One Thousand and One Nights, page 1043
“My joy in this world is to see and sit near thee. * Thy love’s
my religion; thy Union my pleasure.
Attest it these tears when in memory I speer thee, * And
unchecked down my cheeks pours the flood without measure.
By Allah, no rival in love hast to fear thee; * I’m thy slave as
I sware, and this troth is my treasure.
Be not this our last meeting: by Allah I swear thee * Thy
severance to me were most bitter displeasure!”
The young man was moved to delight and cried, “By Allah, thou sayest well, O Sitt al-Milah! Let me hear more.” Then he largessed her with fifty gold pieces and they drank and the cups made circuit among them; and her seller said to her, “O Sitt al-Milah, this is the season of farewelling; so let us hear somewhat thereon.” Accordingly she struck the lute and touching upon that which was in her heart, improvised these couplets,
“I thole longing, remembrance and sad repine, * Nor my heart can
brook woes in so lengthened line.
O my lords think not I forget your love; * My case is sure case
and cure shows no sign.
If creature could swim in the flood of his tears, * I were first
to swim in these floods of brine:
O Cup-boy withhold cup and bowl from a wretch * Who ne’er ceaseth
to drink of her tears for wine!
Had I known that parting would do me die, * I had shirked to
part, but— ’twas Fate’s design.”
Now whilst they were thus enjoying whatso is most delicious of ease and delight, and indeed the wine was to them sweet and the talk a treat, behold, there came a knocking at the door. So the house-master went out, that he might see what might be the matter, and found ten head of the Caliph’s eunuchs at the entrance. When he saw this, he was startled and said, “What is to do?” “The Commander of the Faithful saluteth thee and requireth of thee the slave-girl whom thou hast exposed for sale and whose name is Sitt al-Milah.” “By Allah, I have sold her.” “Swear by the head of the Commander of the Faithful that she is not in thy quarters.” The slaver made oath that he had sold her and that she was no longer at his disposal: yet they paid no heed to his word and forcing their way into the house, found the damsel and the young Damascene in the sitting-chamber. So they laid hands upon her, and the youth said, “This is my slave-girl, whom I have bought with my money;” but they hearkened not to his speech and taking her, carried her off to the Prince of True Believers. Therewith Nur al-Din’s pleasure was troubled: he arose and donned his dress, and his host said, “Whither away this night, O my lord?” Said he, “I purpose going to my quarters, and to-morrow I will betake myself to the palace of the Commander of the Faithful and demand my slave-girl.” The other replied, “Sleep till the morning, and fare not forth at the like of this hour.” But he rejoined, “Needs must I go;” and the host said to him, “Go in Allah his safeguard.” So the youth went forth and, drunkenness having got the mastery of his wits, he threw himself down on a bench before one of the shops. Now the watchmen were at that hour making their rounds and they smelt the sweet scent of essences and wine that reeked from him; so they made for it and suddenly beheld the youth lying on the bench, without sign of recovering. They poured water upon him, and he awoke, whereupon they carried him off to the office of the Chief of Police and he questioned him of his case. He replied “O my lord, I am an alien in this town and have been with one of my friends: I came forth from his house and drunkenness overcame me.” The Wali bade carry him to his lodging; but one of those in attendance upon him, Al-Murádi hight, said to him, “What wilt thou do? This man is robed in rich raiment and on his finger is a golden ring, whose bezel is a ruby of great price; so we will carry him away and slay him and take that which is upon him of clothes and bring to thee all we get; for that thou wilt not often see profit the like thereof, especially as this fellow is a foreigner and there is none to ask after him.”294 Quoth the Chief, “This wight is a thief and that which he saith is leasing.” Nur al-Din said, “Allah forfend that I should be a thief!” but the Wali answered, “Thou liest.” So they stripped him of his clothes and taking the seal-ring from his finger, beat him with a grievous beating, what while he cried out for succour, but none succoured him, and besought protection, but none protected him. Then said he to them, “O folk, ye are quit295 of that which ye have taken from me; but now restore me to my lodging.” They replied, “Leave this knavery, O rascal! thine intent is to sue us for thy clothes on the morrow.” The youth cried, “By the truth of the One, the Eternal One, I will not sue any for them!” but they said, “We find no way to this.” And the Prefect bade them bear him to the Tigris and there slay him and cast him into the stream. So they dragged him away, while he wept and said the words which shall nowise shame the sayer: “There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great!” When they came to the Tigris, one of them drew the sword upon him and Al-Muradi said to the sworder, “Smite off his head;” but one of them, hight Ahmad, cried, “O folk, deal softly with this poor wretch and slay him not unjustly and wickedly, for I stand in fear of Allah Almighty, lest He burn me with his fire.” Quoth Al-Muradi, “A truce to this talk!” and quoth the Ahmad aforesaid, “An ye do with him aught, I will acquaint the Commander of the Faithful.” They asked, “How, then, shall we do with him?” and he answered, “Let us deposit him in prison and I will be answerable to you for his provision; so shall we be quit of his blood, for indeed he is a wronged man.” Accordingly they agreed to this and taking him up cast him into the Prison of Blood,296 and then went their ways. So far as regards them; but returning to the damsel, they carried her to the Commander of the Faithful and she pleased him; so he assigned her a chamber of the chambers of choice. She tarried in the palace, neither eating nor drinking, and weeping sans surcease night and day, till, one night, the Caliph sent for her to his sitting-hall and said to her, “O Sitt al-Milah, be of good cheer and keep thine eyes cool of tear, for I will make thy rank higher than any of the concubines and thou shalt see that which shall rejoice thee.” She kissed ground and wept; whereupon the Prince of True Believers called for her lute and bade her sing: so in accordance with that which was in her heart, she sang these improvised couplets,
“By the sheen of thy soul and the sheen of thy smile,297 *
Say, moan’st thou for doubt or is’t ring-dove’s moan?
