The Five Hundred and Ninth 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 Pirate cried out, “This tale is heavy upon my heart!” Presently the damsel resumed her speech and said:—Walláhi! if my mother and my father say sooth this be my sire and that be my cousin and here standeth the King and there the Wazir and yonder are the Ra’is and the Pirate, the comrade of the Forty Thieves whose only will and wish was to dishonour us maidens all. Then she resumed, addressing the King and his Minister, “These forty Mamelukes whom you see standing between your hands are the virgin girls belonging to you.” After which she presented the twain with sumptuous gifts and they took their maidens and with them went their ways. Next she restored to the Ra’is his ship and freighted it with her good and he set forth in it on his return voyage. But as regards the Pirate she commanded her attendants to kindle for him a furious fire and they lit it till it roared and the sparks flew high in air, after which they pinioned him and cast him into the flames, where his flesh was melted before his bones.[[40]] But as concerned her cousin she caused the marriage tie to be tied between him and the Wazir’s daughter and he paid her his first visit on that same night and then she ordered her father to knit the wedding knot with the youth on the next night and when this was done forthwith he went in unto her. After this she committed to him the Sultanate and he became a Sovran and Sultan in her stead, and she bade fetch her mother to that city where her cousin governed and where her father-in-law the Wazir was chief Councillor of the realm. On this wise it endured for the length of their lives, and fair to them were the term and the tide and the age and the time, and they led of lives the joyfullest and a livelihood of the perfectest until they were consumed by the world and died out generation of the generation.[[41]]
HISTORY OF AL-HAJJAJ BIN YUSUF AND THE YOUNG SAYYID.[[42]]
It is related (but Allah is All-knowing) that there was in times of yore a man named ’Abdullah al-Karkhí and he was wont to tell the following tale:—One day I was present in the assembly of Al-Hajjáj the son of Yúsuf the Thakafí[[43]] what time he was Governor of Kúfah, and the folk around him were seated and for awe of him prostrated and these were the Emirs and Wazirs and the Nabobs and the Chamberlains and the Lords of the Land and the Headmen in command and amongst whom he showed like a rending lion. And behold, there came to him a man young in years and ragged of raiment and of case debased and there was none of blossom upon his cheeks and the World had changed his cuticle and Need had altered his complexion. Presently he salam’d and deprecated and was eloquent in his salutation to the Governor who returned his greeting and looking at him asked, “Who art thou, O young man, and what hast thou to say and what is thine excuse for pushing into the assembly of the Kings even as if, O youth, thou hadst been an invited guest?[[44]] So say me, who art thou and whose son art thou?” “I am the son of my mother and my father,” answered he, and Al-Hajjaj continued, “In what fashion hast thou come hither?”—“In my clothes.” (¿) “Whence hast thou come?”—“From behind me.” (¿) “Whither art thou intending?”—“Before me.” (¿) “On what hast thou come?”—“On the ground.” (¿) “Whence art thou, O young man?”—“I am from the city Misr.” (¿) “Art thou from Cairo?”[[45]]—“Why askest thou me, O Hajjaj?” Whereupon the Lieutenant of Kufah replied, “Verily her ground is gold and her Nile is rare to behold and her women are a toy for the conqueror to enjoy, and her men are nor burghers nor Badawis.” Quoth the youth, “I am not of them,” and quoth Al-Hajjaj, “Then whence art thou, O young man?”—“I am from the city of Syria.” (¿) “Then art thou from the stubbornest of places and of the feeblest of races.”[[46]] “Wherefore, O Hajjaj?”—“For that it is a mixed breed I ween, nor Jew nor Nazarene.” “I am not of them.” (¿) “Then whence art thou, O young man?”—“I am of Khorásán of ’Ajamí-land.” (¿) “Thou art therefore from a place the fulsomest and of faith the infirmest.”