Latest / Arabian Nights Tales from Volume 09 / 035 - Night 957 - 958

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035 - Night 957 - 958 · Arabian Nights Tales from Volume 09

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  Speaker 1: Section thirty five of the Book of the Thousand Knights
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  Speaker 1: and a 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. Recording
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  Speaker 1: by Andre Levy Andre Leive dot net, Lisbon, Portugal. The
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  Speaker 1: Book of the Thousand Knights in 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 seven. When it was the nine hundred and
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  Speaker 1: fifty seventh night, she pursued it, hath reached me, o
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  Speaker 1: auspicious King, that when the keeper came to Ibrahim kasib
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  Speaker 1: Son in the garden, he said to him, rise, o,
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  Speaker 1: my son, and go up into the arbor, for the
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  Speaker 1: slave girls are to order the place, and she cometh
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  Speaker 1: after them. So beware lest thou spit or sneeze or
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  Speaker 1: blow thy nose, else we are dead men, aye and thou.
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  Speaker 1: Whereupon Ibrahim rose and went up into his nest, whilst
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  Speaker 1: the keeper fared forth, saying Allah, grantee safety, O my son.
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  Speaker 1: Presently behold up came four slave girls, whose like none
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  Speaker 1: ever saw, and entering the pavilion doth their outer dresses
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  Speaker 1: and washed it. Then they sprinkled it with rose water,
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  Speaker 1: and incensed it with ambergris and aloes wood, and spread
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  Speaker 1: it with brocade. After these came fifty other damsels with
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  Speaker 1: instruments of music, and amongst them Jemila, within a canopy
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  Speaker 1: of red brocade, whose skirts thy handmaidens bore up with
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  Speaker 1: hooks of gold, till she had entered the pavili, so
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  Speaker 1: that Ibrahim saw nought of her, nor of her raiment.
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  Speaker 1: So he said to himself, by Allah, all my travail
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  Speaker 1: is lost, but needs must I wait to see how
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  Speaker 1: the case will be. Then the damsels brought meat and drink,
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  Speaker 1: and they ate and drank and washed their hands, after
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  Speaker 1: which they set her a royal chair, and she sat down,
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  Speaker 1: and all played on instruments of music, and with ravishing
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  Speaker 1: voices incomparably sang. Presently, out ran an old woman a duenna,
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  Speaker 1: and clapped hands and danced, whilst the girls pulled her
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  Speaker 1: about till the curtain was lifted, and forth came Jemilah laughing.
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  Speaker 1: Ibraim gazed at her and saw that she was clad
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  Speaker 1: in costly robes and ornaments, and on her head was
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  Speaker 1: a crown set with pearls and gems. About her long
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  Speaker 1: fair neck, she wore a necklace of unions, and her
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  Speaker 1: waist was clasped with a girdle of chrysolite bugles with
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  Speaker 1: tassels of rubies and pearls. The damsels kissed ground before her,
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  Speaker 1: And when I considered her, quoth Irahim, I took leave
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  Speaker 1: of my senses and wit, and I was dazed, and
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  Speaker 1: my thought was confounded for amazement at the sight of
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  Speaker 1: loveliness whose like is not on the face of the earth.
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  Speaker 1: So I fell into a swoon, and coming to myself,
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  Speaker 1: weeping eyed, recited these two couplets. I see thee enclose
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  Speaker 1: not mine eyes, for fear lest their lids prevent me
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  Speaker 1: beholding thee And I gazed with mine every glance these
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  Speaker 1: I never could sight, all the loveliness molding thee. Then
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  Speaker 1: said the old Karamanah to the girls, let ten of
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  Speaker 1: you arise and dance and sing. And Ibrahim, when looking
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  Speaker 1: at them, said in himself, I wish the lady Jamilah
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  Speaker 1: would dance. When the handmaidens had made an end of
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  Speaker 1: their pavane, they gathered round the princess and said to
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  Speaker 1: her o, my lady, we long for THEE to dance
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  Speaker 1: amongst us, so the measure of our joy may be fulfilled.
