Then said the youngest:—
My soul and my folk I engage for the youth * Musk-scented I see in my bed every night!
Quoth I, “An she be fair as her verse hath grace, the thing is complete in every case.” Then I came down from my bench[FN#115] and was about to go away, when behold, the door opened and out came a slave-girl, who said to me, “Sit, O Shaykh!” So I climbed up and sat down again when she gave me a scroll, wherein was written, in characters of the utmost beauty, with straight Alifs,[FN#116] big-bellied Hás and rounded Waws, the following:—We would have the Shaykh (Allah lengthen his days!) to know that we are three maidens, sisters, sitting in friendly converse, who have laid down each an hundred dinars, conditioning that whoso recite the goodliest and sweetest couplet shall have the whole three hundred dinars; and we appoint thee umpire between us: so decide as thou seest best, and the Peace be on thee! Quoth I to the girl, Here to me inkcase and paper. So she went in and, returning after a little, brought me a silvered inkcase and gilded pens[FN#117] with which I wrote these couplets:—
They talked of three beauties whose converse was quite * Like the
talk of a man with experience dight:
Three maidens who borrowed the bloom of the dawn * Making
hearts of their lovers in sorriest plight.
They were hidden from eyes of the prier and spy * Who
slept and their modesty mote not affright;
So they opened whatever lay hid in their hearts * And in
frolicsome fun began verse to indite.
Quoth one fair coquette with her amorous grace * Whose
teeth for the sweet of her speech flashèd bright:—
Would he come to my bed during sleep ’twere delight * But a
visit on wake were delightsomer sight!
When she ended, her verse by her smiling was gilt: * Then
the second ‘gan singing as nightingale might:—
Naught came to salute me in sleep save his shade * But
‘welcome, fair welcome,’ I cried to the spright!
But the third I preferred for she said in reply, * With
expression most apposite, exquisite:—
My soul and my folk I engage for the youth * Musk-
scented I see in my bed every night!
So when I considered their words to decide, * And not
make me the mock of the cynical wight;
I pronounced for the youngest, declaring her verse * Of all
verses be that which is nearest the right.’
Then I gave the scroll to the slave-girl, who went upstairs with it, and behold, I heard a noise of dancing and clapping of hands and Doomsday astir. Quoth I to myself, “’Tis no time of me to stay here.” So I came down from the platform and was about to go away, when the damsel cried out to me, ‘Sit down, O Asma’i!’ Asked I, ‘Who gave thee to know that I was Al-Asma’i?’ and she answered, ‘O Shaykh, an thy name be unknown to us, thy poetry is not!’ So I sat down again and suddently the door opened and out came the first damsel, with a dish of fruits and another of sweetmeats. I ate of both and praised their fashion and would have ganged my gait; but she cried out, ‘Sit down, O Asma’i!’ Wherewith I raised my eyes to her and saw a rosy palm in a saffron sleeve, meseemed it was the full moon rising splendid in the cloudy East. Then she threw me a purse containing three hundred dinars and said to me, “This is mine and I give it to thee by way of douceur in requital of thy judgment.” Quoth the Caliph, “Why didst thou decide for the youngest?” and quoth Al-Asma’i, “O Commander of the Faithful, whose life Allah prolong! the eldest said, ‘I should delight in him, if he visited my couch in sleep.’ Now this is restricted and dependent upon a condition which may befal or may not befal; whilst, for the second, an image of dreams came to her in sleep, and she saluted it; but the youngest’s couplet said that she actually lay with her lover and smelt his breath sweeter than musk and she engaged her soul and her folk for him, which she had not done, were he not dearer to her than her sprite.” Said the Caliph, “Thou didst well, O Asma’i.” and gave him other three hundred ducats in payment of his story. And I have heard a tale concerning
IBRAHIM OF MOSUL AND THE DEVIL.[FN#118]
Quoth Abu Ishak Ibrahim al-Mausili:—I asked Al-Rashid once to give me a day’s leave that I might be private with the people of my household and my brethren, and he gave me leave for Saturday the Sabbath. So I went home and betook myself to making ready meat and drink and other necessaries and bade the doorkeepers shut the doors and let none come in to me. However, presently, as I sat in my sitting-chamber, with my women who were looking after my wants, behold, there appeared an old man of comely and reverend aspect,[FN#119] clad in white clothes and a shirt of fine stuff with a doctor’s turband on his head and a silver-handled staff in his hand, and the house and porch were full of the perfumes wherewith he was scented. I was greatly vexed at his coming in to me and thought to turn away the doorkeepers; but he saluted me after the goodliest fashion and I returned his greeting and bade him be seated. So he sat down and began entertaining me with stories of the Arabs and their verses, till my anger left me and methought my servants had sought to pleasure me by admitting a man of such good breeding and fine culture. Then I asked him, “Art thou for meat?”; and he answered, “I have no need of it.” “And for drink?” quoth I, and quoth he, “That is as thou wilt.” So I drank off a pint of wine and poured him out the like. Then said he, “O Abu Ishak, wilt thou sing us somewhat, so we may hear of thine art that wherein thou excellest high and low?” His words angered me; but I swallowed my anger and taking the lute played and sang. “Well done, O Abu Ishak!”[FN#120] said he; whereat my wrath redoubled and I said to myself, “Is it not enough that he should intrude upon me, without my leave, and importune me thus, but he must call me by name, as though he knew not the right way to address me?” Quoth he, “An thou wilt sing something more we will requite thee.” I dissembled my annoyance and took the lute and sang again, taking pains with what I sang and rising thereto altogether, in consideration of his saying, “We will requite thee.”——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Six Hundred and Eighty-eighth Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Shaykh said to Abu Ishak, “If thou wilt sing something more we will requite thee,” I dissembled my annoyance (continued Ibrahim) and, taking the lute, sang again with great attention to my singing and rising altogether thereto, in consideration of his saying, “We will requite thee.” He was delighted, and cried, “Well done, O my lord!”; presently adding, “Dost thou give me leave to sing?” “As thou wilt,” answered I, deeming him weak of wit, in that he should think to sing in my presence, after that which he had heard from me. So he took the lute and swept the strings, and by Allah, I fancied they spoke in Arabic tongue, with a sweet and liquid and murmurous voice; then he began and sang these couplets:—
I bear a hurt heart, who will sell me for this * A heart whole
and free from all canker and smart?
Nay, none will consent or to barter or buy * Such loss, ne’er
from sorrow and sickness to part:
I groan wi’ the groaning of wine-wounded men * And pine for the
pining ne’er freeth my heart.