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 8 стр.

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the young lady rejoined to Ala al-Din, And when they send thee at an early hour a serjeant of the Ecclesiastical Court, and the Kazi and my father bid thee divorce me, do thou reply, By what law is it lawful and right that I should marry at nightfall and divorce in the morning? Then kiss the Kazis hand and give him a present, and in like manner kiss the Assessors hands and give each of them ten gold pieces. So they will all speak with thee, and if they ask thee, Why dost thou not divorce her and take the thousand dinars and the mule and suit of clothes, according to contract duly contracted? do thou answer, Every hair of her head is worth a thousand ducats to me and I will never put her away, neither will I take a suit of clothes nor aught else. And if the Kazi say to thee, Then pay down the marriage settlement, do thou reply, I am short of cash at this present; whereupon he and the Assessors will deal in friendly fashion with thee and allow thee time to pay. Now whilst they were talking, behold, the Kazis officer knocked at the door; so Ala al-Din went down and the man said to him, Come, speak the Efendi,67 for thy father-in-law summoneth thee. So Ala al-Din gave him five dinars and said to him, O Summoner, by what law am I bound to marry at nightfall and divorce next morning? The serjeant answered, By no law of ours at all, at all; and if thou be ignorant of the religious law, I will act as thine advocate. Then they went to the divorce-court and the Kazi said to Ala al-Din, Why dost thou not put away the woman and take what falleth to thee by the contract? Hearing this he went up to the Kazi; and, kissing his hand, put fifty dinars in it and said, O our lord the Kazi, by what law is it lawful and right that I should marry at nightfall and divorce in the morning in my own despite? The Kazi answered, Divorce on compulsion and by force is sanctioned by no school of the Moslems. Then said the young ladys father, If thou wilt not divorce, pay me the ten thousand dinars, her marriage-settlement. Quoth Ala al-Din, Give me a delay of three days; but the Kazi said, Three days is not time enough; he shall give thee ten. So they agreed to this and bound him after ten days either to pay the dowry or to divorce her. And after consenting he left them and taking meat and rice and clarified butter68 and what else of food he needed, returned to the house and told the young woman all that had passed; whereupon she said, Twixt night and day, wonders may display; and Allah bless him for his say:

Then she rose and made ready food and brought the tray, and they two ate and drank and were merry and mirthful. Presently, Ala al-Din besought her to let him hear a little music; so she took the lute and played a melody that had made the hardest stone dance for glee, and the strings cried out in present ecstacy, O Loving One!;69 after which she passed from the adagio into the presto and a livelier measure. As they thus spent their leisure in joy and jollity and mirth and merriment, behold, there came a knocking at the door and she said to him; Go see who is at the door. So he went down and opened it and finding four Dervishes standing without, said to them, What want ye? They replied, O my lord, we are foreign and wandering religious mendicants, the viands of whose souls are music and dainty verse, and we would fain take our pleasure with thee this night till morning doth appear, when we will wend our way, and with Almighty Allah be thy reward; for we adore music and there is not one of us but knoweth by heart store of odes and songs and ritornellos.70 He answered, There is one I must consult; and he returned and told Zubaydah who said, Open the door to them. So he brought them up and made them sit down and welcomed them; then he fetched them food, but they would not eat and said, O our lord, our meat is to repeat Allahs name in our hearts and to hear music with our ears: and bless him who saith:

