when I
- 16:11Speaker 1: came up to him, I found him stone. Then I
- 16:15Speaker 1: went on to the gate of the Habrim, and entering,
- 16:18Speaker 1: found myself in the queen's presence chamber, wherein I saw
- 16:21Speaker 1: a throne of red gold inlaid with pearls and gems,
- 16:25Speaker 1: and the Queen seated thereon. On her head she wore
- 16:28Speaker 1: a crown diademed with finest jewels, and round about her
- 16:32Speaker 1: were women like moons, seated upon chairs and clad in
- 16:35Speaker 1: the most sumptuous clothing of all colors. There also the eunuchary,
- 16:40Speaker 1: with their hands upon their breasts, were standing in the
- 16:42Speaker 1: attitude of service. And indeed this whole confounded to beholder's
- 16:47Speaker 1: wits with what was Therein of quaint gilding and rare painting,
- 16:50Speaker 1: and curious carving and fine furniture, there hung the most
- 16:54Speaker 1: brilliant lusters of limpid crystal, And in every globe of
- 16:58Speaker 1: the crystal was in a unique jewel whose price money
- 17:01Speaker 1: might not fulfill. So I threw down that which was
- 17:05Speaker 1: with me, O Prince of true believers, and fell to
- 17:08Speaker 1: taking of these jewels. But I could carry bewildered as
- 17:11Speaker 1: to what I should bear away and what I should
- 17:13Speaker 1: leave for Indeed, I saw the place as it were
- 17:16Speaker 1: a treasure of the treasures of the city. Presently I
- 17:20Speaker 1: spied a wicket standing open, and within it a staircase.
- 17:24Speaker 1: So I entered, and, mounting forty steps, heard a human
- 17:27Speaker 1: voice reciting the Koran in a low tone. I walked
- 17:31Speaker 1: towards that sound till I came to the main door,
- 17:33Speaker 1: hung with a silken curtain laced with wires of gold,
- 17:37Speaker 1: whereon were strung pearls and coral and rubies and cut emeralds,
- 17:41Speaker 1: which gave forth a light like the light of stars.
- 17:44Speaker 1: The voice came from behind the curtain, so I raised
- 17:47Speaker 1: it and discovered a gilded door whose beauty amazed the mind.
- 17:52Speaker 1: I passed through the door and found myself in a saloon,
- 17:55Speaker 1: as it were a hoard upon Earth's surface, and therein
- 17:58Speaker 1: a girl, as she were the sun's shining fullest chen,
- 18:01Speaker 1: in a zenith of sky serene. She was robed in
- 18:05Speaker 1: the costliest of raymond, and decked with ornaments the most
- 18:08Speaker 1: precious that could be, and withal she was of passing
- 18:11Speaker 1: beauty and loveliness, a model of symmetry and seemliness, of
- 18:15Speaker 1: elegance and perfect grace, with wast slender and hips heavy
- 18:19Speaker 1: in dewy lips, such as heal the sick and eyelids,
- 18:22Speaker 1: lovely in their languor, as it were, she of whom
- 18:25Speaker 1: the sayers bake when he said my best salam to
- 18:29Speaker 1: what that robe in robes of symmetry, and what that
- 18:32Speaker 1: blooming garth of cheek in guards with rosy blea. It
- 18:36Speaker 1: seems as though the plaiads depend upon her brow, and
- 18:39Speaker 1: other lights of night in knots upon her breast. We see,
- 18:44Speaker 1: did she but don a garment weft of roses, softest leaf,
- 18:48Speaker 1: the leaf of rose would draw her blood when plucked
- 18:51Speaker 1: that fruit from tree? And did she crash in ocean's face.
- 18:55Speaker 1: Next morn would see a change too sweeter than the
- 18:58Speaker 1: honeycomb of what was any sea, And did she deign
- 19:02Speaker 1: her favors grant to Graybeard staff impropt, he'd wake and
- 19:06Speaker 1: rend the lion's limbs from might and valiancy. Then Abdullah
- 19:12Speaker 1: continued O Prince of true Believers. As soon as I
- 19:15Speaker 1: saw that girl, I fell passionately in love with her,
- 19:18Speaker 1: and going straight up to her, found her seated on
- 19:21Speaker 1: a high couch, reciting by heart and in grateful memory,
- 19:25Speaker 1: the Book of Allah, to whom belong honor and glory.
