No More Learning

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THOMAS AQUINAS
621
ON THE PRODUCTION OF LIVING THINGS
From the Quæstiones Disputatæ›
A
CCORDING to Augustine, the passage "Let the earth bring
forth the green herb" means, not that plants were then
actually produced in their proper nature, but that a germi-
native power was given the earth to produce plants by the work
of propagation; so that the earth is then said to have brought
forth the green herb and the fruit-yielding tree, inasmuch as it
received the power of producing them. This position is strength-
ened by the authority of Scripture (Gen. ii. 4):-"These are
the generations of the heaven and the earth, when they were
created, in the day that the Lord God made the heaven and the
earth, and every plant in the field before it sprang up in the
earth, and every herb in the ground before it grew. " From this.
text we infer, first, that all the works of the six days were
created in the day that God made heaven and earth and every
plant of the field; and consequently that all plants, which are said
to have been created on the third day, were produced at the
same time that God created heaven and earth. The second infer-
ence is that plants were then produced not actually, but only
according to causal virtues, in that the power to produce them
was given to the earth. And this is meant when it is said that
He produced every plant of the field before it actually arose upon
the earth by His dispositive action, and every herb of the earth
before it actually grew. Hence, before they came forth in real-
ity, they were made causally in the earth.
This view, moreover, is supported by reason. For in those
first days God made the creature either in its cause, or in its
origin, or in its actuality, by the work from which He afterward
rested; He nevertheless works even till now in the administra-
tion of things created by the work of propagation. To this latter
process belongs the actual production of plants from the earth,
because all that is needed to bring them forth is the energy of
the heavenly bodies as their father, so to say, and the power of
the earth in place of a mother. Plants, therefore, were produced
on the third day, not actually, but causally. After the six days,
however, they were actually brought forth, according to their
proper species and in their proper nature, by the work of admin-
istration.


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622
THE ARABIAN NIGHTS
BY RICHARD GOTTHEIL
HE Arabian Nights-or, more accurately, The Thousand
Nights and a Night' (Alf Leilah wa-leílah)-have gained a
popularity in Europe, since they were first turned into a
modern language by Galland in 1704, which rivals, if it does not
exceed, their regard in the East. They opened up to Europe a
wealth of anecdote, a fertility of daring fancy, which has not ceased
to amuse and to interest. It is not their value as literature which
has placed them so high in the popular esteem, both in the East and
in the West; for they are written in a style not a little slovenly, the
same scenes, figures, and expressions are repeated to monotony, and
the poetical extracts which are interwoven are often of very uncertain
excellence. Some of the modern translations-as by Payne and
Burton-have improved upon the original, and have often given it a
literary flavor which it certainly has not in the Arabic. For this
reason, native historians and writers seldom range the stories in their
literary chronicles, or even deign to mention them by name. The
'Nights have become popular from the very fact that they affect
little; that they are contes pure and simple, picturing the men and
the manners of a certain time without any attempt to gloss over
their faults or to excuse their foibles: so that "the doings of the
ancients become a lesson to those that follow after, that men look
upon the admonitory events that have happened to others and take
warning. " All classes of men are to be found there: Harun al-Rashid
and his viziers, as well as the baker, the cobbler, the merchant, the
courtesan. The very coarseness is a part of the picture; though it
strikes us more forcibly than it did those to whom the tales were
told and for whom they were written down. It is a kaleidoscope of
the errors and failings and virtues of the men whose daily life it
records; it is also a picture of the wonderfully rich fantasy of the
Oriental mind.
In the better texts (i e. , of Boulak and Calcutta) there are no less
than about two hundred and fifty stories; some long, others short.
There is no direct order in which they follow one upon the other.
The chief story may at any moment suggest a subordinate one; and
as the work proceeds, the looseness and disconnectedness of the parts
increase. The whole is held together by a "frame"; a device which
has passed into the epic of Ariosto (Orlando Furioso,' xxviii. ), and
which is not unlike that used by Boccaccio (Decameron') and


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THE ARABIAN NIGHTS
623
Chaucer ('Canterbury Tales'). This "frame" is, in short:- A certain
king of India, Shahriyar, aroused by his wife's infidelity, determines
to make an end of all the women in his kingdom. As often as he
takes a wife, on the morrow he orders her slain. Shahrzad, the
daughter of his Vizier, takes upon herself the task of ridding the
king of his evil intent. On the night of her marriage to the king,
she, together with her sister Dunyazad, so engrosses his mind with
her stories that the king seeks their continuance night after night;
thus she wards off her fate for nearly three years. At the end of
that time she has borne the king three male children; and has, by
the sprightliness of her mind, gradually drawn all the conceit out of
him, so that his land is at rest. The tales told within this frame
may be divided into: (a) Histories, or long romances, which are often
founded upon historical facts; (b) Anecdotes and short stories, which
deal largely with the caliphs of the house of Abbas; (c) Romantic
fiction, which, though freely mingled with supernatural intervention,
may also be purely fictitious (contes fantastiques); (d) Fables and Apo-
logues; (e) Tales, which serve the teller as the peg upon which to
hang and to exhibit his varied learning. In addition to this "frame,"
there is a thread running through the whole; for the grand theme
which is played with so many variations is the picturing of love-
in the palace and in the hovel, in the city and in the desert. The
scenes are laid in all the four corners of the globe, but especially in
the two great centres of Muhammadan activity, Bagdad and Cairo.
It is not a matter of chance that Harun al-Rashid is the Caliph to
whom the legends of the 'Nights' have given a crown so very dif-
ferent from the one which he really wore. Though his character
was often far from that which is pictured here, he was still a patron
of art and of literature. His time was the heyday of Muhammadan
splendor; and his city was the metropolis to which the merchants and
the scholars flocked from the length and breadth of Arab dominion.
To unravel the literary history of such a collection is difficult
indeed, for it has drawn upon all civilizations and all literatures.
But since Hammer-Purgstall and De Sacy began to unwind the skein,
many additional turns have been given. The idea of the "frame" in
general comes undoubtedly from India; and such stories as 'The
Barber's Fifth Brother,' 'The Prince and the Afrit's Mistress,' have
been "traced back to the Hitopadesa, Panchatantra, and Katha Sarit
Sagara. " The Story of the King, his Seven Viziers, his Son, and his
Favorite,' is but a late version, through the Pahlavi, of the Indian
Sindibad Romance of the time of Alexander the Great. A number
of fables are easily paralleled by those in the famous collection of
Bidpai (see the list in Jacobs's 'The Fables of Bidpai,' London, 1888,
lxviii. ). This is probably true of the whole little collection of beast


