The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, vol 5, Sir Richard Francis Burton [best book clubs .txt] 📗

to cover the whole person, fell to pouring the water over herself from an ewer of silver. It also happened that the Caliph heard she was in the pool; so he left his palace and came down to spy upon her through the screen of the foliage. He stood behind the trees and espied her mother-nude, showing everything that is kept hidden. Presently, she became aware of him and turning, saw him behind the trees and was ashamed that he should see her naked. So she laid her hands on her parts, but the Mount of Venus escaped from between them, by reason of its greatness and plumpness; and the Caliph at once turned and went away, wondering and reciting this couplet, “I looked on her with loving eyne *

And grew anew my old repine:”

 

But he knew not what to say next; so he sent for Abu Nowas and said to him, “Make me a piece of verse commencing with this line.” “I hear and obey,” replied the poet and in an eye-twinkling extemporised these couplets, “I looked on her with longing eyne *

And grew anew my old repine For the gazelle, who captured me *

Where the two lotus-trees incline: There was the water poured on it *

From ewer of the silvern mine; And seen me she had hidden it *

But �twas too plump for fingers fine.

Would Heaven that I were on it, *

An hour, or better two hours, li’en.”[FN#108]

 

Thereupon the Commander of the Faithful smiled and made him a handsome present and he went away rejoicing. And I have heard another story of

 

HARUN AL-RASHID AND THE THREE POETS

 

The Prince of True Believers, Caliph Harun al-Rashid, was exceeding restless one night; so he rose and walked about his palace, till he happened upon a handmaid overcome with wine. Now he was prodigiously enamoured of this damsel; so he played with her and pulled her to him, whereupon her zone fell down and her petticoat-trousers were loosed and he besought her of amorous favour. But she said to him, “O Commander of the Faithful wait till tomorrow night, for I am unprepared for thee, knowing not of thy coming.” So he left her and went away. But, when the morrow showed its light and the sun shone bright, he sent a page to her saying, “The Commander of the Faithful is about to visit thine apartment;” but she replied, “Day doth away with the promise of night.” So he said to his courtiers, “Make me somewhat of verse, introducing these words, �The Promise of Night is effaced by Day.’” Answered they, “We hear and obey,” and Al-Rak�shi[FN#109] came forward and recited the following couplets, “By Allah, couldst thou but feel my pain, *

Thy rest had turned and had fled away.

Hath left me in sorrow and love distraught, *

Unseen and unseeing, that fairest may: She promised me grace, then jilted and said, *

�The promise of night is effaced by day!’”

 

Then Abu Mus’ab came forward and recited these couplets, “When wilt thou be wise and love-heat allay *

That from food and sleeping so leads astray?

Suffices thee not ever weeping eye, *

And vitals on fire when thy name they say?

He must smile and laugh and in pride must cry *

�The promise of Night is effaced by Day.’”

 

Last came Abu Nowas and recited the following couplets, “As love waxt longer less met we tway *

And fell out, but ended the useless fray; One night in the palace I found her fou’; *

Yet of modesty still there was some display: The veil from her shoulders had slipt; and showed *

Her loosened trousers Love’s seat and stay: And rattled the breezes her huge hind cheeks *

And the branch where two little pomegranates lay: Quoth I, �Give me tryst;’ whereto quoth she *

Tomorrow the fane shall wear best array:’

Next day I asked her, �Thy word?’ Said she *

�The promise of Night is effaced by Day.’”

 

The Caliph bade give a myriad of money each to Al-Rakashi and Abu Mus’ab, but bade strike off the head of Abu Nowas, saying, “Thou wast with us yesternight in the palace.” Said he, “By Allah, I slept not but in my own house! I was directed to what I said by thine own words as to the subject of the verse; and indeed quoth Almighty Allah (and He is the truest of all speakers): �As for poets (devils pursue them!) dost thou not see that they rove as bereft of their senses through every valley and that they say that which they do not?’”[FN#110] So the Caliph forgave him and gave him two myriads of money. And another tale is that of

 

MUS’AB BIN AL-ZUBAYR AND AYISHAH HIS WIFE

 

It is told of Mus’ab bin al-Zubayr[FN#111] that he met in Al-Medinah Izzah, who was one of the shrewdest of women, and said to her, “I have a mind to marry Ayishah[FN#112] daughter of Talhah, and I should like thee to go herwards and spy out for me how she is made.” So she went away and returning to Mus’ab, said, “I have seen her, and her face is fairer than health; she hath large and well-opened eyes and under them a nose straight and smooth as a cane; oval cheeks and a mouth like a cleft pomegranate, a neck as a silver ewer and below it a bosom with two breasts like twin-pomegranates and further down a slim waist and a slender stomach with a navel therein as it were a casket of ivory, and back parts like a hummock of sand; and plumply rounded thighs and calves like columns of alabaster; but I saw her feet to be large, and thou wilt fall short with her in time of need.” Upon this report he married her,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

 

When it was the Three Hundred and Eighty-seventh Day She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Izzah this wise reported of Ayishah bint Talhah, Mus’ab married her and went in to her. And presently Izzah invited Ayishah and the women of the tribe Kuraysh to her house, when Ayishah sang these two couplets with Mus’ab standing by, “And the lips of girls, that are perfume sweet; *

So nice to kiss when with smiles they greet: Yet ne’er tasted I them, but in thought of him; *

And by thought the Ruler rules worldly seat.”