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  Speaker 1: For never saw we a more delicious day than this,
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  Speaker 1: quoth Ibrahim to himself. Doubtless, the gates of heaven are open,
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  Speaker 1: and Allah hath granted my prayer. Then the damsels bust
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  Speaker 1: her feet, and said to her, by Allah, we never
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  Speaker 1: saw thee broadened abreast as to day, nor did they
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  Speaker 1: cease exciting her till she doffed her outer dress and
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  Speaker 1: stood in a shift of cloth of gold broidered with
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  Speaker 1: various jewels, showing breasts which stood out like pomegranates, and
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  Speaker 1: unveiling a face as it were the moon on the
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  Speaker 1: night of fullness. Then she began to dance, and Ibrahim
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  Speaker 1: beheld motions he had never in his life seen their like,
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  Speaker 1: For she showed such wondrous skill and marvelous invention that
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  Speaker 1: she made men forget the dancing of bubbles and wine cups,
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  Speaker 1: and call to mind the inclining of the turbans from
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  Speaker 1: head tops. Even as saith of her the poet, a
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  Speaker 1: dancer whose form is like branch of ban flies, my
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  Speaker 1: soul well nigh as his steps I greet while he dances,
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  Speaker 1: no foot stands still, and maseems that the fire of
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  Speaker 1: my heart is beneath his feet. And as quoth another
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  Speaker 1: a dancer whose figure is like a willow branch, my
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  Speaker 1: soul almost quiteth me at the sight of her movements.
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  Speaker 1: No foot can remain stationary at her dancing as she
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  Speaker 1: as though the fire of my heart were beneath her feet,
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  Speaker 1: quoth Ibrahim. As I gazed upon her, she chanced to
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  Speaker 1: look up and caught sight of me, whereupon her face
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  Speaker 1: change and she said to her women, sing ye till
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  Speaker 1: I come back to you. Then, taking up a knife
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  Speaker 1: half a cubit long, she made towards me, crying, there
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  Speaker 1: is no majesty, and there is no might save in Allah,
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  Speaker 1: the Glorious, the Great. Now when I saw this eye
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  Speaker 1: well nigh lost my wits. But whence she drew near
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  Speaker 1: me and face met face, the knife dropped from her hands,
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  Speaker 1: and she exclaimed glory to him who changeth man's hearts.
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  Speaker 1: Then said she to me, O, youth, be of good cheer,
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  Speaker 1: for thou art safe from what thou didst fear. Whereupon
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  Speaker 1: I fell to weeping, and she to wiping away my
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  Speaker 1: tears with her hand, and saying, O, youth, tell me
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  Speaker 1: who thou art, and what brought THEE hither? I kissed
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  Speaker 1: the ground before her and seized her skirt, and she said,
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  Speaker 1: no harm shall come to THEE, for by Allah, no
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  Speaker 1: male hath ever filled mine eyes. But thyself, tell me then,
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  Speaker 1: who thou art. So I recited to her my story
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  Speaker 1: from first to last whereat. She marveled and said to me, O,
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  Speaker 1: my Lord, I conjure THEE. By Allah, tell me if
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  Speaker 1: thou be Ibrahim bin al Caasib. I replied yes, and
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  Speaker 1: she threw herself upon me, saying, O, my Lord, twas
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  Speaker 1: thou madest me a verse from men. For when I
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  Speaker 1: heard that there was in the land of Egypt a
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  Speaker 1: youth that whom there was none more beautiful on Earth's face,
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  Speaker 1: I fell in love with THEE by report, and my
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  Speaker 1: heart became enamored of THEE for that which reached me,
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  Speaker 1: of thy passing cameliness, so that I was in respect
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  Speaker 1: of THEE, even as saith the poet, my ear forwent
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  Speaker 1: mine eye in loving him, for ear shall love before
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  Speaker 1: the eye. At times, so praised be Allah, who hath
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  Speaker 1: shown thy face. But by the Almighty, had it been
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  Speaker 1: other than thou I had crucified the keeper of the garden,
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  Speaker 1: and the porter of the Khan, and the tailor, and
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  Speaker 1: him who had recourse to them. And presently she added,
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  Speaker 1: but how shall I contrive for some what thou mayst
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  Speaker 1: eat without the knowledge of my women? Quoth I with
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  Speaker 1: me is somewhat we may eat and drink? And I
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  Speaker 1: opened the bag before her. She took a fowl and
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  Speaker 1: began to morsel me, and I to morsel her, which
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  Speaker 1: when I saw it seemed to me that this was
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  Speaker 1: a dream. Then I brought out wine and we drank
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  Speaker 1: what while the damsels sang on, Nor did they leave
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  Speaker 1: to do thus from morn to noon. When she rose
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  Speaker 1: and said, go and get thee a boat, and await
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  Speaker 1: me in such a place till I come to thee,
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  Speaker 1: for I have no patience left of brook severance, I replied, O,
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  Speaker 1: my lady, I have with me a ship of my own,
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  Speaker 1: whose crew are in my hire, and they await me.