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624
THE ARABIAN NIGHTS
fables in the One Hundred and Forty-sixth Night; for such fables
are based upon the different reincarnations of the Buddha and the
doctrine of metempsychosis. The story of Jali'ad and the Vizier
Shammas is distinctly reported to have been translated from the
Persian into Arabic. Even Greek sources have not been left un-
touched, if the picture of the cannibal in the adventures of Sindbad
the Sailor be really a reflex of the story of Odysseus and Polyphe-
mus. Arabic historians such as Tabari, Masudi, Kazwini, al-Jaúzi —
and the Kitab al-Aghani, have furnished innumerable anecdotes and
tales; while such old Arabic poets as Imr al-Kais, 'Alkamah, Nabhi-
ghah, etc. , have contributed occasional verses.
It is manifest that such a mass of tales and stories was not com-
posed at any one time, or in any one place. Many must have floated
around in drinking-rooms and in houses of revelry for a long time
before they were put into one collection. Even to this day the story
of Ali Baba is current among the Bedouins in Sinai. Whenever the
digest was first made, it is certain that stories were added at a later
time. This is evident from the divergences seen in the different
manuscripts, and by the additional stories collected by Payne and
Burton. But in their present form, everything points to the final
redaction of the 'Nights' in Egypt. Of all the cities mentioned,
Cairo is described the most minutely; the manners and customs of
the persona are those of Egyptian society-say from the thirteenth
to the sixteenth century. For this we have the warrant of Mr. Lane,
than whom no one is to be heard upon this subject with greater
respect. That such stories as these were popular in Egypt seems to
follow from the fact that the only mention of them is found in Ma-
krisi's 'Description of Cairo' (1400) and in Abu al-Mahasin, another
historian of Egypt (1470). The collection cannot have been made
later than 1548, the date placed by a reader on the manuscript used
by Galland. But that its date is not much earlier is shown by
various chance references. The mention of coffee (discovered in the
fourteenth century); of cannon (first mentioned in Egypt in 1383);
of the wearing of different-colored garments by Muslims, Jews, and
Christians (instituted in 1301 by Muhammad ibn Kelaün); of the
order of Carandaliyyah (which did not exist until the thirteenth
century); of Sultani peaches (the city Sultaniyyah was founded in
the middle of the thirteenth century) - point to the fourteenth and
fifteenth centuries as the approximate date of the final composition
of the 'Nights. ' This is supported by the mention of the office of
the Sheikh al-Islam, an office not created before the year 1453.
Additions, such as the 'Story of Abu Ker and Abu Zer,' were made
as late as the sixteenth century; and tobacco, which is mentioned,
was not introduced into Europe until the year 1560. The thirteenth,
-


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THE ARABIAN NIGHTS
625
fourteenth, and fifteenth centuries are a period of the revival of
letters in Egypt, which might well have induced some Arab lover of
folk-lore to write down a complete copy of these tales. The Emperor
Salah-al-din (1169) is the last historical personage mentioned, and
there is absolutely no trace of Shiite heresy to be found in the
whole collection. This omission would be impossible had they been
gathered up at the time of the heretical Fatimide dynasty (900-1171).
But it seems equally certain that the 'Nights' did not originate
altogether in the land of the Nile. The figure of Harun al-Rashid,
the many doings in the "City of Peace" (Bagdad), lead us irresistibly
over to the Eastern capital of the Muhammadan Empire. The geniï
and Afrits and much of the gorgeous picturing remind one of Persia,
or at least of Persian influence. The Arabs were largely indebted to
Persia for literature of a kind like this; and we know that during the
ninth and tenth centuries many books were translated from the Pah-
lavi and Syriac. Thus Ibn al-Mukaffah (760) gave the Arabs the
'Kholanamah,' the 'Amirnamah' (Mirror of Princes), 'Kalilah,' and
'Dimnan,' etc. The historian Masudi (943) expressly refers the story
of the Thousand and One Nights' to a Persian original. "The first
who composed such tales and made use of them were the ancient
Persians. The Arabs translated them, and made others like them. "
He then continues (Prairies d'Or,' ed. De Meynard) and mentions
the book 'Hezar Afsane,' which means "a thousand tales,"
a book
popularly called the Thousand and One Nights,' and containing the
story of the king and his vizier, and of his daughter Shirazaad and
her slave-girl Dinazad. Other books of the same kind are the book
of Simas, containing stories of Indian kings and viziers, the book of
Sindibad, etc.
(
(See also Hanzæ Ispahanensis Annalium,' ed. Gott-
waldt, 1844, page 41. ) A similar statement is made by Abu Yakub
al-Nadim (987) in the 'Fihrist' (ed. Flügel, page 304): — "This book,
'Hezar Afsane,' is said to have been written by the Princess Homai
(or Homain), daughter of Bahman. It comprises a Thousand Nights,
but less than two hundred stories; for a night story often was related
in a number of nights. I have seen it many times complete; but it
is in truth a meagre and uninteresting publication. " A translation
of the 'Hezar Afsane' was made into Arabic, and it is again men-
tioned in the middle of the twelfth century by Abdulhec al-Házraji;
but neither it nor the original Pahlavi has yet been found. It thus
remains a matter of speculation as to how much of the 'Hezar
Afsane' has found its way into the 'Nights. ' It is evident that to it
they are indebted for the whole general idea, for many of the prin-
cipal names, and probably for the groundwork of a great many of the
stories. The change of the title from The Thousand' to 'The
Thousand and One' is due to the fact that the Arabs often expressed
11-40


