The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 15 - Unknown

The Five Hundred and Fourteenth Night,

Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the youth continued to Al-Hajjaj: - "And whoso breaketh his fast daily with seven raisins red of hue shall never find in his body aught that irketh him; moreover, whoso each morning eateth on the spittle[80] three ripe dates all the worms in his belly shall be slain and whoso exceedeth in diet of boucan'd meat[81] and fish shall find his strength weakened and his powers of carnal copulation abated; and beware lest thou eat beef[82] by cause that 'tis a disease forsure whereas the soured milk of cows is a remedy secure and clarified butter is a perfect cure: withal is its hide a succor for use and ure. And do thou take to thee, O Hajjaj, the greater Salve."[83] Cried the Lieutenant, "What may be that?" and said the youth in reply, "A bittock of hard bread eaten[84] upon the spittle, for indeed such food consumeth the phlegm and similar humours which be at the mouth of the maw.[85] And let not blood in the hot bath for it enfeebleth man's force, and gaze not upon the metal pots of the Balnea because such sight breedeth dimness of vision. Also have no connection with woman in the Hammam for its consequence is the palsy; nor do thou lie with her when thou art full or when thou art empty or when thou art drunken with wine or when thou art in wrath nor when lying on thy side, for that it occasioneth swelling of the testicle-veins;[86] or when thou art under a fruit-bearing tree. Avoid carnal knowledge of the old woman[87] for that she taketh from thee and giveth not to thee. Moreover let thy signet ring be made of carnelian[88] because it is a guard against poverty; also a look at the Holy Volume every morning increaseth thy daily bread, and to gaze at flowing water whetteth the sight and to look upon the face of children is an act of adoration. And when thou chancest lose thy way, crave aidance of Allah from Satan the Stoned." Hereupon quoth Al-Hajjaj, "Allah hath been copious to thee, O young man, for thou hast drowned me in the depths of thy lore, but now inform me, Where is the seat of thy dignified behaviour?"—"The two eyes." "And where is the seat of thy well-doing?"—"My tongue." And where is the seat of thy intellect?""My brain." "And where is the seat of thy hearing?"--"The sensorium of mine ears." "And where is the seat of thy smelling?"--"The sensorium of my nose." "And where is the seat of thy taste?"--"My palate." "And where is the seat of thy gladness?"—"My heart." "And where is the seat of thy sorrow?"—"My soul." "And where is the seat of thy wrath?"—"My liver." "And where is the seat of thy laughing?"—"My spleen."[89] "And where is the seat of thy bodily strenght?"—"My two shoulders." "And where is that of thy weakness?"—"My two calves." Hereupon Al-Hajjaj exclaimed, "Laud to the Lord and thanksgiving; for indeed, O young man, I see that thou knowest everything. So tell me somewhat concerning husbandry?"—"The best of corn is the thickest of cob and the grossest of grain and the fullest sized of shock."[90] "And what sayest thou concerning palm-trees?"— "The most excellent is that which the greatest of gathering doth own and whose height is low-grown and within whose meat is the smallest stone." "And what dost thou say anent the vine?"—"The most noble is that which is stout of stem and big of bunch." "And what sayest thou concerning the Heavens?"—"This is the furthest extent of man's sight and the dwelling-place of the Sun and Moon and all the Stars that give light, raised on high without columns pight and overshadowing the numbers that stand beneath its height." "And what dost thou say concerning the Earth?"—"It is wide dispread in length and breadth." "And what dost thou say anent the rain?"- -"The most excellent is that which filleth the pits and pools and which overfloweth into the wadys and the rivers." Hereupon quoth Al-Hajjaj, "O young man inform me what women be the best"—And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the King suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was

The Five Hundred and Sixteenth Night,

'A fair one to idolaters if she herself should show, * They'd
leave their idols and her face for only Lord would know.
If in the Eastward she appeared unto a monk, for once * He'd
cease from turning to the West and to the East bend low;
And into the briny sea one day she chanced to spit, * Assuredly
the salt sea's floods straight fresh and sweet would grow.'"

Hereupon quoth Al-Hajjaj, "Thou hast said well and hast spoken fair, O young man; and now what canst thou declare concerning a maiden of ten years old?" Quoth the youth, "She is a joy to behold." "And a damsel of twenty years old?"—"A coolth to eyes manifold." "And a woman thirty of age?"—"One who the hearts of enjoyers can engage." "And in her fortieth year?"—"Fat, fresh and fair doth she appear." "And of the half century?"—"The mother of men and maids in plenty." "And a crone of three score?"—"Men ask of her never more." "And when three score and ten?"—"An old trot and remnant of men." "And one who reacheth four score?"—"Unfit for the world and for the faith forlore." "And one of ninety?"—"Ask not of whoso in Jahím be."[94] "And a woman who to an hundredth hath owned?"—"I take refuge with Allah from Satan the Stoned." Then Al-Hajjaj laughed aloud and said, "O young man, I desire of thee even as thou describedst womankind in prose so thou show me their conditions in verse;" and the Sayyid, having answered, "Hearkening and obedience, O Hajjaj," fell to improvising these couplets,[95]