 

The night of Mus’ab’s going in unto her, he departed not from her, till after seven bouts; and on the morrow, a freewoman of his met him and said to him, “May I be thy sacrifice! Thou art perfect, even in this.” And a certain woman said, “I was with Ayishah, when her husband came in to her, and she lusted for him; so he fell upon her and she snarked and snorted and made use of all wonder of movements and marvellous new inventions, and I the while within hearing. So, when he came out from her, I said to her, �How canst thou do thus with thy rank and nobility and condition, and I in thy house?’ Quoth she, �Verily a woman should bring her husband all of which she is mistress, by way of excitement and rare buckings and wrigglings and motitations.[FN#113] What dislikest thou of this?’ And I answered �I would have this by nights.’ Rejoined she, �Thus is it by day and by night I do more than this; for when he seeth me, desire stirreth him up and he falleth in heat; so he putteth it out to me and I obey him, and it is as thou seest.’” And there also hath reached me an account of

 

ABU AL-ASWAD AND HIS SLAVE-GIRL

 

Abu al-Aswad bought a native-born slave-girl, who was blind of an eye, and she pleased him; but his people decried her to him; whereat he wondered and, turning the palms of his hands upwards,[FN#114] recited these two couplets, “They find me fault with her where I default ne’er find, *

Save haply that a speck in either eye may show: But if her eyes have fault, of fault her form hath none, *

Slim-built above the waist and heavily made below.”

 

And this is also told of

 

HARUN AL-RASHID AND THE TWO SLAVE-GIRLS

 

The Caliph Harun al-Rashid lay one night between two slave-girls, one from Al-Medinah and the other from Cufa and the Cufite rubbed his hands, whilst the Medinite rubbed his feet and made his concern[FN#115] stand up. Quoth the Cufite, “I see thou wouldst keep the whole of the stockin-trade to thyself; give me my share of it.” And the other answered, “I have been told by M�lik, on the authority of Hish�m ibn Orwah,[FN#116] who had it of his (grand) father, that the Prophet said, �Whoso quickeneth the dead, the dead belongeth to him and is his.’ But the Cufite took her unawares and, pushing her away, seized it all in her own hand and said, “Al-A’amash telleth us, on the authority of Khaysamah, who had it of Abdallah bin Mas’ud, that the Prophet declared, �Game belongeth to him who taketh it, not to him who raiseth it.’” And this is also related of

 

THE CALIPH HARUN AL-RASHID AND THE THREE

SLAVE-GIRLS

 

The Caliph Harun al-Rashid once slept with three slave-girls, a Meccan, a Medinite and an Irakite. The Medinah girl put her hand to his yard and handled it, whereupon it rose and the Meccan sprang up and drew it to herself. Quoth the other, “What is this unjust aggression? A tradition was related to me by M�lik[FN#117] after Al-Zuhri, after Abdallah ibn S�lim, after Sa’�d bin Zayd, that the Apostle of Allah (whom Allah bless and keep!) said: �Whoso enquickeneth a dead land, it is his.’ And the Meccan answered, “It is related to us by Sufy�n, from Abu Zan�d, from Al-A’araj, from Abu Horayrah, that the Apostle of Allah said: �The quarry is his who catcheth it, not his who starteth it.’” But the Irak girl pushed them both away and taking it to herself, said, “This is mine, till your contention be decided.” And they tell a tale of

 

THE MILLER AND HIS WIFE

 

There was a miller, who had an ass to turn his mill; and he was married to a wicked wife, whom he loved, while she hated him because she was sweet upon a neighbour, who misliked her and held aloof from her. One night, the miller saw, in his sleep, one who said to him, “Dig in such a spot of the ass’s round in the mill, and thou shalt find a hoard.” When he awoke, he told his wife the vision and bade her keep the secret; but she told her neighbour,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

 

When it was the Three hundred and Eighty-eighth Night She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the miller’s wife told the secret to the neighbour whom she loved, thinking to win his favour; and he agreed with her to come to her by night. So he came and they dug in the mill and found the treasure and took it forth. Then he asked her, “How shall we do with this?” and she answered; “We will divide it into two halves and will share it equally between us, and do thou leave thy wife and I will cast about to rid me of my husband. Then shalt thou marry me and, when we are conjoined, we will join the two halves of the treasure one to other, and all will be in our hands.”

Quoth he, “I fear lest Satan seduce thee and thou take