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626
THE ARABIAN NIGHTS
"a large number" by this second cipher. But the 'Nights' cannot be
a translation from the Persian; for the other two books mentioned by
Masudi are in the Arabic collection. Lane supposes the relationship
to be that of the 'Æneid' to the 'Odyssey. ' But it is probably closer:
one fifth of the collection which, according to Payne, is common to
all manuscripts, will doubtless be found to be based on the Pahlavi
original. That the dependence is not greater is evident from the
absence of the great heroes of the Persian Epos - Feridun, Zer,
Isfandyar, etc. The heroes are all Arabs; the life depicted is wholly
Arabic.
The original Persian Nights' must be quite old. Homai, the
Persian Semiramis, is mentioned in the Avesta '; and in Firdausi
she is the daughter and the wife of Artaxerxes Longimanus (B. C.
465-425). Her mother was a Jewess, Shahrazaad, one of the captives
brought from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar; she afterward delivered
her nation from captivity. Tabari calls Esther, of Old Testament
fame, the mother of Bahman; and Professor de Goeje (de Gids, 1886,
iii. 385) has cleverly identified the Homai of the old 'Nights,' not
only with Shahrazaad of the Arabian, but also with Esther of the
Bible. That his argument holds good is seen from its acceptance
by Kuenen ('Hist. Krit. Einleitung,' 1, 2, page 222), August Müller
(Deutsche Rundschau, 1887), and Darmesteter ('Actes du Huitième
Congrès des Orientalistes,' 1893, ii. 196).
The best translations of the 'Nights' have been made by Antoine
Galland in French (12 vols. , Paris, 1704-1712); by G. Weil in Ger-
man (4 vols. , 1838-1842); and in English by E. W. Lane (3 vols. ,
1839-1841), John Payne (13 vols. , 1882-1884), and Richard Burton (16
vols. , 1885-1888). Lane's and Burton's translations are enriched by
copious notes of great value.
Richard Gottheil
FROM THE STORY OF THE CITY OF BRASS'
Part of Nights 566 and 578: Translation of E. W. Lane
THE
HERE was in olden time, and in an ancient age and period, in
Damascus of Syria, a King, one of the Khaleefehs, named
Abd-El-Melik, the son of Marwán; and he was sitting, one
day, having with him the great men of his empire, consisting of
Kings and Sultans, when a discussion took place among them
respecting the traditions of former nations. They called to mind


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THE ARABIAN NIGHTS
627
the stories of our lord Suleyman the son of Daood (on both of
whom be peace! ) and the dominion and authority which God
(whose name be exalted! ) had bestowed upon him, over mankind.
and the Jinn and the birds and the wild beasts and other
things; and they said, We have heard from those who were be-
fore us, that God (whose perfection be extolled, and whose name
be exalted! ) bestowed not upon any one the like of that which
He bestowed upon our lord Suleymán, and that he attained to
that to which none other attained, so that he used to imprison
the Jinn and the Márids and the Devils in bottles of brass, and
pour molten lead over them, and seal this cover over them with
his signet.
And the Prince of the Faithful, Abd-El-Melik, the son of
Marwán, wondered at these words, and said, Extolled be the
perfection of God! Suleyman was endowed with a mighty domin-
ion! And among those who were present in that assembly was
En-Fábighah Edh-Dhubyánee; and he said, Tálib hath spoken
truth in that which he hath related, and the proof of his veracity
is the saying of the Wise, the First [thus versified ]:-
-
And [consider ] Suleymán, when the Deity said to him, Perform
the office of Khaleefeh, and govern with diligence;
And whoso obeyeth thee, honor him for doing so; and whoso
disobeyeth thee, imprison him forever.
He used to put them into bottles of brass, and to cast them into
the sea.
And the Prince of the Faithful approved of these words, and
said, By Allah, I desire to see some of these bottles! So Tálib
the son of Sahl replied, O Prince of the Faithful, thou art able
to do so and yet remain in thy country. Send to thy brother
Abd-El-Azeez, the son of Marwán, desiring him to bring them.
to thee from the Western Country, that he may write orders to
Moosà to journey from the Western Country, to this mountain
which we have mentioned, and to bring thee what thou desirest
of these bottles; for the furthest tract of his province is adjacent
to this mountain. And the Prince of the Faithful approved of
his advice, and said, O Tálib, thou has spoken truth in that
which thou hast said, and I desire that thou be my messenger to
Moosà the son of Nuseyr for this purpose, and thou shalt have a
white ensign, together with what thou shalt desire of wealth or
dignity or other things, and I will be thy substitute to take care
-


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628
THE ARABIAN NIGHTS
of thy family. To this Tálib replied, Most willingly, O Prince
of the Faithful. And the Khaleefeh said to him, Go, in depend-
ence on the blessing of God, and his aid.
and to
So Tálib went forth on his way to Egypt.
Upper Egypt, until they came to the Emeer Moosà, the son of
Nuseyr; and when he knew of his approach he went forth to
him and met him, and rejoiced at his arrival; and Tálib handed
to him the letter. So he took it and read it, and understood its
meaning; and he put it upon his head, saying, I hear and obey
the command of the Prince of the Faithful. He determined to
summon his great men; and they presented themselves; and he
inquired of them respecting that which had been made known.
to him by the letter; whereupon they said, O Emeer, if thou
desire him who will guide thee to that place, have recourse to
the sheykh 'Abd-Es-Samad, the son of Abd-El-Kuddoos Es-Sa-
moodee; for he is a knowing man, and hath traveled much, and
he is acquainted with the deserts and wastes and the seas, and
their inhabitants and their wonders, and the countries of their
districts. Have recourse, therefore, to him, and he will direct
thee to the object of thy desire. — Accordingly he gave orders to
bring him, and he came before him; and lo, he was a very old
man, whom the vicissitudes of years and times had rendered
decrepit. The Emeer Moosà saluted him, and said to him, O
sheykh 'Abd-Es-Samad, our lord the Prince of the Faithful, Abd-
El-Melik the son of Marwán, hath commanded us thus and thus,
and I possess little knowledge of that land, and it hath been told
me that thou art acquainted with that country and the routes.
Hast thou then a wish to accomplish the affair of the Prince of
the Faithful? -The sheykh replied, Know, O Emeer, that this
route is difficult, far extending, with few tracks. The Emeer said
to him, How long a period doth it require? He answered, It is a
journey of two years and some months going, and the like return-
ing; and on the way are difficulties and horrors, and extraordinary
and wonderful things. Moreover, thou art a warrior for the de-
fense of the faith, and our country is near unto the enemy; so
perhaps the Christians may come forth during our absence; it is
expedient, therefore, that thou leave in thy province one to govern
it. He replied, Well. And he left his son Hároon as his substi-
tute in his province, exacted an oath of fidelity to him, and
commanded the troops that they should not oppose him, but obey
him in all that he should order them to do. And they heard his