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  Speaker 1: Rejoined she this is as we would have it, And
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  Speaker 1: returning to her women, and Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
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  Speaker 1: day and ceased to say her permitted say end of
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  Speaker 1: night nine hundred and fifty seven night nine hundred and
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  Speaker 1: fifty eight, when it was the nine hundred and fifty
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  Speaker 1: eighth night, she resumed it. Hath reached me O auspicious King,
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  Speaker 1: that when the lady Jamilah returned to her women, she
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  Speaker 1: said to them, come, let us go back to our palace.
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  Speaker 1: They replied, why should we return now, seeing that we
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  Speaker 1: used to abide here three days? Quoth she, I feel
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  Speaker 1: an exceeding oppression in myself, as though I were sick,
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  Speaker 1: and I fear lest this increase upon me. So they answered, O,
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  Speaker 1: we hear and obey, and, donning their walking dresses, went
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  Speaker 1: down to the river bank and embarked in a boat.
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  Speaker 1: Whereupon behold the keeper of the garden came up to
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  Speaker 1: Ibrahim and said to him, knowing not what had happened, Oh, Ibrahim,
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  Speaker 1: thou hast not had the luck to enjoy the sight
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  Speaker 1: of her, and I fear lest she have seen THEE,
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  Speaker 1: for tis her wont to tarry here three days? Replied Ibrahim.
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  Speaker 1: She saw me not nor i her, for she came
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  Speaker 1: not forth of the pavilion. Rejoined the keeper. True, O,
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  Speaker 1: my son, for had she seen THEE, we were both
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  Speaker 1: dead men. But abide with me till she come again
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  Speaker 1: next week, and thou shalt see her and take thy
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  Speaker 1: fill of looking at her, replied the prince, Oh, my lord,
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  Speaker 1: I I have with me money and fear for it.
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  Speaker 1: I also left men behind me, and I dread lest
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  Speaker 1: they take advantage of my absence. He retorted, Oh, my son,
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  Speaker 1: tis grievous to me to part with thee. And he
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  Speaker 1: embraced and farewelled him. Then Ibrahim returned to the khan
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  Speaker 1: where he lodged, and fore, gathering with the door keeper,
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  Speaker 1: took of him all his property, and the porter said,
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  Speaker 1: good news Inshallah. But Ibrahim said, I have found no
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  Speaker 1: way to my wont and now I am minded to
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  Speaker 1: return to my people, whereupon the porter wept. Then, taking
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  Speaker 1: up his baggage, he carried them to the ship and
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  Speaker 1: obeyed him adieu. Ibrahim repaired to the palace which Jamilah
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  Speaker 1: had appointed him, and awaited her there till it grew dark,
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  Speaker 1: when behold she came up to sky as a bully
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  Speaker 1: boy with rounded beard and waist bound with a girdle.
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  Speaker 1: In one hand she held a bow and arrows, and
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  Speaker 1: in the other a bared blade, and she asked him
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  Speaker 1: art thou Ibrahim, son of Alkasib, Lord of Egypt. He
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  Speaker 1: I am, answered the prince, and she said, what ne'er
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  Speaker 1: do well, art thou, who comest to the bouch the
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  Speaker 1: daughters of kings, come speak with the Sultan. Therewith quoth Ibrahim.
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  Speaker 1: I fell down in a swoon, and the sailors died
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  Speaker 1: in their skins for fear. But when she saw what
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  Speaker 1: had betided me, she pulled off her beard, and, throwing
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  Speaker 1: down her sword, ungirdled her waist. Whereupon I knew her
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  Speaker 1: for the lady Jamilah, and said to her, by Allah,
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  Speaker 1: thou hast rent my heart asunder, adding to the boatman,
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  Speaker 1: hasten the vessel's speed. So they shook out the sail, and,
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  Speaker 1: putting off, fared on with all diligence. Nor was it
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  Speaker 1: many days er we made Baghdad, where suddenly we saw
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  Speaker 1: a ship lying by the river bank. When her sailors
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  Speaker 1: saw us, they cried out to her crew, saying, O,
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  Speaker 1: such a one and such a one, we give you
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  Speaker 1: joy of your safety. Then they drave their ship against
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  Speaker 1: our craft. And I looked, and in the other boat
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  Speaker 1: beheld Abu al Cassim al Sandalani, who when he saw us, exclaimed,
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  Speaker 1: this is what I sought. Go ye in God's keeping.
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  Speaker 1: As for me, I have a need to be satisfied.
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  Speaker 1: Then he turned to me and said, praised be Allah
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  Speaker 1: for safety. Hast thou accomplished thine Errand I replied yes.
