Latest / Arabian Nights Tales from Volume 09 / 033 - Night 953 - 954

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033 - Night 953 - 954 · Arabian Nights Tales from Volume 09

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  Speaker 1: Section thirty three of the Book of the Thousand Nights
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  Speaker 1: in 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 Andrelivy dot Net, Lisbon, Portugal. The Book
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  Speaker 1: of the Thousand Knights in a Night, Volume nine by Anonymous,
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  Speaker 1: translated by Richard Francis Burton, Knights nine hundred and fifty three.
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  Speaker 1: When it was the nine hundred and fifty third night
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  Speaker 1: she pursued it. Hath reached me, O auspicious king that
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  Speaker 1: the youth Ibrahim said in his mind, and I ask
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  Speaker 1: the bookseller of the painter of this picture, haply he
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  Speaker 1: will tell me. And if it be only a picture,
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  Speaker 1: I will leave doting upon it and plague myself no
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  Speaker 1: more for a thing which hath no real existence. So
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  Speaker 1: on the next Friday he betook himself to the bookseller,
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  Speaker 1: who sprang up to receive him and said to him, Oh, Uncle,
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  Speaker 1: tell me who painted this picture? He replied, O, my lord,
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  Speaker 1: man of the people of Baghdad painted it by name
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  Speaker 1: Abu al Kassim al Sandalani, who dwelleth in a quarter
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  Speaker 1: called al kark But I know not of whom it
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  Speaker 1: is the portraiture. So Ibrahim left him without acquainting any
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  Speaker 1: of his households, with his case, and returned to the
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  Speaker 1: palace after praying the Friday prayers. Then he took a
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  Speaker 1: bag and filling it with gold and gems to the
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  Speaker 1: value of thirty thousand dinars. Waited till the morning, when
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  Speaker 1: he went out without telling any and presently overtook a caravan.
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  Speaker 1: Here he saw ABADAO and asked him, oh, uncle, what
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  Speaker 1: distances between me and Baghdad? And the other answered, O,
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  Speaker 1: my son, where art thou? And where is Baghdad? Verily
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  Speaker 1: between thee and it is two months journey, quoth Ibrahim,
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  Speaker 1: O uncle, And thou wilt guide me to Baghdad. I
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  Speaker 1: will give thee an hundred dinars and this mayor under
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  Speaker 1: me that is worth other thousand gold pieces. And quoth
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  Speaker 1: the Badawi, Allah be witness of what we say. Thou
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  Speaker 1: shalt not lodge this night but with me. So Ibrahim
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  Speaker 1: agreed to this and passed the night with him. At
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  Speaker 1: break of dawn, the Badawi took him and fared on
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  Speaker 1: with him in haste by a near road in his
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  Speaker 1: greed for the mayor and the promised good. Nor did
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  Speaker 1: they leave wayfaring till they came to the walls of Baghdad,
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  Speaker 1: when said the wildling praised be Allah for safety. O,
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  Speaker 1: my Lord, this is Baghdad. Whereat Ibrahim rejoice with exceeding joy, and,
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  Speaker 1: alighting from the mare, gave her to the desert man
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  Speaker 1: together with the hundred dinars. Then he took the bag, and,
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  Speaker 1: entering the city, walked on, inquiring for the quarter al
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  Speaker 1: kark and the station of the merchants, till destiny drove
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  Speaker 1: him to a byway wherein were ten houses, five fronting five,
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  Speaker 1: and at the farther end was a two leaved door
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  Speaker 1: with a silver ring. By the gate stood two benches
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  Speaker 1: of marble, spread with the finest carpets, and on one
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  Speaker 1: of them sat a man of handsome aspect and reverend,
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  Speaker 1: clad in sumptuous clothing, and attended by five mamelukes like moons.
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  Speaker 1: When the young Ibrahim saw the street, he knew it
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  Speaker 1: by the description the bookseller had given him, so he
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  Speaker 1: Salaam to the man, who returned his salutation and, bidding
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  Speaker 1: him welcome, made him sit down and asked him of
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  Speaker 1: his case. Quoth Ibrahim, I am a stranger man, and
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  Speaker 1: desire of thy favor that thou look me out a
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  Speaker 1: house in the street where I may take up my abode.
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  Speaker 1: With this, the other cried out, saying, ho goss allah.