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THE ARABIAN NIGHTS
629
words, and obeyed him. His son Hároon was of great courage,
an illustrious hero, and a bold champion; and the sheykh 'Abd-
Es-Samad pretended to him that the place in which were the
things that the Prince of the Faithful desired was four months'
journey distant, on the shore of the sea, and that throughout the
whole route were halting-places, adjacent one to another, and
grass and springs. And he said, God will assuredly make this
affair easy to us through the blessing attendant upon thee, O
Viceroy of the Prince of the Faithful. Then the Emeer Moosà
said, Knowest thou if any one of the Kings have trodden this
land before us? He answered him, Yes, O Emeer: this land
belonged to the King of Alexandria, Darius the Greek.
[The cavalcade fare on, and soon reach a first "extraordinary and wonder-
ful thing," the palace-tomb of great "Koosh, the son of Sheddad," full of
impressive mortuary inscriptions that set the party all a-weeping. Thence-]
-
The soldiers proceeded, with the sheykh 'Abd-Es-Samad before
them showing them the way, until all the first day had passed,
and the second, and the third. They then came to a high hill,
at which they looked, and lo, upon it was a horseman of brass,
on the top of whose spear was a wide and glistening head that
almost deprived the beholder of sight, and on it was inscribed, O
thou who comest unto me, if thou know not the way that leadeth
to the City of Brass, rub the hand of the horseman, and he will
turn, and then will stop, and in whatsoever direction he stoppeth,
thither proceed, without fear and without difficulty; for it will
lead thee to the City of Brass. - And when the Emeer Moosà
had rubbed the hand of the horseman, it turned like the blinding
lightning, and faced a different direction from that in which they
were traveling.
The party therefore turned thither and journeyed on, and it
was the right way. They took that route, and continued their
course the same day and the next night until they had traversed
a wide tract of country. And as they were proceeding, one day,
they came to a pillar of black stone, wherein was a person sunk
to his arm-pits, and he had two huge wings, and four arms; two
of them like those of the sons of Adam, and two like the fore-
legs of lions, with claws. He had hair upon his head like the
tails of horses, and two eyes like two burning coals, and he had
a third eye, in his forehead, like the eye of the lynx, from which
there appeared sparks of fire. He was black and tall; and he


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630
THE ARABIAN NIGHTS
was crying out, Extolled be the perfection of my Lord, who hath
appointed me this severe affliction and painful torture until the
day of resurrection! When the party beheld him, their reason
fled from them, and they were stupefied at the sight of his form,
and retreated in flight; and the Emeer Moosà said to the sheykh
'Abd-Es-Samad, What is this? He answered, I know not what
he is. And the Emeer said, Draw near to him, and investigate
his case: perhaps he will discover it, and perhaps thou wilt learn
his history. The sheykh 'Abd-Es-Samad replied, May God amend
the state of the Emeer! Verily we fear him. -Fear ye not,
rejoined the Emeer; for he is withheld from injuring you and
others by the state in which he is. So the sheykn 'Abd-Es-Samad
drew near to him, and said to him, O thou person, what is thy
name, and what is thy nature, and what hath placed thee here in
this manner? And he answered him, As to me, I am an 'Efreet
of the Jinn, and my name is Dáhish the son of El-Amash, and I
am restrained here by the majesty, confined by the power, [of
God,] tormented as long as God (to whom be ascribed might and
glory! ) willeth. Then the Emeer Moosà said, O sheykh 'Abd-
Es-Samad, ask him what is the cause of his confinement in this
pillar. He therefore asked respecting that, and the 'Efreet
answered him, Verily my story is wonderful, and it is this:-
[The Evil Spirit narrates to them his history, being part of the famous
war between Solomon and the Jinn. ]
The party therefore wondered at him, and at the horrible
nature of his form; and the Emeer Moosà said, There is no deity.
but God! Suleymán was endowed with a mighty dominion!
And the sheykh 'Abd-Es-Samad said to the 'Efreet, O thou, I ask
thee concerning a thing of which do thou inform us. The
'Efreet replied, Ask concerning what thou wilt. And the sheykh
said, Are there in this place any of the 'Efreets confined in bot-
tles of brass from the time of Suleymán, on whom be peace?
He answered, Yes, in the Sea of El-Karkar, where are a people
of the descendants of Nooh (on whom be peace! ), whose country
the deluge reached not, and they are separated there from [the
rest of] the sons of Adam. —And where, said the sheykh, is the
way to the City of Brass, and the place, wherein are the bottles?
What distance is there between us and it? The 'Efreet answered,
It is near. So the party left him and proceeded; and there
appeared to them a great black object, with two [seeming] fires


## p. 631 (#41) #############################################

THE ARABIAN NIGHTS
631
corresponding with each other in position, in the distance, in
that black object; whereupon the Emeer Moosà said to the
sheykh, What is this great black object, and what are these two
corresponding fires? The guide answered him, Be rejoiced, O
Emeer; for this is the City of Brass, and this is the appearance
of it that I find described in the Book of Hidden Treasures;
that its wall is of black stones, and it hath two towers of brass
of El-Andalus, which the beholder seeth resembling two corre-
sponding fires; and thence it is named the City of Brass. They
ceased not to proceed until they arrived at it; and lo, it was
lofty, strongly fortified, rising high into the air, impenetrable:
the height of its walls was eighty cubits, and it had five and
twenty gates, none of which would open but by means of some
artifice; and there was not one gate to it that had not, within
the city, one like it: such was the beauty of the construction and
architecture of the city. They stopped before it, and endeavored
to discover one of its gates; but they could not; and the Emeer
Moosà said to the sheykh 'Abd-Es-Samad, O sheykh, I see not
to this city any gate.
The sheykh replied, O Emeer, thus do I
find it described in the Book of Hidden Treasures; that it hath
five and twenty gates, and that none of its gates may be opened
but from within the city. And how, said the Emeer, can
contrive to enter it, and divert ourselves with a view of its
wonders?
we
Then the Emeer Moosà ordered one of his young men to
mount a camel, and ride round the city, in the hope that he
might discover a trace of a gate, or a place lower than that to
which they were opposite. So one of his young men mounted,
and proceeded around it for two days with their nights, prose-
cuting his journey with diligence, and not resting; and when the
third day arrived, he came in sight of his companions, and he
was astounded at that which he beheld of the extent of the city,
and its height. Then he said, O Emeer, the easiest place in it
is this place at which ye have alighted. And thereupon the
Emeer Moosà took Tálib the son of Sahl, and the sheykh 'Abd-
Es-Samad, and they ascended a mountain opposite the city, and
overlooking it; and when they had ascended that mountain, they
saw a city than which eyes had not beheld any greater. Its
pavilions were lofty, and its domes were shining; its mansions.
were in good condition, and its rivers were running; its trees were
fruitful, and its gardens bore ripe produce. It was a city with