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  Speaker 1: Now Abu al Cassim had a flambeaux before him, so
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  Speaker 1: he brought it near our boat, and when Jamilah saw him,
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  Speaker 1: she was troubled and her color changed. But when when
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  Speaker 1: he saw her, he said, fare ye in Allas safety.
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  Speaker 1: I am bound to Bassrah on business for the Sultan,
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  Speaker 1: but the gift is for him who is present. Then
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  Speaker 1: he brought out a box of sweetmeats wherein was bang
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  Speaker 1: and threw it into our boat. Whereupon quoth I to Jimilah,
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  Speaker 1: oh couleth of mine eyes eat of this? But she
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  Speaker 1: wept and said, O, Ibrahim, whattest thou who that is?
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  Speaker 1: And said I, yes, tis such an one, replied she.
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  Speaker 1: He is my first cousin, son of my father's brother,
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  Speaker 1: who sought me afore time and marriage of my sire.
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  Speaker 1: But I would not accept of him. And now he
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  Speaker 1: is gone to Bassrah, and most like he will tell
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  Speaker 1: my father of us. I rejoined, O, my lady, he
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  Speaker 1: will not reach Bassrah till we are at Mosul. But
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  Speaker 1: we knew not what lurked for us in the secret purpose.
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  Speaker 1: Then continued Ibrahim. I ate of the sweetmeat, but hardly
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  Speaker 1: had it reached my stomach when I smote the ground
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  Speaker 1: with my head, and lay there till near dawn, when
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  Speaker 1: I sneezed, and the bang issued from my nostrils. With this,
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  Speaker 1: I opened my eyes and found myself naked and cast
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  Speaker 1: out among ruins. So I buffeted my face and said
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  Speaker 1: in myself, doubtless this is a trick al Sandalani hath
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  Speaker 1: played me. But I knew not whether I should wend,
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  Speaker 1: for I had upon me not save my bag trousers. However,
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  Speaker 1: I rose and walked on a little till I suddenly
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  Speaker 1: espied the chief of police coming towards me with a
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  Speaker 1: posse of men with swords and targes. Whereat, I took fright, and,
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  Speaker 1: seeing a ruined hummum, hid myself there. Presently, my foot
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  Speaker 1: stumbled upon something, so I put my hand to it,
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  Speaker 1: and it became befowled with blood. I wiped my hand
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  Speaker 1: upon my bag trousers, un knowing what had befoled it
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  Speaker 1: and put it out a second time. When it fell
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  Speaker 1: upon a corpse, whose head came up in my hand,
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  Speaker 1: I threw it down, saying, there is no majesty and
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  Speaker 1: there is no might in Allah the Glorious the Great,
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  Speaker 1: and I took refuge in one of the corner cabinets
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  Speaker 1: of the hummum. Presently the Wali stopped at the bath
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  Speaker 1: door and said, enter this place and search. So ten
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  Speaker 1: of them entered with cressets, and I, of my fear,
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  Speaker 1: retired behind a wall, and looking upon the corpse, saw
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  Speaker 1: it to be that of a young lady, with a
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  Speaker 1: face like the full moon, and her head lay on
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  Speaker 1: one side, and her body clad in costly raiment on
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  Speaker 1: the other. When I saw this, my heart fluttered with
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  Speaker 1: affright then the chief of police entered and said, search
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  Speaker 1: the corners of the bath. So they entered the palace
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  Speaker 1: wherein I was, and one of them, seeing me, came up,
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  Speaker 1: hending in hand a knife half a cubit long. When
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  Speaker 1: he drew near me, he cried, Glory be to God
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  Speaker 1: the creature of this fair face, O youth, whence art thou.
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  Speaker 1: Then he took me by the hand and said, O youth,
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  Speaker 1: why slewest thou, this woman said, I, by Allah, I
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  Speaker 1: slew her, not nor WoT I who slew her. And
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  Speaker 1: I entered not this place, but in fear of you.
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  Speaker 1: And I told him my case, adding Allah upon THEE
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  Speaker 1: do me no wrong, for I am in concern for myself.
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  Speaker 1: Then he took me and carried me to the Wali, who,
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  Speaker 1: seeing the marks of blood on my hands, said this
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  Speaker 1: needeth no proof. Strike off his head. And Shahrazad perceived
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  Speaker 1: the dawn of day and ceased, saying her permitted say
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  Speaker 1: end of night, nine hundred and fifty eight. Recording by
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  Speaker 1: Andrey Levy Andre Lee v dot Net, Lisbon, Portugal,