Yea, tribes and armies in my hand I saw; ✿ The world all dreaded me, both friends and fone.
When I took horse, I viewed my numbered troops, ✿ Bridles on neighing steeds a million.
And I had wealth that none could tell or count, ✿ Against misfortune treasuring all I won;
Fain had I bought my life with all my wealth, ✿ And for a moment’s space my death to shun;
But God would naught save what His purpose willed; ✿ So from my brethren cut I ‘bode alone:
And Death, that sunders man, exchanged my lot ✿ To pauper hut from grandeur’s mansion,
When found I all mine actions gone and past ✿ Wherefor I’m pledged[[120]] and by my sin undone.
Then fear, O man, who by a brink dost range, ✿ The turns of Fortune and the chance of Change.
The Emir Musa was hurt to his heart and loathed his life for what he saw of the slaughtering-places of the folk; and, as they went about the highways and bye-ways of the palace, viewing its sitting-chambers and pleasaunces, behold they came upon a table of yellow onyx, upborne on four feet of juniper-wood,[[121]] and thereon these words graven:—“At this table have eaten a thousand kings blind of the right eye and a thousand blind of the left and yet other thousand sound of both eyes, all of whom have departed the world and have taken up their sojourn in the tombs and the catacombs.” All this the Emir wrote down and left the palace, carrying off with him naught save the table aforesaid. Then he fared on with his host three days’ space, under the guidance of the Shaykh Abd al-Samad, till they came to a high hill, whereon stood a horseman of brass. In his hand he held a lance with a broad head, in brightness like blinding leven, whereon was graven:—“O thou that comest unto me, if thou know not the way to the City of Brass, rub the hand of this rider and he will turn round and presently stop. Then take the direction whereto he faceth and fare fearless, for it will bring thee, without hardship, to the city aforesaid.”——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Seventieth Night,