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impenetrable gates, empty, still, without a voice or a cheering
inhabitant, but the owl hooting in its quarters, and birds skim-
ming in circles in its areas, and the raven croaking in its districts
and its great thoroughfare-streets, and bewailing those who had
been in it. The Emeer Moosà paused, sorrowing for its being
devoid of inhabitants, and its being despoiled of people and dwell-
ers; and he said, Extolled be the perfection of Him whom ages
and times change not, the Creator of the creation by his power!
And while he was extolling the perfection of God, (to whom be
ascribed might and glory! ) he happened to look aside, and lo,
there were seven tablets of white marble, appearing from a dis-
tance. So he approached them, and behold, they were sculptured
and inscribed; and he ordered that their writing should be read:
therefore the sheykh 'Abd-Es-Samad advanced and examined them
and read them; and they contained admonition, and matter for
example and restraint, unto those endowed with faculties of dis-
cernment. Upon the first tablet was inscribed, in the ancient
Greek character,-
O son of Adam, how heedless art thou of the case of him who
hath been before thee! Thy years and age have diverted thee from
considering him. Knowest thou not that the cup of death will be
filled for thee, and that in a short time thou wilt drink it? Look
then to thyself before entering thy grave. Where are those who pos-
sessed the countries and abased the servants of God and led armies?
Death hath come upon them; and God is the terminator of delights
and the separator of companions and the devastator of flourishing
dwellings; so He hath transported them from the amplitude of pal-
aces to the straightness of the graves.
And in the lower part of the tablet were inscribed these
verses:
Where are the Kings and the peoplers of the earth? They have
quitted that which they have built and peopled;
And in the grave they are pledged for their past actions: there
after destruction, they have become putrid corpses.
Where are the troops? They repelled not, nor profited. And
where is that which they collected and hoarded?
The decree of the Lord of the Throne surprised them. Neither
riches nor refuge saved them from it.
And the Emeer Moosà fainted; his tears ran down upon his
cheeks, and he said, By Allah, indifference to the world is the


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633
most appropriate and the most sure course! Then he caused an
inkhorn and a paper to be brought, and he wrote the inscription
of the first tablet; after which he drew near to the second tablet,
and the third, and the fourth; and having copied what was
inscribed on them, he descended from the mountain; and the
world had been pictured before his eyes.
And when he came back to the troops, they passed the day
devising means of entering the city; and the Emeer Moosà said
to his Wezeer, Tálib the son of Sahl, and to those of his chief
officers who were around him, How shall we contrive to enter
the city, that we may see its wonders? Perhaps we shall find in
it something by which we may ingratiate ourselves with the
Prince of the Faithful. - Tálib the son of Sahl replied, May God
continue the prosperity of the Emeer! Let us make a ladder,
and mount upon it, and perhaps we shall gain access to the gate
from within. -And the Emeer said, This is what occurred to
my mind, and excellent is the advice. Then he called to the
carpenters and blacksmiths, and ordered them to make straight
some pieces of wood, and to construct a ladder covered with
plates of iron. And they did so, and made it strong. They
employed themselves in constructing it a whole month, and
many men were occupied in making it. And they set it up and
fixed it against the wall, and it proved to be equal to the wall
in height, as though it had been made for it before that day.
So the Emeer Moosà wondered at it, and said, God bless you!
It seemeth, from the excellence of your work, as though ye had
adapted it by measurement to the wall. He then said to the
people, Which of you will ascend this ladder, and mount upon
the wall, and walk along it, and contrive means of descending
into the city, that he may see how the case is, and then inform
us of the mode of opening the gate? And one of them
answered, I will ascend it, O Emeer, and descend and open the
gate. The Emeer therefore replied, Mount. God bless thee! -
Accordingly, the man ascended the ladder until he reached the
top of it; when he stood, and fixed his eyes towards the city,
clapped his hands, and cried out with his loudest voice, saying,
Thou art beautiful! Then he cast himself down into the city, and
his flesh became mashed with his bones. So the Emeer Moosà
said, This is the action of the rational. How then will the insane
act? If we do thus with all our companions, there will not
remain of them one; and we shall be unable to accomplish our


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affair, and the affair of the Prince of the Faithful. Depart ye;
for we have no concern with this city. But one of them said,
Perhaps another than this may be more steady than he. And a
second ascended, and a third, and a fourth, and a fifth; and they
ceased not to ascend by that ladder to the top of the wall, one
after another, until twelve men of them had gone, acting as
acted the first. Therefore the sheykh 'Abd-Es-Samad said, There
is none for this affair but myself, and the experienced is not like
the inexperienced. But the Emeer Moosà said to him, Thou
shalt not do that, nor will I allow thee to ascend to the top of
this wall; for shouldst thou die, thou wouldst be the cause of the
death of us all, and there would not remain of us one; since
thou art the guide of the party. The sheykh however replied,
Perhaps the object will be accomplished by my means, through
the will of God, whose name be exalted! And thereupon all the
people agreed to his ascending.
Then the sheykh 'Abd-Es-Samad arose, and encouraged him-
self, and having said, In the name of God, the Compassionate,
the Merciful! -he ascended the ladder, repeating the praises of
God (whose name be exalted! ) and reciting the Verses of Safety,
until he reached the top of the wall; when he clapped his hands,
and fixed his eyes. The people therefore all called out to him,
and said, O sheykh 'Abd-Es-Samad, do it not, and cast not thy-
self down! And they said, Verily to God we belong, and verily
unto him we return! If the sheykh 'Abd-Es-Samad fall, we all
perish! Then the sheykh 'Abd-Es-Samad laughed immoderately,
and sat a long time repeating the praises of God, (whose name
be exalted! ) and reciting the Verses of Safety; after which he
rose with energy, and called out with his loudest voice, O
Emeer, no harm shall befall you; for God (to whom be ascribed
might and glory! ) hath averted from me the effect of the artifice
and fraudulence of the Devil, through the blessing resulting from
the utterance of the words, In the name of God, the Compas-
sionate, the Merciful. -So the Emeer said to him, What hast thou
seen, O sheykh? He answered, When I reached the top of the
wall, I beheld ten damsels, like moons, who made a sign with
their hands, as though they would say, Come to us. And it
seemed to me that beneath me was a sea (or great river) of
water; whereupon I desired to cast myself down, as our com-
panions did: but I beheld them dead; so I withheld myself from
them, and recited some words of the Book of God, (whose name