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  Speaker 1: And there came forth to him a slave girl, who said,
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  Speaker 1: at thy service, my lord said her master, take some
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  Speaker 1: servants and fear ye all and ev'ry to such a
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  Speaker 1: house and clean it and furnish it with whatso is
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  Speaker 1: needful for this handsome youth. So she went forth and
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  Speaker 1: did his bidding, whilst the old man took the youth
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  Speaker 1: and showed him the house, and he said, O, my lord,
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  Speaker 1: how much may be the rent of this house? The
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  Speaker 1: other answered, oh, bright of face, I will take no
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  Speaker 1: rent of thee wilst thou abidest therein. Ibrahim thanked him
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  Speaker 1: for this, and the old man called another slave girl,
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  Speaker 1: whereupon there came forth to him a damsel like the sun,
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  Speaker 1: to whom he said, bring chess. So she brought it,
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  Speaker 1: and one of the servants set the cloth, whereupon said
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  Speaker 1: the shaikh to Ibrahim, wilt thou play with me? And
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  Speaker 1: he answered yes. So they played several games and Ibrahim
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  Speaker 1: beat him, when his adversary exclaimed, well done, O youth,
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  Speaker 1: thou art indeed perfect in qualities. By Allah, there is
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  Speaker 1: not one in Baghdad can beat me, and yet thou
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  Speaker 1: hast beaten me. Now, when they had made ready the
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  Speaker 1: house and furnished it with all that was needful, the
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  Speaker 1: old man delivered the keys to Ibrahim and said to him, O,
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  Speaker 1: my lord, wilt thou not enter my place and eat
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  Speaker 1: of my bread? He assented, and, walking in with him,
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  Speaker 1: found it a handsome house, and a goodly decorated with gold,
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  Speaker 1: and full of all manner, pictures and furniture galore, and
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  Speaker 1: other things such as tongue faileth to set out. The
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  Speaker 1: old man welcomed him and called for food, whereupon they
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  Speaker 1: brought a table of the make of Sunna of all Yaman,
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  Speaker 1: and spread it with all manner rare viands than which
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  Speaker 1: there was not costlier nor more delicious. So Ibrahim ate
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  Speaker 1: his sufficiency. After which he washed his hands and proceeded
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  Speaker 1: to inspect the house and furniture. Presently, he turned to
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  Speaker 1: look for the leather bag, but found it not, and
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  Speaker 1: said in himself, there is no majesty, and there is
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  Speaker 1: no might save in Allah, the glorious, the Great. I
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  Speaker 1: have eaten a morsel worth a dadam or two, and
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  Speaker 1: have lost a bag wherein is thirty thousand dinars worth,
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  Speaker 1: But I seek eight of Allah. And he was silent
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  Speaker 1: and could not speak. 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 three, knight nine hundred and
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  Speaker 1: fifty four. When it was the nine hundred and fifty
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  Speaker 1: fourth night, she resumed it. Hath reached me o auspicious
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  Speaker 1: king that when the youth Ibrahim saw that his bag
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  Speaker 1: was lost, he was silent and could not speak for
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  Speaker 1: the greatness of his trouble. Presently, his host brought the
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  Speaker 1: chess and said to him, wilt thou play with me?
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  Speaker 1: And he said yes. So they played, and the old
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  Speaker 1: man beat him. Ibrahim cried well done and left playing
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  Speaker 1: and rose, upon which his host asked him, what aileth
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  Speaker 1: thee o youth whereto? He answered, I want the bag.