How many have died who by love were slain! * Fails my patience
but blaming my blamers wone.”
Now when she had made an end of her song, she threw the lute from her hand and wept till she fainted away, whereupon the Caliph bade carry her to her chamber. But he was fascinated by her and loved her with exceeding love; so, after a while, he again commanded to bring her in to the presence, and when she came, he ordered her to sing. Accordingly, she took the lute and chanted to it that which was in her heart and improvised these couplets,
“Have I patience and strength to support this despair? * Ah, how
couldst thou purpose afar to fare?
Thou art swayed by the spy to my cark and care: * No marvel an
branchlet sway here and there!298
With unbearable load thou wouldst load me, still * Thou loadest
with love which I theewards bear.”
Then she cast the lute from her hand and fainted away; so she was carried to her sleeping-chamber and indeed passion grew upon her. After a long while the Prince of True Believers sent for her a third time and commanded her to sing. So she took the lute and chanted these couplets,
“O of piebald wild ye dunes sandy and drear, * Shall the teenful
lover ‘scape teen and tear?
Shall ye see me joined with a lover, who * Still flies or shall
meet we in joyful cheer?
O hail to the fawn with the Houri eye, * Like sun or moon on
horizon clear!
He saith to lovers, ‘What look ye on?’ * And to stony hearts,
‘Say, what love ye dear?’299
I pray to Him who departed us * With severance-doom, ‘Be our
union near!’”
When she had made an end of her verse, the Commander of the Faithful said to her, “O damsel, thou art in love.” She replied, “Yes;” and he asked, “With whom?” Answered she, “With my lord and sovran of my tenderness, for whom my love is as the love of the earth for rain, or as the desire of the female for the male; and indeed the love of him is mingled with my flesh and my blood and hath entered into the channels of my bones. O Prince of True Believers, whenever I call him to mind my vitals are consumed, for that I have not yet won my wish of him, and but that I fear to die, without seeing him, I had assuredly slain myself.” Thereupon quoth he, “Art thou in my presence and durst bespeak me with the like of these words? Forsure I will gar thee forget thy lord.” Then he bade take her away; so she was carried to her pavilion and he sent her a concubine, with a casket wherein were three thousand ducats and a collar of gold set with seed-pearls and great unions, and jewels, worth other three thousand, saying to her, “The slave-girl and that which is with her are a gift from me to thee.” When she heard this, she cried, “Allah forfend that I be consoled for the love of my lord and my master, though with an earth-full of gold!” And she improvised and recited these couplets,
“By his life I swear, by his life I pray; * For him fire I’d
enter unful dismay!
‘Console thee (cry they) with another fere * Thou lovest!’ and I,
‘By ‘s life, nay, NAY!’
He’s moon whom beauty and grace array; * From whose cheeks and
brow shineth light of day.”
Then the Commander of the Faithful summoned her to his presence a fourth time and said, “O Sitt al-Milah, sing.” So she recited and sang these couplets,
“The lover’s heart by his beloved is oft disheartenčd * And by
the hand of sickness eke his sprite dispiritčd,
One asked, ‘What is the taste of love?”300 and I to him
replied, * ‘Love is a sweet at first but oft in fine
unsweetened.’
I am the thrall of Love who keeps the troth of love to
them301 * But oft they proved themselves ‘Urkúb302
in pact with me they made.
What in their camp remains? They bound their loads and fared
away; * To other feres the veilčd Fairs in curtained litters
sped;
At every station the beloved showed all of Joseph’s charms: * The
lover wone with Jacob’s woe in every shift of stead.”
When she had made an end of her song, she threw the lute from her hand and wept herself a-swoon. So they sprinkled on her musk-mingled rose-water and willow-flower water; and when she came to her senses, Al-Rashid said to her, “O Sitt al-Milah, this is not just dealing in thee. We love thee and thou lovest another.” She replied, “O Commander of the Faithful, there is no help for it.” Thereupon he was wroth with her and cried, “By the virtue of Hamzah303 and ‘Akíl304 and Mohammed, Prince of the Apostles, an thou name in my presence one other than I, I will assuredly order strike off thy head!” Then he bade return her to her chamber, whilst she wept and recited these couplets,
‘Oh brave!’ I’d cry an I my death could view; * My death were
better than these griefs to rue,
Did sabre hew me limb by limb; this were * Naught to affright a
lover leal-true.”
Then the Caliph went in to the Lady Zubaydah, complexion-altered with anger, and she noted this in him and said to him, “How cometh it that I see the Commander of the Faithful changed of colour?” He replied, “O daughter of my uncle, I have a beautiful slave-girl, who reciteth verses by rote and telleth various tales, and she hath taken my whole heart; but she loveth other than myself and declareth that she affecteth her former lord; so I have sworn a great oath that, if she come again to my sitting- hall and sing for other than for me, I will assuredly shorten her highest part by a span.”305 Quoth Zubaydah, “Let the Commander of the Faithful favour me by presenting her, so I may look on her and hear her singing.” Accordingly he bade fetch her and she came, upon which the Lady Zubaydah withdrew behind the curtain,306 where the damsel saw her not, and Al-Rashid said to her, “Sing to us.” So she took the lute and tuning it, recited these couplets,