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635
be exalted! ) whereupon God averted from me the influence of
those damsels' artifice, and they departed from me; therefore I
cast not myself down, and God repelled from me the effect of
their artifice and enchantment. There is no doubt that this is
an enchantment and an artifice which the people of this city
contrived in order to repel from it every one who should desire
to look down upon it, and wish to obtain access to it; and these
our companions are laid dead.
He then walked along the wall till he came to the two towers
of brass, when he saw that they had two gates of gold, without
locks upon them, or any sign of the means of opening them.
Therefore the sheykh paused as long as God willed, and looking
attentively, he saw in the middle of one of the gates a figure of
a horseman of brass, having one hand extended, as though he
were pointing with it, and on it was an inscription, which the
sheykh read, and lo, it contained these words:-Turn the pin
that is in the middle of the front of the horseman's body twelve
times, and then the gate will open. So he examined the horse-
man, and in the middle of the front of his body was a pin,
strong, firm, well fixed; and he turned it twelve times; where-
upon the gate opened immediately, with a noise like thunder;
and the sheykh 'Abd-Es-Samad entered. He was a learned man,
acquainted with all languages and characters. And he walked
on until he entered a long passage, whence he descended some
steps, and he found a place with handsome wooden benches,
on which were people dead, and over their heads were elegant
shields, and keen swords, and strung bows, and notched arrows.
And behind the [next] gate were a bar of iron, and barricades
of wood, and locks of delicate fabric, and strong apparatus.
Upon this, the sheykh said within himself, Perhaps the keys are
with these people. Then he looked, and lo, there was a sheykh
who appeared to be the oldest of them, and he was upon a high
wooden bench among the dead men. So the sheykh 'Abd-Es-
Samad said, May not the keys of the city be with this sheykh?
Perhaps he was the gate-keeper of the city, and these were
under his authority. He therefore drew near to him, and lifted
up his garments, and lo, the keys were hung to his waist. At
the sight of them, the sheykh 'Abd-Es-Samad rejoiced exceed-
ingly; his reason almost fled from him in consequence of his joy:
and he took the keys, approached the gate, opened the locks,
and pulled the gate and the barricades and other apparatus


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which opened, and the gate also opened, with a noise like thun-
der, by reason of its greatness and terribleness, and the enor-
mousness of its apparatus. Upon this, the sheykh exclaimed,
God is most great! -and the people made the same exclama-
tion with him, rejoicing at the event. The Emeer Moosà also
rejoiced at the safety of the sheykh 'Abd-Es-Samad, and at the
opening of the gate of the city; the people thanked the sheykh
for that which he had done, and all the troops hastened to enter
the gate.
But the Emeer Moosà cried out to them, saying to
them, O people, if all of us enter, we shall not be secure from
some accident that may happen. Half shall enter, and half shall
remain behind.
The Emeer Moosà then entered the gate, and with him half
of the people, who bore their weapons of war.
And the party
saw their companions lying dead: so they buried them. They
saw also the gate-keepers and servants and chamberlains and
lieutenants lying upon beds of silk, all of them dead.
And they
entered the market of the city, and beheld a great market, with
lofty buildings, none of which projected beyond another: the
shops were open, and the scales hung up, and the utensils of
brass ranged in order, and the kháns were full of all kinds of
goods. And they saw the merchants dead in their shops: their
skins were dried, and their bones were carious, and they had
become examples to him who would be admonished. They saw
likewise four markets of particular shops filled with wealth. And
they left this place, and passed on to the silk-market, in which.
silks and brocades interwoven with red gold and white sil-
ver upon various colours, and the owners were dead, lying upon
skins, and appearing almost as though they would speak. Leav-
ing these, they went on to the market of jewels and pearls and
jacinths; and they left it, and passed on to the market of the
money-changers, whom they found dead, with varieties of silks.
beneath them, and their shops were filled with gold and silver.
These they left, and they proceeded to the market of the per-
fumers; and lo, their shops were filled with varieties of perfumes,
and bags of musk, and ambergris, and aloes-wood, and nedd, and
camphor, and other things; and the owners were all dead, not
having with them any food. And when they went forth from
the market of the perfumers, they found near unto it a palace,
decorated, and strongly constructed; and they entered it, and
found banners unfurled, and drawn swords, and strung bows,


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637
and shields hung up by chains of gold and silver, and helmets
gilded with red gold. And in the passages of that palace were
benches of ivory, ornamented with plates of brilliant gold, and
with silk, on which were men whose skins had dried upon the
bones: the ignorant would imagine them to be sleeping; but,
from the want of food, they had died, and tasted mortality.
Upon this, the Emeer Moosà paused, extolling the perfection of
God (whose name be exalted! ) and his holiness, and contem-
plating the beauty of that palace.
[They find the palace a marvel of splendor, but as awfully silent and
mausoleum-like as the rest of the city; and soon reach a magnificent hall in
which lies the dead body of "Jedmur, the Daughter of the King of the Ama-
lekites," magnificently laid in state, and magically preserved and protected.
Tálib unwisely and covetously attempts to rob the corpse of jewels; and is
instantly beheaded by its enchanted guards. The Emeer Moosà and the sage
'Abd-Es-Samad, however, leave the place in safety, return to Upper Egypt
and Syria by way of the Country of the Blacks, succeed in securing twelve
of the wonderful bottles containing Jinn,-and the tale concludes with the
Emeer Moosà's resignation of his throne that he may die in Jerusalem, so
profoundly has he been affected by the adventure. ]
"
FROM THE HISTORY OF KING OMAR BEN ENNUMAN, AND
HIS SONS SHERKAN AND ZOULMEKAN›
Nights 15, 16, 17, and 18: Translation of Professor John Payne
THE MEETING OF PRINCE SHERKAN AND PRINCESS ABRIZEH
TH
HERE reigned once in the City of Peace [Bagdad], before the
Khalifate of Abdulmelik ben Merwan, a king called Omar
ben Ennuman, who was of the mighty giants, and had
subdued the kings of Persia and the emperors of the East, for
none could warm himself at his fire nor cope with him in battle;
and when he was angry there came sparks out of his nostrils.
He had gotten him dominion over all countries, and God had
subjected unto him all creatures; his commands were obeyed in
all the great cities, and his armies penetrated the most distant.
lands: the East and West came under his rule, with the regions
between them, Hind and Sind and China and Hejaz and Yemen
and the islands of India and China, Syria and Mesopotamia and
the lands of the blacks and the islands of the ocean, and all the
famous rivers of the earth, Jaxartes and Bactrus and Nile and
Euphrates. He sent his ambassadors to the farthest parts of the


