A plain and literal translation of the Arabian nights entertainments, now entituled The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 4 (of 17) - Burton Richard Senior 2 стр.

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Al-Hajjaj said to the Captain of the watch, There is no help for it but thou send out horsemen, and look for the damsel on all the roads and seek for her in the towns. Then he turned to Niamah and said to him, An thy slave-girl return not, I will give thee ten slave-girls from my house and ten from that of the Chief of Police. And he again bade the Captain of the Watch, Go and seek for the girl. So he went out, and Niamah returned home full of trouble and despairing of life; for he had now reached the age of fourteen and there was yet no hair on his side-cheeks. So he wept and lamented and shut himself up from his household; and ceased not to weep and lament, he and his mother, till the morning, when his father came in to him and said, O my son, of a truth, Al-Hajjaj hath put a cheat upon the damsel and hath taken her; but from hour to hour Allah giveth relief. However grief redoubled on Niamah, so that he knew not what he said nor knew he who came in to him, and he fell sick for three months; his charms were changed, his father despaired of him and the physicians visited him and said, There is no remedy for him save the damsel. Now as his father was sitting one day, behold, he heard tell of a skilful Persian physician, whom the folk gave out for perfect in medicine and astrology and geomancy. So Al-Rabia sent for him and, seating him by his side, entreated him with honour and said to him, Look into my sons case. Thereupon quoth he to Niamah, Give me thy hand. The young man gave him his hand and he felt his pulse and his joints and looked in his face; then he laughed and, turning to his father, said, Thy sons sole ailment is one of the heart.12 He replied, Thou sayest sooth, O sage, but apply thy skill to his state and case, and acquaint me with the whole thereof and hide naught from me of his condition. Quoth the Persian, Of a truth he is enamoured of a slave-girl and this slave-girl is either in Bassorah or Damascus; and there is no remedy for him but reunion with her. Said Al-Rabia, An thou bring them together, thou shalt live all thy life in wealth and delight. Answered the Persian, In good sooth this be an easy matter and soon brought about; and he turned to Niamah and said to him, No hurt shall befal thee; so be of good cheer and keep thine eyes cool and clear. Then quoth he to Al-Rabia, Bring me out four thousand dinars of your money; so he gave them to him, and he added, I wish to carry thy son with me to Damascus; and Almighty Allah willing, I will not return thence but with the damsel. Then he turned to the youth and asked, What is thy name?; and he answered Niamah. Quoth the Persian, O Niamah, sit up and be of good heart, for Allah will reunite thee with the damsel. And when he sat up the leach continued, Be of good cheer for we set out for Damascus this very day: put thy trust in the Lord, and eat and drink and be cheerful so as to fortify thyself for travel. Upon this the Persian began making preparation of all things needed, such as presents and rarities; and he took of Al-Rabia in all the sum of ten thousand dinars, together with horses and camels and beasts of burden and other requisites. Then Niamah farewelled his father and mother and journeyed with the physician to Aleppo. They could find no news of Naomi there, so they fared on to Damascus, where they abode three days, after which the Persian took a shop and he adorned even the shelves with vessels of costly porcelain, with covers of silver, and with gildings and stuffs of price. Moreover, he set before himself vases and flagons of glass full of all manner of ointments and syrups, and he surrounded them with cups of crystal and, placing astrolabe and geomantic tablet facing him, he donned a physicians habit and took his seat in the shop. Then he set Niamah standing before him clad in a shirt and gown of silk and, girding his middle with a silken kerchief gold-embroidered, said to him, O Niamah, henceforth thou art my son; so call me naught but sire, and I will call thee naught but son. And he replied, I hear and I obey. Thereupon the people of Damascus flocked to the Persians shop that they might gaze on the youths goodliness and the beauty of the shop and its contents, whilst the physician spoke to Niamah in Persian and he answered him in the same tongue, for he knew the language, after the wont of the sons of the notables. So that Persian doctor soon became known among the townsfolk and they began to acquaint him with their ailments, and he to prescribe for them