Our aim is only converse to enjoy, And eating joyeth only cattle-kind.71

And just now we heard pleasant music in thy house, but when we entered, it ceased; and fain would we know whether the player was a slave-girl, white or black, or a maiden of good family. He answered, It was this my wife, and told them all that had befallen him, adding, Verily my father-in-law hath bound me to pay a marriage settlement of ten thousand dinars for her, and they have given me ten days time. Said one of the Dervishes, Have no care and think of naught but good; for I am Shaykh of the Convent and have forty Dervishes under my orders. I will presently collect from them the ten thousand dinars and thou shalt pay thy father-in-law the wedding settlement. But now bid thy wife make us music that we may be gladdened and pleasured; for to some folk music is meat, to others medicine and to others refreshing as a fan. Now these four Dervishes were none other than the Caliph Harun al-Rashid, his Wazir Jaafar the Barmecide, Abu al-Nowás al-Hasan son of Háni72 and Masrur the sworder; and the reason of their coming to the house was that the Caliph, being heavy at heart, had summoned his Minister and said, O Wazir! it is our will to go down to the city and pace its streets, for my breast is sore straitened. So they all four donned dervish-dress and went down and walked about, till they came to that house where, hearing music, they were minded to know the cause. They spent the night in joyance and harmony and telling tale after tale until morning dawned, when the Caliph laid an hundred gold pieces under the prayer-carpet and all taking leave of Ala al-Din, went their way. Now when Zubaydah lifted the carpet she found beneath it the hundred dinars and she said to her husband, Take these hundred dinars which I have found under the prayer-carpet; assuredly the Dervishes when about to leave us laid them there, without our knowledge. So Ala al-Din took the money and, repairing to the market, bought therewith meat and rice and clarified butter and all they required. And when it was night, he lit the wax-candles and said to his wife, The mendicants, it is true, have not brought the ten thousand dinars which they promised me; but indeed they are poor men. As they were talking, behold, the Dervishes knocked at the door and she said, Go down and open to them. So he did her bidding and bringing them up, said to them, Have you brought me the ten thousand dinars you promised me? They answered, We have not been able to collect aught thereof as yet; but fear nothing: Inshallah, to-morrow we will compound for thee some alchemical cookery. But now bid thy wife play us her very best pieces and gladden our hearts for we love music. So she took her lute and made them such melody that had caused the hardest rocks to dance with glee; and they passed the night in mirth and merriment, converse and good cheer, till morn appeared with its sheen and shone, when the Caliph laid an hundred gold pieces under the prayer-carpet and all, after taking leave of Ala al-Din, went their way. And they ceased not to visit him thus every night for nine nights; and each morning the Caliph put an hundred dinars under the prayer-carpet, till the tenth night, when they came not. Now the reason of their failure to come was that the Caliph had sent to a great merchant, saying to him, Bring me fifty loads of stuffs, such as come from Cairo, And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Prince of True Believers said to that merchant, Bring me fifty loads of stuffs such as come from Cairo, and let each one be worth a thousand dinars, and write on each bale its price; and bring me also a male Abyssinian slave. The merchant did the bidding of the Caliph who committed to the slave a basin and ewer of gold and other presents, together with the fifty loads; and wrote a letter to Ala al-Din as from his father Shams al-Din and said to him, Take these bales and what else is with them, and go to such and such a quarter wherein dwelleth the Provost of the merchants and say: Where be Ala al-Din Abu al-Shamat? till folk direct thee to his quarter and his house. So the slave took the letter and the goods and what else and fared forth on his errand. Such was his case; but as regards Zubaydahs cousin and first husband, he went to her father and said to him, Come let us go to Ala al-Din and make him divorce the daughter of my uncle. So they set out both together and, when they came to the street in which the house stood, they found fifty he-mules laden with bales of stuffs, and a blackamoor riding on a she-mule. So they said to him, Whose loads are these? He replied, They belong to my lord Ala al-Din Abu al-Shamat; for his father equipped him with merchandise and sent him on a journey to Baghdad-city; but the wild Arabs came forth against him and took his money and goods and all he had. So when the ill news reached his father, he despatched me to him with these loads, in lieu of those he had lost; besides a mule laden with fifty thousand dinars, a parcel of clothes worth a power of money, a robe of sables73 and a basin and ewer of gold. Whereupon the ladys father said, He whom thou seekest is my son-in-law and I will show thee his house. Meanwhile Ala al-Din was sitting at home in huge concern, when lo! one knocked, at the door and he said, O Zubaydah, Allah is all-knowing! but I fear thy father hath sent me an officer from the Kazi or the Chief of Police. Quoth she, Go down and see what it is. So he went down; and, opening the door, found his father-in-law, the Provost of the merchants with an Abyssinian slave, dusky-complexioned and pleasant of favour, riding on a mule. When the slave saw him he dismounted and kissed his hands; and Ala al-Din said, What dost thou want? He replied, I am the slave of my lord Ala al-Din Abu al-Shamat, son of Shams al-Din, Consul of the merchants for the land of Egypt, who hath sent me to him with this charge. Then he gave him the letter and Ala al-Din opening it found written what followeth:74