- 19:28Speaker 1: Her voice was like the harmony of the gates of heaven,
- 19:31Speaker 1: and risdon opened at them, and the words came from
- 19:34Speaker 1: her lips like a shower of gems, whilst her face
- 19:37Speaker 1: was with beauty, dight, bright, and blossom white. Even as
- 19:41Speaker 1: set the poet of a similar sight, O Thou who
- 19:45Speaker 1: gladdenest man by speech and rarest quality, grow longing and
- 19:49Speaker 1: repine for thee, and grow beyond degree in thee, two
- 19:53Speaker 1: things consume and melt de votaries of love. The dulcet
- 19:58Speaker 1: song of David joined with Joseph's brilliancy. When I heard
- 20:03Speaker 1: her voice of manerdy reciting the sublime Koran my heart
- 20:06Speaker 1: quoted from her killing glances, peace a word from my
- 20:10Speaker 1: compassionating Lord. But I stammered in my speech and could
- 20:14Speaker 1: not say the Salam salutation aright, for my mind and
- 20:17Speaker 1: sight were confounded, and I was become as said de barred.
- 20:21Speaker 1: Love longing urge me not accept the trip in speech
- 20:24Speaker 1: or free, nor save to shed my blood. I passed
- 20:28Speaker 1: the campman's boundary. I ne'er will hear a word from
- 20:32Speaker 1: those who love to rail, but I will testify to
- 20:35Speaker 1: love of him with every word of me. Then I
- 20:40Speaker 1: hardened myself against the horrors of her pine and said
- 20:43Speaker 1: to her, peace be with thee, O, noble lady and
- 20:46Speaker 1: treasured jewel Allah, grant endurance to the foundation of thy fortune.
- 20:51Speaker 1: Fair and debrace the pillars of thy glory. Rare, said she.
- 20:56Speaker 1: And on thee from me be peace and salutation and
- 20:59Speaker 1: high honor. O Abdullah, O son of Fazil, Welcome and
- 21:03Speaker 1: welcome and fair welcome to thee, Oh, dear darling mine
- 21:07Speaker 1: and cools of mine eye rejoined I, O, my lady,
- 21:11Speaker 1: whence what'st thou my name? And who art thou? And
- 21:14Speaker 1: what case befell the people of this city, that they
- 21:17Speaker 1: are become stones. I would have to tell me the
- 21:20Speaker 1: truth of the matter, for indeed I am admiring at
- 21:23Speaker 1: this city and its citizens, and that I have found
- 21:26Speaker 1: none alive therein Save thyself. So Allah upon THEE, tell
- 21:30Speaker 1: me the cause of all this according to the truth.
- 21:34Speaker 1: Quoth she sit, O Abdullah, and Inchullah, I will talk
- 21:38Speaker 1: with THEE and acquaintee in full with the facts of
- 21:41Speaker 1: my case and of this place and its people. And
- 21:44Speaker 1: there is no majesty and there is no might save
- 21:47Speaker 1: in Allah the Glorious, the Great. So I sat me
- 21:51Speaker 1: down by her side, and she said to me, no
- 21:54Speaker 1: O Abdullah, may Allah have mercy on THEE, that I
- 21:57Speaker 1: am the daughter of the king of this city, and
- 21:59Speaker 1: that it is my sire whom thousuest seated on the
- 22:03Speaker 1: high stead in the divan, and those who are round
- 22:06Speaker 1: about him were the lords of his land and the
- 22:08Speaker 1: guards of his empiry. He was a king of exceeding
- 22:11Speaker 1: prowess and had under his hand a thousand, thousand and
- 22:14Speaker 1: sixty thousand troopers. The number of the emirs of his
- 22:18Speaker 1: empire was four and twenty thousand, all of them governors
- 22:22Speaker 1: and dignitaries. He was obeyed by a thousand cities, beside towns, hamblets,
- 22:27Speaker 1: and villages, and sconces and citadels, and the emirs of
- 22:31Speaker 1: the wild Arabs under his hand were a thousand in number,
- 22:35Speaker 1: each commanding twenty thousand horse. Moreover, he had moneys and treasures,
- 22:40Speaker 1: and precious stones, and jewels, and things of price, such
- 22:44Speaker 1: as I never saw, nor of which ear ever heard.
- 22:48Speaker 1: And Schahazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
- 22:51Speaker 1: her permitted say end of night, nine hundred and eighty
- 22:56Speaker 1: two