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  Speaker 1: Thereupon the Sheikh rose and brought it out to him, saying,
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  Speaker 1: here it is, O, my lord. Wilt thou now return
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  Speaker 1: to playing with me? Yes, replied Ibrahim, accordingly they played,
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  Speaker 1: and the young man beat him, quoth the Sheikh. When
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  Speaker 1: thy thought was occupied with the bag, I beat thee
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  Speaker 1: But now I have brought it back to thee Thou
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  Speaker 1: beatest me. But tell me, o, my youth, what country
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  Speaker 1: man art thou? Quoth Ibrahim, I am from Egypt, and
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  Speaker 1: quoth the ulster, and what is the cause of thy
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  Speaker 1: coming to Baghdad. Whereupon Ibrahim brought out the portrait and
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  Speaker 1: said to him, no, my uncle, that I am the
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  Speaker 1: son of al Casib Wazir of Egypt. And I saw
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  Speaker 1: with a bookseller this picture, which bewildered my wit. I
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  Speaker 1: asked him who painted it, and he said, he who
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  Speaker 1: wrought it is a man Abu al Cassim al Sandalani,
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  Speaker 1: who dwelleth in a street called the street of Saffron,
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  Speaker 1: in the Cark quarter of Baghdad. So I took with
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  Speaker 1: me somewhat of money and came hither alone, none knowing
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  Speaker 1: of my case. And I desire of the fullness of
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  Speaker 1: thy favor that thou direct me to Abu al Cassim,
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  Speaker 1: so I may ask him of the cause of his
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  Speaker 1: painting this picture, and whose portrait it is, and whatsoever
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  Speaker 1: he desireth of me, I will give him that same,
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  Speaker 1: said his host, by allah, O, my son, I am
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  Speaker 1: Abu al Cassim al Sandalani, And this is a prodigious thing.
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  Speaker 1: How fate hath thus driven thee to me. Now, when
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  Speaker 1: Ibrahim heard these words, he rose to him and embraced
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  Speaker 1: him and kissed his head and hands, saying, Allah, upon THEE,
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  Speaker 1: tell me whose portrait it is. The other replied by
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  Speaker 1: here an, I obey, and rising, opened a closet and
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  Speaker 1: brought out a number of books wherein he had painted
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  Speaker 1: the same picture. Then said he, no, o, my son,
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  Speaker 1: that the original of this portrait is my cousin, the
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  Speaker 1: daughter of my father's brother, whose name is Abu alais
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  Speaker 1: he dwelleth in Bassorah, of which city her father is governor,
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  Speaker 1: And her name is Jamilah the beautiful. There is nought
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  Speaker 1: on the face of the earth affair than she. But
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  Speaker 1: she is a verse from men and cannot hear the
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  Speaker 1: word man pronounced in her presence. Now, I once repair
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  Speaker 1: to my uncle to the intent that he should marry
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  Speaker 1: me to her, and was lavish of wealth to him.
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  Speaker 1: But he would not consent thereto. And when his daughter
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  Speaker 1: knew of this, she was indignant and sent to me
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  Speaker 1: to say, amongst other things, and thou have wit tarry
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  Speaker 1: not in this town, else wilt thou perish, and thy
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  Speaker 1: sin shall be on thine own neck, for she is
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  Speaker 1: a virgo of Virigo's. Accordingly, I left Bassara brokenhearted, and
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  Speaker 1: lime this likeness of her in books, and scatter them
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  Speaker 1: abroad in various lands. So haply they might fall into
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  Speaker 1: the hands of a comely youth like thyself, and he
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  Speaker 1: contrive access to her, and peradventure, she might fall in
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  Speaker 1: love with him, proposing to take a promise of him
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  Speaker 1: that when he should have possession of her, he would
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  Speaker 1: show her to me, though I look but for a
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  Speaker 1: moment from Afar off. When Ibrahim, son of al Casib,
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  Speaker 1: heard these words, he bowed his head awhile in thought,
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  Speaker 1: and al Sandalani said to him, O, my son, I
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  Speaker 1: have not seen in Baghdad a fairer than thou, and
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  Speaker 1: meseems that when she seeth thee, she will love THEE
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  Speaker 1: art thou willing. Therefore, in case thou be united with
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  Speaker 1: her and get possession of her, to show her to me,
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  Speaker 1: if I look but for a moment from Afar Ibrahim
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  Speaker 1: replied yes, and the painter rejoined this, being so tarry
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  Speaker 1: with me till thou set out. And the youth retorted,
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  Speaker 1: I cannot tarry longer, for my heart, with love of her,
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  Speaker 1: is all a fire. Have patience, three days, said the Shaikh,
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  Speaker 1: till I fit THEE out a ship, wherein thou mayest
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  Speaker 1: fare to Bassorah. Accordingly, he waited whilst the old man
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  Speaker 1: equipped him a craft and stored therein all that he
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  Speaker 1: needed of meat and drink, and so forth. When the
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  Speaker 1: three days were past, he said to Ibrahim, make THEE
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  Speaker 1: ready for the voyage. For I have prepared THEE a
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  Speaker 1: packet boat, furnished with all thou require. The craft is
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  Speaker 1: my property, and the seamen are of my servants. In
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  Speaker 1: the vessel is what will suffice THEE till thy return.