remedies. Moreover, they brought him the water of the sick in phials,13 and he would test it and say, He, whose water this is, is suffering from such and such a disease, and the patient would declare, Verily this physician sayeth sooth. So he continued to do the occasions of the folk and they to flock to him, till his fame spread throughout the city and into the houses of the great. Now, one day as he sat in his shop, behold, there came up an old woman riding on an ass with a stuffed saddle of brocade embroidered with jewels; and, stopping before the Persians shop, drew rein and beckoned him, saying, Take my hand. He took her hand, and she alighted and asked him, Art thou the Persian physician from Irak? Yes, answered he, and she said, Know that I have a sick daughter. Then she brought out to him a phial and the Persian looked at it and said to her, O my mistress, tell me thy daughters name, that I may calculate her horoscope and learn the hour in which it will befit her to drink medicine. She replied, O my brother the Persian,14 her name is Naomi. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Persian heard the name of Naomi, he fell to calculating and writing on his hand and presently said, O my lady, I cannot prescribe a medicine for her till I know what country woman she is, because of the difference of climate: so tell me in what land she was brought up and what is her age. The old woman replied, She is fourteen years old and she was brought up in Cufa of Irak. He asked, And how long hath she sojourned in this country? But a few months, answered she. Now when Niamah heard the old womans words and recognised the name of his slave-girl, his heart fluttered and he was like to faint. Then said the Persian, Such and such medicines will suit her case; and the old woman rejoined, Then make them up and give me what thou hast mentioned, with the blessing of Almighty Allah. So saying, she threw upon the shop-board ten gold pieces; and he looked at Niamah and bade him prepare the necessary drugs; whereupon she also looked at the youth and exclaimed, Allah have thee in his keeping, O my son! Verily, she favoureth thee in age and mien. Then said she to the physician, O my brother the Persian, is this thy slave or thy son? He is my son, answered he. So Niamah put up the medicine and, placing it in a little box, took a piece of paper and wrote thereon these two couplets:15

He pressed the paper into the box and, sealing it up, wrote upon the cover the following words in Cufic character, I am Niamah son of al-Rabia of Cufa. Then he set it before the old woman who took it and bade them farewell and returned to the Caliphs palace; and when she went up with the drugs to the damsel she placed the little box of medicine at her feet, saying, O my lady, know that there is lately come to our town a Persian physician, than whom I never saw a more skilful nor a better versed in matters of malady. I told him thy name, after showing him the water-bottle, and forthwith he knew thine ailment and prescribed a remedy. Then he bade his son make thee up this medicine; and there is not in Damascus a comelier or a seemlier youth than this lad of his, nor hath anyone a shop the like of his shop. So Naomi took the box and, seeing the names of her lord and his father written on the cover, changed colour and said to herself, Doubtless, the owner of this shop is come in search of me. So she said to the old woman, Describe to me this youth. Answered the old woman, His name is Niamah, he hath a mole on his right eyebrow, is richly clad and is perfectly handsome. Cried Naomi, Give me the medicine, whereon be the blessing and help of Almighty Allah! So she drank off the potion (and she laughing) and said, Indeed, it is a blessed medicine! Then she sought in the box and, finding the paper, opened it, read it, understood it and knew that this was indeed her lord, whereat her heart was solaced and she rejoiced. Now when the old woman saw her laughing, she exclaimed, This is indeed a blessed day!; and Naomi said, O nurse, I have a mind for something to eat and drink. The old woman said to the serving-women, Bring a tray of dainty viands for your mistress; whereupon they set food before her and she sat down to eat. And behold in came the Caliph who, seeing her sitting at meat, rejoiced; and the old woman said to him, O Commander of the Faithful, I give thee joy of thy handmaid Naomis recovery! And the cause is that there is lately come to this our city a physician than whom I never saw a better versed in diseases and their remedies. I fetched her medicine from him and she hath drunken of it but once and is restored to health. Quoth he, Take a thousand dinars and apply thyself to her treatment, till she be completely recovered. And he went away, rejoicing in the damsels recovery, whilst the old woman betook herself to the Persians house and delivered the thousand dinars, giving him to know that she was become the Caliphs slave and also handing him a letter which Naomi had written. He took it and gave the letter to Niamah, who at first sight knew her hand and fell down in a swoon. When he revived he opened the letter and found these words written therein: From the slave despoiled of her Niamah, her delight; her whose reason hath been beguiled and who is parted from the core of her heart. But afterwards. Of a truth thy letter hath reached me and hath broadened my breast, and solaced my soul, even as saith the poet:

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Persian heard the name of Naomi, he fell to calculating and writing on his hand and presently said, O my lady, I cannot prescribe a medicine for her till I know what country woman she is, because of the difference of climate: so tell me in what land she was brought up and what is her age. The old woman replied, She is fourteen years old and she was brought up in Cufa of Irak. He asked, And how long hath she sojourned in this country? But a few months, answered she. Now when Niamah heard the old womans words and recognised the name of his slave-girl, his heart fluttered and he was like to faint. Then said the Persian, Such and such medicines will suit her case; and the old woman rejoined, Then make them up and give me what thou hast mentioned, with the blessing of Almighty Allah. So saying, she threw upon the shop-board ten gold pieces; and he looked at Niamah and bade him prepare the necessary drugs; whereupon she also looked at the youth and exclaimed, Allah have thee in his keeping, O my son! Verily, she favoureth thee in age and mien. Then said she to the physician, O my brother the Persian, is this thy slave or thy son? He is my son, answered he. So Niamah put up the medicine and, placing it in a little box, took a piece of paper and wrote thereon these two couplets:15

He pressed the paper into the box and, sealing it up, wrote upon the cover the following words in Cufic character, I am Niamah son of al-Rabia of Cufa. Then he set it before the old woman who took it and bade them farewell and returned to the Caliphs palace; and when she went up with the drugs to the damsel she placed the little box of medicine at her feet, saying, O my lady, know that there is lately come to our town a Persian physician, than whom I never saw a more skilful nor a better versed in matters of malady. I told him thy name, after showing him the water-bottle, and forthwith he knew thine ailment and prescribed a remedy. Then he bade his son make thee up this medicine; and there is not in Damascus a comelier or a seemlier youth than this lad of his, nor hath anyone a shop the like of his shop. So Naomi took the box and, seeing the names of her lord and his father written on the cover, changed colour and said to herself, Doubtless, the owner of this shop is come in search of me. So she said to the old woman, Describe to me this youth. Answered the old woman, His name is Niamah, he hath a mole on his right eyebrow, is richly clad and is perfectly handsome. Cried Naomi, Give me the medicine, whereon be the blessing and help of Almighty Allah! So she drank off the potion (and she laughing) and said, Indeed, it is a blessed medicine! Then she sought in the box and, finding the paper, opened it, read it, understood it and knew that this was indeed her lord, whereat her heart was solaced and she rejoiced. Now when the old woman saw her laughing, she exclaimed, This is indeed a blessed day!; and Naomi said, O nurse, I have a mind for something to eat and drink. The old woman said to the serving-women, Bring a tray of dainty viands for your mistress; whereupon they set food before her and she sat down to eat. And behold in came the Caliph who, seeing her sitting at meat, rejoiced; and the old woman said to him, O Commander of the Faithful, I give thee joy of thy handmaid Naomis recovery! And the cause is that there is lately come to this our city a physician than whom I never saw a better versed in diseases and their remedies. I fetched her medicine from him and she hath drunken of it but once and is restored to health. Quoth he, Take a thousand dinars and apply thyself to her treatment, till she be completely recovered. And he went away, rejoicing in the damsels recovery, whilst the old woman betook herself to the Persians house and delivered the thousand dinars, giving him to know that she was become the Caliphs slave and also handing him a letter which Naomi had written. He took it and gave the letter to Niamah, who at first sight knew her hand and fell down in a swoon. When he revived he opened the letter and found these words written therein: From the slave despoiled of her Niamah, her delight; her whose reason hath been beguiled and who is parted from the core of her heart. But afterwards. Of a truth thy letter hath reached me and hath broadened my breast, and solaced my soul, even as saith the poet:

When Niamah read these verses, his eyes ran over with tears and the old woman said to him, What maketh thee to weep, O my son? Allah never cause thine eye to shed tears! Cried the Persian, O my lady, how should my son not weep, seeing that this is his slave-girl and he her lord, Niamah son of al-Rabia of Cufa; and her health dependeth on her seeing him, for naught aileth her but loving him. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Persian cried out to the old woman, How shall my son not weep, seeing that this is his slave-girl and he her lord, Niamah son of al-Rabia of Cufa; and the health of this damsel dependeth on her seeing him and naught aileth her but loving him. So, do thou, O my lady, take these thousand dinars to thyself and thou shalt have of me yet more than this; only look on us with eyes of ruth; for we know not how to bring this affair to a happy end save through thee. Then she said to Niamah, Say, art thou indeed her lord? He replied, Yes, and she rejoined, Thou sayest sooth; for she ceaseth not continually to name thee. Then he told her all that had passed from first to last, and she said, O youth, thou shalt owe thy reunion with her to none but myself. So she mounted and, at once returning to Naomi, looked in her face and laughed saying, It is just, O my daughter, that thou weep and fall sick for thy separation from thy master, Niamah son of Al-Rabia of Cufa. Quoth Naomi, Verily, the veil hath been withdrawn for thee and the truth revealed to thee. Rejoined the old woman, Be of good cheer and take heart, for I will assuredly bring you together, though it cost me my life. Then she returned to Niamah and said to him, I went to thy slave-girl and conversed with her, and I find that she longeth for thee yet more than thou for her; for although the Commander of the Faithful is minded to become intimate with her, she refuseth herself to him. But if thou be stout of purpose and firm of heart, I will bring you together and venture my life for you, and play some trick and make shift to carry thee into the Caliphs palace, where thou shalt meet her, for she cannot come forth. And Niamah answered, Allah requite thee with good! Then she took leave of him and went back to Naomi and said, Thy lord is indeed dying of love for thee and would fain see thee and foregather with thee. What sayest thou? Naomi replied, And I too am longing for his sight and dying for his love. Whereupon the old woman took a parcel of womens clothes and ornaments and, repairing to Niamah, said to him, Come with me into some place apart. So he brought her into the room behind the shop where she stained his hands and decked his wrists and plaited his hair, after which she clad him in a slave-girls habit and adorned him after the fairest fashion of womans adornment, till he was as one of the Houris of the Garden of Heaven, and when she saw him thus she exclaimed, Blessed be Allah, best of Creators! By Allah, thou art handsomer than the damsel.17 Now, walk with thy left shoulder forwards and thy right well behind, and sway thy hips from side to side.18 So he walked before her, as she bade him; and, when she saw he had caught the trick of womans gait, she said to him, Expect me to-morrow night, and Allah willing, I will take and carry thee to the palace. But when thou seest the Chamberlains and the Eunuchs be bold, and bow thy head and speak not with any, for I will prevent their speech; and with Allah is success! Accordingly, when the morning dawned, she returned and, carrying him to the palace, entered before him and he after her step by step. The Chamberlain would have stopped his entering, but the old woman said to him, O most ill-omened of slaves, this is the handmaid of Naomi, the Caliphs favourite. How durst thou stay her when she would enter? Then said she, Come in, O damsel!; and the old woman went in and they ceased not faring on, till they drew near the door leading to the inner piazza of the palace, when she said to him, O Niamah, hearten thyself and take courage and enter and turn to the left: then count five doors and pass through the sixth, for it is that of the place prepared for thee. Fear nothing, and if any speak to thee, answer not neither stop. Then she went up with him to the door, and the Chamberlain there on guard accosted her, saying, What damsel is this? And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.