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THE ARABIAN NIGHTS
earth to fetch him true report, and they returned with tidings.
of justice and peace, bringing him assurance of loyalty and
obedience, and invocations of blessings on his head; for he was
a right noble king, and there came to him gifts and tribute
from all parts of the world. He had a son called Sherkan, who
was one of the prodigies of the age and the likest of all men to
his father, who loved him with an exceeding love and had
appointed him to be king after him. The prince grew up till
he reached man's estate, and was twenty years old, and God
subjected all men to him, for he was gifted with great might
and prowess in battle, humbling the champions and destroying
all who made head against him. So, before long, this Sherkan
became famous in all quarters of the world, and his father
rejoiced in him; and his might waxed till he passed all bounds,
and magnified himself, taking by storm the citadels and strong
places.
[The Prince being sent to assist King Afridoun, of the Greeks, against an
enemy, is intrusted with an army of ten thousand soldiers, and leaves Bag-
dad in military state. ]
Then they loaded the beasts and beat the drums and blew
the clarions and unfurled the banners and the standards, whilst
Sherkan mounted, with the Vizier Dendan by his side, and the
standards waving over them; and the army set out and fared on
with the [Greek] ambassadors in the van till the day departed
and the night came, when they halted and encamped for the
night. On the
On the morrow, as soon as God brought in the day,
they took horse and continued their march, nor did they cease
to press onward, guided by the ambassadors, for the space of
twenty days. On the twenty-first day, at nightfall, they came
to a wide and fertile valley whose sides were thickly wooded
and covered with grass, and there Sherkan called a three-days'
halt. So they dismounted and pitched their tents, dispersing
right and left in the valley, whilst the Vizier Dendan and the
ambassadors alighted in the midst.
As for Sherkan, when he had seen the tents pitched and the
troops dispersed on either side, and had commanded his officers
and attendants to camp beside the Vizier Dendan, he gave reins
to his horse, being minded to explore the valley, and himself to
mount guard over the army, having regard to his father's injunc
tions and to the fact that they had reached the frontier of the


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639
Land of Roum and were now in the enemy's country. So he
rode on alone, along the valley, till a fourth part of the night was
past, when he grew weary and sleep overcame him so that he
could no longer spur his horse. Now he was used to sleep on
horseback; so when drowsiness got the better of him, he fell
asleep, and the horse paced on with him half the night and
entered a forest: but Sherkan awoke not till the steed smote the
earth with his hoof. Then he started from sleep and found him-
self among trees: and the moon arose and lighted the two horizons.
He was troubled at finding himself alone in this place, and spoke
the words which whoso says shall never be confounded — that is
to say,
"There is no power and no virtue but in GOD, the most
High, the Supreme! " But as he rode on, in fear of the wild
beasts, behold the trees thinned out, and the moon shone out upon
a meadow as it were one of the meads of paradise, and he heard
therein the noise of talk and pleasant laughter, such as ravishes
the wit of men. So King Sherkan dismounted, and tying his
horse to a tree, fared on a little further, till he espied a stream
of running water, and heard a woman talking and saying in
Arabic, "By the virtue of the Messiah, this is not handsome of
you! But whoso speaks the word I will throw her down and
bind her with her girdle! " He followed in the direction of the
voice, and saw gazelles frisking and wild cattle pasturing, and
birds in their various voices expressing joy and gladness; and the
earth was embroidered with all manner flowers and green herbs,
even as says of it the poet, in the following verses:
Earth has no fairer sight to show than this its
blossom-time, With all the gently running streams
that wander o'er its face,
It is indeed the handiwork of God Omnipotent, The
Lord of every noble gift, and Giver of all grace!
Midmost the meadow stood a monastery, and within the in-
closure a citadel that rose high into the air in the light of the
The stream passed through the midst of the monastery;
and therenigh sat ten damsels like moons, high-bosomed maids.
clad in dresses and ornaments that dazzled the eyes, as says of
them the poet:-
moon.
The meadow glitters with the troops Of lovely ones
that wander there;
Its grace and beauty doubled are By these that are
so passing fair;


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Virgins, that with their swimming gait, The hearts of
all that see ensnare,
Along whose necks, like trails of grapes, Stream down
the tresses of their hair;
Proudly they walk, with eyes that dart The shafts and
arrows of despair,
And all the champions of the world Are slain by
their seductive air.
Sherkan looked at the ten girls, and saw in their midst a lady
like the moon at its full, with ringleted and shining forehead,
great black eyes and curling brow-locks, perfect in person and
attributes, as says the poet:-
―――――――
Her beauty beamed on me with glances wonder-bright: The
slender Syrian spears are not so straight and slight:
She laid her veil aside, and, lo, her cheeks rose-red! All man-
ner of loveliness was in their sweetest sight
The locks that o'er her brow fell down, were like the night,
From out of which there shines a morning of delight.
•
>>
Then Sherkan heard her say to the girls, "Come on, that I
may wrestle with you, ere the moon set and the dawn come.
So they came up to her, one after another, and she overthrew
them, one by one, and bound their hands behind them, with their
girdles. When she had thrown them all, there turned to her an
old woman who was before her, and said, as if she were wroth
with her, "O shameless! dost thou glory in overthrowing these
girls? Behold, I am an old woman, yet have I thrown them forty
times! So what hast thou to boast of? But if thou have strength
to wrestle with me, stand up that I may grip thee, and put thy
head between thy feet. " The young lady smiled at her words,
although her heart was full of anger against her, and said, "O
my lady Dhat ed Dewahi, wilt indeed wrestle with me- or dost
thou jest with me? " "I mean to wrestle with thee in very
deed," replied she. "Stand up to me then," said the damsel, "if
thou have strength to do so! " When the old woman heard this
she was sore enraged, and her hair stood on end like that of a
hedgehog. Then she sprang up, whilst the damsel confronted
and they took hold of one another, whilst Sherkan
raised his eyes to heaven and prayed to God that the damsel
might conquer the old hag. Presently
the old woman
strove to free herself, and in the struggle wriggled out of the
girl's hands and fell on her back
. . and behold the young
her