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  Speaker 1: And I have charged the crew to serve THEE till
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  Speaker 1: thou come back in safety. Thereupon Ibrahim farewelled his host, and, embarking,
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  Speaker 1: sailed down the river till he came to Basrah, where
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  Speaker 1: he pulled out a hundred dinars for the sailors. But
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  Speaker 1: they said, we have gotten our hire of our lord. However,
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  Speaker 1: he replied, take this by way of Largesse, and I
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  Speaker 1: will not acquaint him therewith. So they took it and
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  Speaker 1: blessed him. Then the youth landed, and, entering the town,
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  Speaker 1: asked where do the merchant's lodge, and was answered in
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  Speaker 1: a khan called the Khan of Hamadan. So he walked
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  Speaker 1: to the market wherein stood the Khan, and all eyes
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  Speaker 1: were fixed upon him, and men's sight was attracted to
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  Speaker 1: him by reason of his exceeding beauty and loveliness. He
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  Speaker 1: entered the caravanserai with one of the sailors in his company,
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  Speaker 1: and asking for the porter, was directed to an aged
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  Speaker 1: man of reverend aspect. He saluted him, and the door
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  Speaker 1: keeper returned his greeting, after which Ibrahim said to him, Oh, uncle,
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  Speaker 1: hast thou a nice chamber? He replied yes, and, taking
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  Speaker 1: him and the sailor, opened to them a handsome room
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  Speaker 1: decorated with gold, and said, O, youth, this chamber befitteth thee.
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  Speaker 1: Ibrahim pulled out two dinars and gave them to him, saying,
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  Speaker 1: take these two key money, and the porter took them
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  Speaker 1: and blessed him. Then the youth Ibrahim sent the sailor
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  Speaker 1: back to the ship and entered the room where the
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  Speaker 1: door keeper abode with him and served him, saying, O,
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  Speaker 1: my lord, thy coming hath brought us joy. Ibrahim gave
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  Speaker 1: him a dinar and said, buy us heir with bread
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  Speaker 1: and meat, and sweetmeats and wine. Accordingly, the door keeper
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  Speaker 1: went to the market, and buying ten dirhamsworth. The victual
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  Speaker 1: brought it back to Ibrahim and gave him the other
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  Speaker 1: tend RUMs. But he cried to him, spend them on
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  Speaker 1: thyself whereat The porter rejoiced with passing joy. Then he
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  Speaker 1: ate his scone with the little kitchen and gave the
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  Speaker 1: rest to the concierge, adding carry this to the people
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  Speaker 1: of thy household. The porter carried it to his family
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  Speaker 1: and said to them, methinks there is not on the
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  Speaker 1: face of the earth a more generous than the young
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  Speaker 1: man who has come to lodge with us this day,
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  Speaker 1: nor yet a pleasanter than he. And he abide with us,
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  Speaker 1: we shall grow rich. Then he returned to Ibrahim and
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  Speaker 1: found him weeping. So he sat down and began to
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  Speaker 1: rub his feet and kiss them, saying, O, my Lord,
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  Speaker 1: wherefore weepest thou? May Allah not make thee weep? Said Ibrahim, O, uncle,
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  Speaker 1: I have a mind to drink with thee this night.
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  Speaker 1: And the porter replied, hearing and obeying, So he gave
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  Speaker 1: him five dinars, and said, buy us fresh fruit and wine,
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  Speaker 1: and presently added another five, saying, with these by also
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  Speaker 1: for us desserts and flowers, and five fat fowls, and
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  Speaker 1: bring me a lute. The door keeper went out, and,
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  Speaker 1: buying what he had ordered, said to his wife, strain
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  Speaker 1: us wine and cook us this food, and look thou
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  Speaker 1: dress it naintly. For this young man overwhelmeth us with
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  Speaker 1: his bounties. She did as he bade her, to the
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  Speaker 1: utmost of desire. And he took the victuals and carried
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  Speaker 1: them to Ibrahim, son of the Sultan, 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 hunds dred in fifty four recording
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  Speaker 1: by Andre Levy Andre Levy dot Net, Lisbon, Portugal,