After hearty salutions and congratulations and high estimation from Shams al-Din to his son, Abu al-Shamat. Know, O my son, that news hath reached me of the slaughter of thy men and the plunder of thy monies and goods; so I send thee herewith fifty loads of Egyptian stuffs, together with a suit of clothes and a robe of sables and a basin and ewer of gold. Fear thou no evil and the goods thou hast lost were the ransom of thy life; so regret them not and may no further grief befal thee. Thy mother and the people of the house are doing well in health and happiness and all greet thee with abundant greetings. Moreover, O my son, it hath reached me that they have married thee, by way of intermediary, to the lady Zubaydah the Lutist and they have imposed on thee a marriage-settlement of ten thousand dinars; wherefore I send thee also fifty thousand dinars by the slave Salím.75 Now when Ala al-Din had made an end of reading the letter, he took possession of the loads and, turning to the Provost, said to him, O my father-in-law, take the ten thousand dinars, the marriage-settlement of thy daughter Zubaydah, and take also the loads of goods and dispose of them, and thine be the profit; only return me the cost-price. He answered, Nay, by Allah, I will take nothing; and, as for thy wifes settlement, do thou settle the matter with her. Then, after the goods had been brought in, they went to Zubaydah and she said to her sire, O my father, whose loads be these? He said, These belong to thy husband, Ala al-Din: his father hath sent them to him instead of those whereof the wild Arabs spoiled him. Moreover, he hath sent him fifty thousand dinars with a parcel of clothes, a robe of sables, a she-mule for riding and a basin and ewer of gold. As for the marriage-settlement that is for thy recking. Thereupon Ala al-Din rose and, opening the money-box, gave her her settlement and the ladys cousin said, O my uncle, let him divorce to me my wife; but the old man replied, This may never be now; for the marriage-tie is in his hand. Thereupon the young man went out, sore afflicted and sadly vexed and, returning home, fell sick, for his heart had received its death-blow; so he presently died. But as for Ala al-Din, after receiving his goods he went to the bazar and buying what meats and drinks he needed, made a banquet as usual against the night, saying to Zubaydah, See these lying Dervishes; they promised us and broke their promises. Quoth she, Thou art the son of a Consul of the merchants, yet was thy hand short of half a dirham; how then should it be with poor Dervishes? Quoth he, Almighty Allah hath enabled us to do without them; but if they come to us never again will I open the door to them. She asked, Why so, whenas their coming footsteps brought us good luck; and, moreover, they put an hundred dinars under the prayer-carpet for us every night? Perforce must thou open the door to them an they come. So when day departed with its light and in gloom came night, they lighted the wax candles and he said to her, Rise, Zubaydah, make us music; and behold, at this moment some one knocked at the door, and she said, Go and look who is at the door. So he went down and opened it and seeing the Dervishes, said, Oh, fair welcome to the liars! Come up. Accordingly they went up with him and he seated them and brought them the tray of food; and they ate and drank and became merry and mirthful, and presently said to him, O my lord, our hearts have been troubled for thee: what hath passed between thee and thy father-in-law? He answered, Allah compensated us beyond and above our desire. Rejoined they, By Allah, we were in fear for thee 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 Dervishes thus addressed Ala al-Din, By Allah, we were in fear for thee and naught kept us from thee but our lack of cash and coin. Quoth he, Speedy relief hath come to me from my Lord; for my father hath sent me fifty thousand dinars and fifty loads of stuffs, each load worth a thousand dinars; besides a riding-mule, a robe of sables, an Abyssinian slave and a basin and ewer of gold. Moreover, I have made my peace with my father-in-law and my wife hath become my lawful wife by my paying her settlement; so laud to Allah for that! Presently the Caliph rose to do a necessity; whereupon Jaafar bent him towards Ala al-Din and said, Look to thy manners, for thou art in the presence of the Commander of the Faithful. Asked he, How have I failed in good breeding before the Commander of the Faithful, and which of you is he? Quoth Jaafar, He who went out but now to make water is the Commander of the Faithful, Harun al-Rashid, and I am the Wazir Jaafar; and this is Masrur the executioner and this other is Abu Nowas Hasan bin Hani. And now, O Ala al-Din, use thy reason and bethink thee how many days journey it is between Cairo and Baghdad. He replied, Five-and-forty days journey; and Jaafar rejoined, Thy baggage was stolen only ten days ago; so how could the news have reached thy father, and how could he pack thee up other goods and send them to thee five-and-forty days journey in ten days time? Quoth Ala al-Din, O my lord and whence then came they? From the Commander of the Faithful, replied Jaafar, of his great affection for thee. As they were speaking, lo! the Caliph entered and Ala al-Din rising, kissed the ground before him and said, Allah keep thee, O Prince of the Faithful, and give thee long life; and may the lieges never lack thy bounty and beneficence! Replied the Caliph, O Ala al-Din, let Zubaydah play us an air, by way of house-warming76 for thy deliverance. Thereupon she played him on the lute so rare a melody that the very stones shook for glee, and the strings cried out for present ecstasy, O Loving One! They spent the night after the merriest fashion, and in the morning the Caliph said to Ala al-Din, Come to the Divan to-morrow. He answered, Hearkening and obedience, O Commander of the Faithful; so Allah will and thou be well and in good case! On the morrow he took ten trays and, putting on each a costly present, went up with them to the palace; and the Caliph was sitting on the throne when, behold, Ala al-Din appeared at the door of the Divan, repeating these two couplets: