No More Learning

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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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


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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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THE ARABIAN NIGHTS
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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THE ARABIAN NIGHTS
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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634
THE ARABIAN NIGHTS
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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THE ARABIAN NIGHTS
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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THE ARABIAN NIGHTS
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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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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THE ARABIAN NIGHTS
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,"
·
-


## p. 643 (#53) #############################################

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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. »
So they went away, whilst Sherkan looked at them, and they
gazed at him and the young lady. Then he and she drew near
again and set to.
But [again by admiration of her
beauty] his strength failed him, and she feeling this, lifted him
in her hands swifter than the blinding lightning and threw him
to the ground. He fell on his back, and she said to him, "Rise:
I give thee thy life a second time. I spared thee before for the
sake of thy prophet, for that he forbade the killing of women,
and I do so this second time because of thy weakness and tender
age, and strangerhood: but I charge thee, if there be in the army
sent by King Omar ben Ennuman a stronger than thou, send
him hither and tell him of me. " "By Allah, O my lady," replied
Sherkan (and indeed he was greatly incensed against her), "it
was not by thy strength that thou overthrewest me, but by [thy
beauty], so that nor wit nor foresight was left in me.
if thou have a mind to try another fall with me, with my wits
about me, I have a right to this one bout more by the rules of
the game, for my presence of mind has now returned to me. "
"Hast thou not had enough of wrestling, O conquered one? "
rejoined she. "However, come, if thou wilt: but know that this
bout must be the last. " Then they took hold of each other, and
he set to in earnest and warded himself against being thrown
But now,


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644
THE ARABIAN NIGHTS
down: so they wrestled awhile and the damsel found in him
strength such as she had not before observed, and said to him,
"O Muslim, thou art on thy guard! " "Yes," replied he, "thou
knowest that there remaineth but this bout, and after each of us
will go his own way. " She laughed and he laughed too: then she
seized the opportunity to bore in upon him unawares, and grip-
ping him by the thigh, threw him to the ground, so that he fell
on his back. She laughed at him and said, "Thou art surely an
eater of bran: for thou art like a Bedouin bonnet that falls off
at a touch, or a child's toy that a puff of air overturns. Out on
thee, thou poor creature! Go back to the army of the Muslims
and send us other than thyself, for thou lackest thews; and cry
as among the Arabs and Persians and Turks and Medes, 'Whoso
has might in him let him come to us! " Then she made a
spring and landed on the other side of the stream and said to
Sherkan laughing, "It goes to my heart to part with thee! get
thee to thy friends, O my lord, before the morning, lest the
knights come upon thee and take thee on the points of their
lances. Thou hast not strength enough to defend thee against
women; so how couldst thou make head against men and cava-
liers! " And she turned to go back to the monastery. Sherkan
was confounded, and called out to her, saying "O my lady! Wilt
thou go away, and leave the wretched stranger, the broken-hearted
slave of love? " So she turned to him laughing, and said, "What
wouldst thou? I grant thy prayer. " "Have I set foot in thy
country and tasted the sweetness of thy favors,” replied Sherkan,
"and shall I return without eating of thy victual and tasting of
thy hospitality? Indeed, I am become one of thy servitors. "
Quoth she, "None but the base refuses hospitality: on my head
and eyes be it! Do me the favor to mount and ride along the
stream, abreast of me, for thou art my guest. " At this Sher-
kan rejoiced, and hastening back to his horse, mounted and rode
along the river-bank, keeping abreast of her, till he came to a
drawbridge that hung by pulleys and chains of steel, made fast
with hooks and padlocks. Here stood the ten damsels awaiting
the lady, who spoke to one of them in the Greek tongue and said
to her, "Go to him; take his horse's rein and bring him over
into the monastery. "
They went on till they reached a
vaulted gate, arched over with marble. This she opened, and
entered with Sherkan into a long vestibule, vaulted with ten
arches, from each of which hung a lamp of crystal, shining like


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645
་
the rays of the sun. The damsels met her at the end of the
vestibule, bearing perfumed flambeaux and having on their heads
kerchiefs embroidered with all manner of jewels, and went on
before her, till they came to the inward of the monastery, where
Sherkan saw couches set up all around, facing one another and
overhung with curtains spangled with gold. The floor was paved
with all kinds of variegated marbles, and in the midst was a basin.
of water with four and twenty spouts of gold around it from
which issued water like liquid silver; whilst at the upper end
stood a throne covered with silks of royal purple. Then said the
damsel, "O my lord, mount this throne. " So he seated himself
on it, and she withdrew: and when she had been absent awhile,
he asked the servants of her, and they said, "She hath gone to
her sleeping-chamber; but we will serve thee as thou shalt order. "
So they set before him rare meats, and he ate till he was satis-
fied, when they brought him a basin of gold and an ewer of
silver and he washed his hands. Then his mind reverted to his
troops, and he was troubled, knowing not what had befallen them.
in his absence and thinking how he had forgotten his father's
injunctions, so that he abode, oppressed with anxiety and repent-
ing of what he had done, till the dawn broke and the day ap-
peared, when he lamented and sighed and became drowned in
the sea of melancholy, repeating the following verses: -
"I lack not of prudence, and yet in this case, I've been fooled;
so what shift shall avail unto me?
If any could ease me of love and its stress, Of my might and
my virtue I'd set myself free.
But alas! my heart's lost in maze of desire, And no helper save
God in my strait can I see.
Hardly had he finished when up came more than twenty
damsels like moons, encompassing the young lady, who appeared
among them as the full moon among stars. She was clad in
royal brocade, and girt with a woven girdle set with various
kinds of jewels that straitly clasped her waist.
On her
head she wore a network of pearls, gemmed with various kinds
of jewels, and she moved with a coquettish, swimming gait,
swaying wonder-gracefully, whilst the damsels held up her skirts.
She fixed her eyes on him, and considered him awhile,
till she was assured of him, when she came up to him and said,
«
Indeed the place is honored and illumined with thy presence, O


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646
THE ARABIAN NIGHTS
Sherkan! How didst thou pass the night, O hero, after we went
away and left thee? Verily, lying is a defect and a reproach in
kings; especially in great kings: and thou art Sherkan, son of
King Omar ben Ennuman; so henceforth tell me naught but
truth, and strive not to keep the secret of thy condition, for
falsehood engenders hatred and enmity. The arrow of destiny
hath fallen upon thee, and it behooves thee to show resignation
and submission. " When Sherkan heard what she said, he saw
nothing for it but to tell her the truth: so he said, "I am indeed
Sherkan, son of Omar ben Ennuman; whom fortune hath afflicted
and cast into this place: so now do whatsoever thou wilt. ”
FROM SINDBAD THE SEAMAN AND SINDBAD THE LANDSMAN ›
Portions of Nights 536 to 542, presenting the Introduction and the first of the
seven Voyages': Translation of Captain Sir Richard Burton
THE
HERE lived in the city of Bagdad, during the reign of the
Commander of the Faithful, Harun al-Rashid, a man named
Sindbad the Hammal [Porter], one in poor case, who bore
burdens on his head for hire. It happened to him one day
of great heat that whilst he was carrying a heavy load, he
became exceeding weary and sweated profusely; the heat and the
weight alike oppressing him. Presently, as he was passing the
gate of a merchant's house, before which the ground was swept
and watered, and where the air was temperate, he sighted a
broad bench beside the door; so he set his load thereon, to take
rest and smell the air.
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
her permitted say.
NOW WHEN IT WAS THE FIVE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SEVENTH NIGHT,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
Hammal set his load upon the bench to take rest and smell
the air, there came out upon him from the court-door a pleasant
breeze and a delicious fragrance. He sat down on the edge
of the bench, and at once heard from within the melodious
sound of lutes and other stringed instruments, and mirth-exciting
voices singing and reciting, together with the song of birds
warbling and glorifying Almighty Allah in various tunes and
tongues; turtles, mockingbirds, merles, nightingales, cushats, and


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stone-curlews: whereat he marveled in himself and was moved
to mighty joy and solace. Then he went up to the gate and
saw within a great flower-garden wherein were pages and black
slaves, and such a train of servants and attendants and so forth
as is found only with Kings and Sultans; and his nostrils were
greeted with the savory odors of all manner meats rich and
delicate, and delicious and generous wines. So he raised his
eyes heavenwards and said, "Glory to Thee, O Lord, O Creator
and Provider, who providest whomso Thou wilt without count
or stint! Omine Holy One, I cry Thee pardon for all sins
and turn to Thee repenting of all offenses! O Lord, there is
no gainsaying Thee in Thine ordinance and Thy dominion,
neither wilt Thou be questioned of that Thou dost, for Thou
indeed over all things art Almighty! Extolled be Thy per-
fection: whom Thou wilt Thou makest poor and whom Thou
wilt Thou makest rich! Whom Thou wilt Thou exaltest and
whom Thou wilt Thou abasest, and there is no god but Thou!
How mighty is Thy majesty and how enduring Thy dominion
and how excellent Thy government! Verily, Thou favorest
whom Thou wilt of Thy servants, whereby the owner of this
place abideth in all joyance of life and delighteth himself with
pleasant scents and delicious meats and exquisite wines of all
kinds. For indeed Thou appointest unto Thy creatures that
which Thou wilt and that which Thou hast foreordained unto
them; wherefore are some weary and others are at rest, and some
enjoy fair fortune and affluence whilst others suffer the extreme
of travail and misery, even as I do. " And he fell to reciting:
How many by my labors, that evermore endure, All goods of
life enjoy and in cooly shade recline?
Each morn that dawns I wake in travail and in woe, And
strange is my condition and my burden gars me pine:
Many others are in luck and from miseries are free, And For-
tune never loads them with loads the like o' mine:
They live their happy days in all solace and delight; Eat, drink,
and dwell in honor 'mid the noble and the digne:
All living things were made of a little drop of sperm, Thine
origin is mine and my provenance is thine;
Yet the difference and distance 'twixt the twain of us are far As
the difference of savor 'twixt vinegar and wine:
But at Thee, O God All-wise! I venture not to rail Whose ordi-
nance is just and whose justice cannot fail.


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When Sindbad the Porter had made an end of reciting his
verses, he bore up his burden and was about to fare on, when
there came forth to him from the gate a little foot-page, fair of
face and shapely of shape and dainty of dress, who caught him
by the hand, saying, "Come in and speak with my lord, for he
calleth for thee. " The Porter would have excused himself to the
page, but the lad would take no refusal; so he left his load with
the doorkeeper in the vestibule and followed the boy into the
house, which he found to be a goodly mansion, radiant and full
of majesty, till he brought him to a grand sitting-room wherein
he saw
a company of nobles and great lords, seated at tables
garnished with all manner of flowers and sweet-scented herbs,
besides great plenty of dainty viands and fruits dried and fresh
and confections and wines of the choicest vintages. There also
were instruments of music and mirth, and lovely slave-girls play-
ing and singing. All the company was ranged according to
rank, and in the highest place sat a man of worshipful and noble
aspect, whose beard-sides hoariness had stricken; and he was
stately of stature and fair of favor, agreeable of aspect and full
of gravity and dignity and majesty. So Sindbad the Porter was
confounded at that which he beheld, and said in himself, "By
Allah, this must be either a piece of Paradise or some king's
palace! " Then he saluted the company with much respect, pray-
ing for their prosperity; and kissing ground before them, stood
with his head bowed down in humble attitude. -
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say
her permitted say.
NOW WHEN IT WAS THE FIVE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-EIGHTH NIGHT,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad
the Porter, after kissing ground between their hands, stood with
his head bowed down in humble attitude. The master of the
house bade him draw near and be seated and bespoke him kindly,
bidding him welcome. Then he set before him various kinds of
viands, rich and delicious, and the Porter, after saying his Bis-
millah, fell to and ate his fill, after which he exclaimed, "Praised
be Allah whatso be our case! " and washing his hands, returned
thanks to the company for his entertainment. Quoth the host,
"Thou art welcome and thy day is a-blessed. But what are thy
name and calling? " Quoth the other, "O my lord, my name is


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Sindbad the Hammal, and I carry folk's goods on my head for
hire. " The house-master smiled and rejoined, "Know, O Porter,
that thy name is even as mine, for I am Sindbad the Seaman;
and now, O Porter, I would have thee let me hear the couplets.
thou recitedst at the gate anon. " The Porter was abashed and
replied, "Allah upon thee! Excuse me, for toil and travail and.
lack of luck when the hand is empty teach a man ill manners
and boorish ways. " Said the host, "Be not ashamed; thou art
become my brother: but repeat to me the verses, for they pleased
me whenas I heard thee recite them at the gate. " Hereupon the
Porter repeated the couplets, and they delighted the merchant,
who said to him:-
Know, O Hammal, that my story is a wonderful one, and
thou shalt hear all that befell me and all I underwent ere
I rose to this state of prosperity and became the lord of this
place wherein thou seest me; for I came not to this high estate
save after travail sore and perils galore, and how much toil
and trouble have I not suffered in days of yore! I have made
seven voyages, by each of which hangeth a marvelous tale, such
as confoundeth the reason, and all this came to pass by doom of
fortune and fate; for from what destiny doth write there is neither
refuge nor flight.
Know then, good my lords (continued he), that I am about to
relate the
FIRST VOYAGE OF SINDBAD HIGHT THE SEAMAN
MY FATHER was a merchant, one of the notables of my native
place, a moneyed man and ample of means, who died whilst
I was yet a child, leaving me much wealth in money and lands,
and farmhouses. When I grew up I laid hands on the whole
and ate of the best and drank freely and wore rich clothes and
lived lavishly, companioning and consorting with youths of my
own age, and considering that this course of life would con
tinue for ever and ken no change. Thus did I for a long time,
but at last I awoke from my heedlessness, and returning to my
senses, I found my wealth had become unwealth and my condi-
tion ill-conditioned, and all I once hent had left my hand. And
recovering my reason I was stricken with dismay and confusion,
and bethought me of a saying of our lord Solomon, son of David,
(upon whom be Peace! ) which I had heard aforetime from my


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THE ARABIAN NIGHTS
father, "Three things are better than other three: the day of
death is better than the day of birth, a live dog is better than
a dead lion, and the grave is better than want. "
Then I got
together my remains of estates and property and sold all, even
my clothes, for three thousand dirhams, with which I resolved
to travel to foreign parts, remembering the saying of the poet:-
By means of toil man shall scale the height; Who to fame
aspires mustn't sleep o' night:
Who seeketh pearl in the deep must dive, Winning weal and
wealth by his main and might:
And who seeketh Fame without toil and strife Th' impossible
seeketh and wasteth life.
So taking heart I bought me goods, merchandise, and all needed
for a voyage, and, impatient to be at sea, I embarked, with a
company of merchants, on board a ship bound for Bassorah.
There we again embarked and sailed many days and nights, and
we passed from isle to isle and sea to sea and shore to shore,
buying and selling and bartering everywhere the ship touched,
and continued our course till we came to an island as it were a
garth of the garden of Paradise. Here the captain cast anchor,
and making fast to the shore, put out the landing planks. So
all on board landed and made furnaces, and lighting fires therein,
busied themselves in various ways, some cooking and some wash-
ing, whilst other some walked about the island for solace, and
the crew fell to eating and drinking and playing and sporting.
I was one of the walkers; but as we were thus engaged, behold
the master, who was standing on the gunwale, cried out to us
at the top of his voice, saying, "Ho there! passengers, run for
your lives and hasten back to the ship and leave your gear and
save yourselves from destruction, Allah preserve you! For this
island whereon ye stand is no true island, but a great fish sta-
tionary a-middlemost of the sea, whereon the sand hath settled.
and trees have sprung up of old time, so that it is become like
unto an island; but when ye lighted fires on it, it felt the heat
and moved; and in a moment it will sink with you into the sea
and ye will all be drowned. So leave your gear and seek your
safety ere ye die. "-
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
her permitted say.
―――――


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NOW WHEN IT WAS THE FIVE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-NINTH NIGHT,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
ship-master cried to the passengers, "Leave your gear and seek
safety ere ye die," all who heard him left gear and goods,
clothes washed and unwashed, fire-pots and brass cooking-pots,
and fled back to the ship for their lives, and some reached it
while others (among whom was I) did not, for suddenly the
island shook and sank into the abysses of the deep, with all that
were thereon, and the dashing sea surged over it with clashing
waves. I sank with the others down, down into the deep, but
Almighty Allah preserved me from drowning and threw in my
way a great wooden tub of those that had served the ship's com-
pany for tubbing. I gripped it for the sweetness of life, and
bestriding it like one riding, paddled with my feet like oars,
whilst the waves tossed me as in sport right and left. Mean-
while, the captain made sail and departed with those who had
reached the ship, regardless of the drowning and the drowned;
and I ceased not following the vessel with my eyes, till she was
hid from sight and I made sure of death. Darkness closed in
upon me while in this plight, and the winds and waves bore me
on all that night and the next day, till the tub brought to with
me under the lee of a lofty island, with trees overhanging the
tide. I caught hold of a branch and by its aid clambered up on
to the land, after coming nigh upon death; but when I reached
the shore, I found my legs cramped and numbed, and my feet
bore traces of the nibbling of fish upon their soles; withal I had
felt nothing for excess of anguish and fatigue. I threw myself
down on the island-ground, like a dead man, and drowned in
desolation swooned away, nor did I return to my senses till next
morning, when the sun rose and revived me. But I found my
feet swollen, so made shift to move by shuffling on my breech
and crawling on my knees, for in that island were found store of
fruit and springs of sweet water. I ate of the fruits, which
strengthened me; and thus I abode days and nights, till my life
seemed to return and my spirits began to revive and I was
better able to move about. So after due consideration I fell to
exploring the island and diverting myself with gazing upon all
things that Allah Almighty had created there; and rested under
the trees, from one of which I cut me a staff to lean upon. One
day as I walked along the marge, I caught sight of some object


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652
THE ARABIAN NIGHTS
in the distance, and thought it a wild beast or one of the mon-
ster creatures of the sea; but as I drew near it, looking hard
the while, I saw that it was a noble mare, tethered on the beach.
Presently I went up to her, but she cried out against me with a
great cry, so that I trembled for fear and turned to go away,
when there came forth a man from under the earth and followed
me, crying out and saying, "Who and whence art thou, and what
caused thee to come hither? " "O my lord," answered I, “I am
in very sooth a waif, a stranger, and was left to drown with
sundry others by the ship we voyaged in; but Allah graciously
sent me a wooden tub, so I saved myself thereon, and it floated
with me till the waves cast me up on this island. ” When he
heard this he took my hand, and saying "Come with me," carried
me into a great Sardáb, or underground chamber, which was
spacious as a saloon. He made me sit down at its upper end;
then he brought me somewhat of food, and, being anhungered, I
ate till I was satisfied and refreshed. And when he had put me
at mine ease he questioned me of myself, and I told him all that
had befallen me from first to last. And as he wondered at my
adventure, I said, "By Allah, O my lord, excuse me; I have
told thee the truth of my case and the accident which betided
me. And now I desire that thou tell me who thou art, and why
thou abidest here under the earth, and why thou hast tethered
yonder mare on the brink of the sea. " Answered he, "Know
that I am one of the several who are stationed in different parts
of this island, and we are of the grooms of King Mihrján, and
under our hand are all his horses.
And Inshallah! I
will bear thee to King Mihrján — »
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say
her permitted say.
NOW WHEN IT WAS THE FIVE HUNDRED AND FORTIETH NIGHT,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
Syce said to Sindbad the Seaman, "I will bear thee to King
Mihrján and show thee our country. And know that hadst thou
not happened on us, thou hadst perished miserably and none
had known of thee; but I will be the means of the saving of
thy life and of thy return to thine own land. " I called down
blessings on him and thanked him for his kindness and courtesy.
After this, we sat awhile, till the rest of the grooms


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THE ARABIAN NIGHTS
653
came up, each leading a mare, and seeing me with their fellow-
Syce questioned me of my case, and I repeated my story to
them. Thereupon they drew near me, and spreading the table,
ate and invited me to eat; so I ate with them, after which they
took horse, and mounting me on one of the mares, set out with
me and fared on without ceasing, till we came to the capital
city of King Mihrján, and going in to him acquainted him with
my story. Then he sent for me, and when they set me before
him and salams had been exchanged, he gave me a cordial wel-
come and wishing me long life bade me tell him my tale. So I
related to him all that I had seen and all that had befallen me
from first to last, whereat he marveled and said to me, "By
Allah, O my son, thou hast indeed been miraculously preserved!
Were not the term of thy life a long one, thou hadst not escaped
from these straits; but praised be Allah for safety! " Then he
spoke cheerily to me and entreated me with kindness and con-
sideration; moreover, he made me his agent for the port and
registrar of all ships that entered the harbor. I attended him
regularly, to receive his commandments, and he favored me
and did me all manner of kindness and invested me with costly
and splendid robes. Indeed, I was high in credit with him, as
an intercessor for the folk and an intermediary between them.
and him, when they wanted aught of him. I abode thus a great
while, and as often as I passed through the city to the port, I
questioned the merchants and travelers and sailors of the city
of Baghdad; so haply I might hear of an occasion to return to
my native land, but could find none who knew it or knew any
who resorted thither. At this I was chagrined, for I was weary
of long strangerhood; and my disappointment endured for a
time till one day, going in to King Mihrján, I found with him
a company of Indians.