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641
lady
throwing over her a veil of fine silk, helped her to
dress herself, making excuses to her and saying, “O my lady
Dhat ed Dewahi, I did not mean to throw thee so roughly, but
thou wriggledst out of my hands; so praised be God for safety. "
She returned her no answer, but rose in her confusion and walked
away out of sight, leaving the young lady standing alone, by the
other girls thrown down and bound.
Then said Sherkan, "To every fortune there is a cause. Sleep
fell not on me, nor did the steed bear me hither but for my good
fortune; for of a surety this damsel and what is with her shall
be my prize. " So he turned back and mounted, and drew his
scimitar; then he gave his horse the spur and he started off with
him like an arrow from a bow, whilst he brandished his naked
blade and cried out, "God is most great! " When the damsel saw
him she sprang to her feet, and running to the bank of the river,
which was there six cubits wide, made a spring and landed on
the other side, where she turned, and standing cried out in a
loud voice, "Who art thou, sirrah, that breakest in on our past-
ure as if thou wert charging an army? Whence comest thou and
whither art thou bound? Speak the truth and it shall profit thee,
and do not lie, for lying is of the losel's fashion. Doubtless
thou hast strayed this night from thy road, that thou hast hap-
pened on this place. So tell me what thou seekest: if thou
wouldst have us set thee in the right road, we will do so; or if
thou seek help we will help thee. "
When Sherkan heard her words he replied, "I am a stranger
of the Muslims, who am come out by myself in quest of booty,
and I have found no fairer purchase this moonlit night than
these ten damsels; so I will take them and rejoin my comrades
with them. " Quoth she, "I would have thee to know that thou
hast not yet come at the booty; and as for these ten damsels, by
Allah, they are no purchase for thee! Indeed the fairest pur-
chase thou canst look for is to win free of this place: for thou
art in a mead, where, if we gave one cry, there would be with
us anon four thousand knights. Did I not tell thee that lying is
shameful? " And he said, "The fortunate man is he to whom
God sufficeth, and who hath no need of other than him. " "By
the virtue of the Messiah," replied she, “did I not fear to have thy
death at my hand, I would give a cry that would fill the meadow
on thee, with horse and foot! but I have pity on the stranger;
so, if thou seek booty, I require of thee that thou dismount from
II-41


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thy horse, and swear to me by thy faith that thou wilt not
approach me with aught of arms, and we will wrestle I and
thou. If thou throw me, lay me on thy horse and take all of
us to thy booty; and if I throw thee, thou shalt be at my com-
mandment. Swear this to me; for I fear thy perfidy, since expe-
rience has it that as long as perfidy is in men's natures, to trust
in every one is weakness. But if thou wilt swear I will come
over to thee. " Quoth Sherkan, "Impose on me whatever oath
thou deemest binding, and I will swear not to draw near thee
until thou hast made thy preparations, and sayest 'Come wrestle
with me. ' If thou throw me I have wealth wherewith to ransom
myself, and if I throw thee I shall get fine purchase. " Then
said she, "Swear to me by Him who hath lodged the soul in the
body and given laws to mankind that thou wilt not hurt me with
aught of violence save in the way of wrestling-else mayest thou
die out of the pale of Islam. " "By Allah," exclaimed Sherkan,
"if a Cadi should swear me, though he were Cadi of the Cadis,
he would not impose on me the like of this oath! " Then he
took the oath she required, and tied his horse to a tree, sunken
in the sea of reverie, and saying in himself, "Glory to Him who
fashioned her! " Then he girt himself, and made ready for wres-
tling, and said to her, "Cross the stream to me. " Quoth she, “It
is not for me to come to thee: if thou wilt, do thou cross over to
me. "
"I cannot do that," replied he; and she said, "O boy! I
will come to thee. So she gathered her skirts, and making a
spring landed on the other side of the river by him; whereupon
he drew near to her, wondering at her beauty and grace, and saw
a form that the hand of Omnipotence had turned with the leaves.
of Jinn, and which had been fostered by divine solicitude, a form
on which the zephyrs of fair fortune had blown, and over whose
creation favorable planets had presided. Then she called out to
him saying, “O Muslim, come and wrestle before the daybreak! »
and tucked up her sleeves, showing a fore-arm like fresh curd;
the whole place was lighted up by its whiteness and Sherkan was
dazzled by it. Then he bent forward and clapped his hands, and
she did the like, and they took hold and gripped each other. He
laid his hands on her slender waist
and fell a trembling
like the Persian reed in the hurricane. So she lifted him up, and
throwing him to the ground sat down on his breast. Then she
said to him, "O Muslim, it is lawful among you to kill Christ-
ians: what sayest thou to my killing thee? " "O my lady,"
·
-


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>>>
replied he, "as for killing me, it is unlawful; for our Prophet
(whom God bless and preserve! ) hath forbidden the slaying of
women and children and old men and monks. ' "Since this was
revealed unto your prophet," rejoined she, "it behooves us to be
even with him therein; so rise: I give thee thy life, for benefi-
cence is not lost upon men. " Then she got up, and he rose and
brushed the earth from his head, and she said to him, "Be not
abashed; but indeed one who enters the land of the Greeks in
quest of booty and to succor kings against kings, how comes it
that there is no strength in him to defend himself against a
woman? " "It was not lack of strength in me," replied he, "nor
was it thy strength that overthrew me, but thy beauty; so if
thou wilt, grant me another bout, it will be of thy favor. " She
laughed and said, "I grant thee this: but these damsels have
been long bound, and their arms and shoulders are weary, and it
were fitting I should loose them, since this next bout may perad-
venture be a long one. " Then she went up to the girls, and un-
binding them said to them in the Greek tongue, "Go and put
yourselves in safety, till I have brought to naught this Muslim.