—“Wherefore, O Hajjaj?” (¿) “Because flocks and herds are their chums and they are Ajams of the Ajams from whom liberal deed never comes, and their morals and manners none to praise presumes and their speech is gross and weighty, and stingy are their rich and wealthy.” “I am not of them.” “Then whence art thou, O young man?” “I am from Mosul.” (¿) “Then art thou from the foulest and filthiest of a Catamite race, whose youth is a scapegrace and whose old age hath wits as the wits of an ass.” “I am not of them.” (¿) “Then whence art thou, O young man?” “I am from the land of Al-Yaman.” (¿) “Then art thou from a clime other than delectable. And why so, O Hajjaj?” (¿) “For that their noblest make womanly use of Murd[[47]] or beardless boys and the meanest of them tan hides and the lowest amongst them train baboons to dance, and others are weavers of Burd or woollen plaids.”[[48]] “I am not of them.” (¿) “Then whence art thou, O young man?” “I am from Meccah.” (¿) “Then art thou from a mine of captious carping and ignorance and lack of wits and of sleep over-abundant, whereto Allah commissioned a noble Prophet, and him they belied and they rejected: so he went forth unto a folk which loved him and honoured him and made him a conqueror despite the nose of the Meccan churls.” “I am not of them.” (¿) “Then whence art thou, O young man? for verily thou hast been abundant of prate and my heart longeth to cut off thy pate.”[[49]] Hereupon quoth the youth, “An I knew thou couldst slay me I had not worshipped any god save thyself,” and quoth Al-Hajjaj, “Woe to thee, and who shall stay me from slaying thee?” “To thyself be the woe with measure enow,” cried the youth; “He shall hinder thee from killing me who administereth between a man and his heart,[[50]] and who falseth not his promise.” “’Tis He,” rejoined Al-Hajjaj, “who directeth me to thy death;” but the Youth retorted, “Allah forfend that He appoint thee to my slaughter; nay rather art thou commissioned by thy Devil, and I take refuge with the Lord from Satan the stoned.” (¿) “Whence then art thou, O young man?” “I am from Yathrib.”[[51]] (¿) “And what be Yathrib?” “It is Tayyibah.” (¿) “And what be Tayyibah?” “Al-Madinah, the Luminate, the mine of inspiration and explanation and prohibition and licitation,[[52]] and I am the seed of the Banú Ghálib[[53]] and the purest scion of the Imam ’Ali ibn Abí Talíb (Allah honour his countenance and accept of him!), and all degree and descent[[54]] must fail save my descent and degree which shall never be cut off until the Day of Doom.” Hereupon Al-Hajjaj raged with exceeding rage and ordered the Youth to execution; whereat rose up against him the Lords of the realm and the headmen of the reign and sued him by way of intercession and stretched out to him their necks, saying, “Here are our heads before his head and our lives before his life. By Allah, ho thou the Emir, there is naught but that thou accept our impetration in the matter of this Youth, for he is on no wise deserving of death.” Quoth the Governor, “Weary not yourselves for needs must I slay him; and even were an Angel from Heaven to cry out ’Kill him not,’ I would never hearken to his cry.” Quoth the youth, “Thou shalt be baffled[[55]] O Hajjaj! Who art thou that an Angel from Heaven should cry out to thee ’Kill him not,’ for thou art of the vilest and meanest of mankind nor hast thou power to find a path to my death.” Cried Al-Hajjaj, “By Allah, I will not slay thee except upon a plea I will plead against thee, and convict thee by thy very words.” “What is that, O Hajjaj?” asked the Youth, and answered Hajjaj, “I will now question thee, and out of thine own mouth will I convict thee and strike off thy head.[[56]] Now say me, O young man:—Whereby doth the slave draw near to Allah Almighty?” “By five things, prayer (1), and fasting (2), and alms (3), and pilgrimage (4), and Holy War upon the path of Almighty Allah (5).” “But I draw near to the Lord with the blood of the men who declare that Hasan and Husayn were the sons and successors of the Apostle of Allah.[[57]] Furthermore, O young man, how can they be born of the Apostle of Almighty Allah when he sayeth, ’Never was Mohammed the father of any man amongst you, but he was the Apostle of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets,’”[[58]] “Hear thou, O Hajjaj, my answer with another Koranic verse,[[59]] ’What the Apostle hath given you, take: and what he hath refused you, refuse.’ Now Allah Almighty hath forbidden the taking of life, whose destruction is therefore unlawful.” (¿) “Thou hast spoken sooth, O young man, but inform me of what is incumbent on thee every day and every night?” “The five canonical prayers,” (¿) “And for every year?” “The fast of the month Ramazán.” (¿) “And for the whole of thy life?” “One pilgrimage to the Holy House of Allah.” (¿) “Sooth thou hast said, O young man; now do thou inform me”——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 Twelfth 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 Al-Hajjaj said, “Now do thou inform me who is the most excellent of the Arabs and the noblest and of blood the purest?”—“The Khoraysh.” (¿) “And wherefore so?” “For that the Prophets from them proceeded.” (¿) “And what tribe is the knightliest of the Arabs and the bravest and the firmest in fight?”—“The Banu Háshim.”[[60]] (¿) “And wherefore so?” “For that my grandsire the Imám Alí ibn Abí Tálib is of them.” (¿) “And who is the most generous of the Arabs and most steadfast in the guest-rite?”—“The Banu Tayy.” (¿) “And wherefore so?” “For that Hátim of Tayy[[61]] was one thereof.” (¿) “And who is the vilest of the Arabs and the meanest and the most miserly, in whom weal is smallest and ill is greatest?” “The Banu Thakíf.”[[62]] (¿) “And wherefore so?” “Because thou, O Hajjaj, art of them.” Thereupon the Lieutenant of Kufah raged with exceeding rage and ordered the slaughter of the youth; but the Grandees of the State rose up and prayed him for mercy, when he accepted their intercession and pardoned the offender. After which he said to him, “O young man, concerning the kid[[63]] that is in the firmament, tell me be it male or female?” for he was minded on this wise to cut short his words. The young Sayyid replied, “O Hajjaj, draw me aside its tail, so I may inform thee thereanent.”[[64]] (¿) “O young man, say me on what pasture best grow the horns of the camel?” “From leaves of stone.” (¿) “O lack wit! do stones bear leaves.” “O swollen of lips and little of wits and wisdom, say me do camels have horns?” (¿) “Haply thou art a lover fond, O youth?” “Yes! in love drowned.” (¿) “And whom lovest thou?”—“I love my Lord, of whom I hope that he will turn my annoy into joy, and who can save me this day from thee, O Hajjaj.” (¿) “And dost thou know the Lord?” “Yes, I do.” (¿) “And whereby hast thou known Him?” “By the Book of Him which descended upon His Prophet-Apostle.” (¿) “And knowest thou the Koran by heart?” “Doth the Koran fly from me that I should learn it by rote?” (¿) “Hast thou confirmed knowledge thereof?” “Verily Allah sent down a book confirmed.”[[65]] (¿) “Hast thou perused and mastered that which is therein?” “I have.” (¿) “Then, O young man, if thou have read and learned what it containeth, tell me which verset is the sublimest (1) and which verset is the most imperious (2) and which verset is hopefullest (3) and which verset is fearfullest (4) and which verset is believed by the Jew and the Nazarene (5) and in which verset Allah speaketh purely of Himself (6) and in which verset be the Angels mentioned (7) and which verset alludeth to the Prophets (8) and in which verset be mentioned the People of Paradise (9) and which verset speaketh of the Folk of the Fire (10) and which verset containeth tenfold signs (11) and which verset (12) speaketh of Iblís (whom Allah accurse!).” Then quoth the youth, “Listen to my answering, O Hajjaj, with the aid of the Beneficent King.” Now the sublimest verset in the Book of Allah Almighty is the Throne verse;[[66]] and the most imperious is the word of Almighty Allah, ’Verily Allah ordereth justice and well-doing and bestowal of gifts upon kith and kin’;[[67]] and the justest is the word of the Almighty, ’Whoso shall have wrought a mithkál (nay an atom) of good works shall see it again, and whoso shall have wrought a mithkál (nay an atom) of ill shall again see it’;[[68]] and the fullest of fear is that spoken by the Almighty, ’Doth not every man of them desire that he enter into the Paradise hight Al-Na’im?’[[69]] and the fullest of hope is the word of the Almighty, ’Say Me, O My worshippers who have sinned against your own souls, do not despair of Allah’s ruth’;[[70]] and the verset which containeth ten signs is the word of the Lord which saith[[71]] ’Verily in the Creation of the Heavens and the Earth and in the shifts of Night and Day and in the ships which pass through the sea with what is useful to mankind; and in the rain which Allah sendeth down from Heaven, thereby giving to the earth life after death, and by scattering thereover all the moving creatures, and in the change of the winds, and in the clouds which are made to do service between the Heavens and the Earth are signs for those who understand’; and the verset wherein believe both Jews and Nazarenes is the word of Almighty Allah,[[72]] ‘The Jews say the Nazarenes are on naught, and the Christians say the Jews are on naught, and both speak the sooth for they are on naught.’ And the verset wherein Allah Almighty speaketh purely of Himself is that word of Almighty Allah,[[73]] ’And I created not Jinn-kind and mankind save to the end that they adore Me’; and the verset which was spoken of the Angels is the word of Almighty Allah which saith,[[74]] ’Laud to Thee! we have no knowledge save what Thou hast given us to know, and verily Thou art the Knowing, the Wise.’ And the verset which speaketh of the Prophets is the word of Almighty Allah that saith[[75]] ’And We have already sent Apostles before thee: of some We have told thee, and of others we have told thee naught: yet no Apostle had the power to come with a sign unless by the leave of Allah. But when Allah’s behest cometh, everything shall be decided with truth; and then perish they who entreated it as a vain thing’; and the verset which speaketh of the Folk of the Fire is the word of Almighty Allah which saith[[76]] ’O our Lord! Bring us forth from her (the Fire), and, if we return (to our sins), we shall indeed be of the evildoers’; and the verset that speaketh of the People of Paradise is the word of Almighty Allah,[[77]] ’And they shall say: Laud to the Lord who abated to us grief, and verily our lord is Gracious, Grateful’; and the verset which speaketh of Iblis (whom Allah Almighty accurse!), is the word of Almighty Allah,[[78]] ’He said: (I swear) therefore by Thy Glory, that all of them will I surely lead astray.’ Hereupon Al-Hajjaj exclaimed, “Laud to the Lord and thanksgiving Who giveth wisdom unto whoso He please! Never indeed saw I a youth like this youth upon whom the Almighty hath bestowed wits and wisdom and knowledge for all the tenderness of his age. But say me, Who art thou, O young man?” Quoth the youth, “I am of the folk of these things,[[79]] O Hajjaj.” Resumed the Lieutenant, (¿) “Inform me concerning the son of Adam what injureth him and what profiteth him?” And the youth replied, “I will, O Hajjaj; do thou and these present who are longing for permanency (and none is permanent save Allah Almighty!) be early the fast to break, nor be over late supper to make; and wear light body-clothes in summer and gar heavy the headgear in winter, and guard the brain with what it conserveth and the belly with what it preserveth and begin every meal with salt for it driveth away seventy and two kinds of malady: and whoso breaketh his fast each day with seven raisins red of hue”——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, “How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, 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 Sovran suffer me to survive?” Now when it was the next night, and that was
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 succour 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. And 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 strength?”—“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,
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 Al-Hajjaj said “O young man, inform me what women be the best and the most enjoyable.”[[91]]—“One in winning ways excelling and in comeliness exceeding and in speech killing: one whose brow glanceth marvellous bright to whoso filleth his eyes with her sight and to whom she bequeatheth sorrow and blight; one whose breasts are small whilst her hips are large and her cheeks are rosy red and her eyes are deeply black and her lips are full-formed; one who if she look upon the heavens even the rocks will be robed in green, and if she look upon the earth her lips[[92]] unpierced pearls shall rain; one the dews of whose mouth are the sweetest of waters; one who in beauty hath no peer nor is there any loveliness can with hers compare: the coolth of the eyes to great and small; in fine, one whose praises certain of the poets have sung in these harmonious couplets:[[93]]—