Supplemental Nights to The Book of the Thousand and One Nights, Sir Richard Francis Burton [best short books to read .TXT] 📗

with Ja’afar and jesting with him. Then said he, “Allow us to be a partaker in your pleasures, and give us to drink of your Nab�z.”[FN#265] So they brought him a silken robe and poured him out a pint, when he said, “We crave your indulgence, for we have no wont of this.” Accordingly Ja’afar ordered a flagon of Nab�z be set before him, that he might drink whatso he pleased. Then, having anointed himself with perfumes, he chatted and jested with them till Ja’afar’s bosom broadened and his constraint ceased from him and his shame, and he rejoiced in this with joy exceeding and asked Abd al-Malik, “What is thine errand? Inform me thereof, for I cannot sufficiently acknowledge they courtesy.”

Answered the other, “I come (amend thee Allah!) on three requirements, of which I would have thee bespeak the Caliph; to wit, firstly, I have on me a debt to the amount of a thousand thousand dirhams,[FN#266] which I would have paid: secondly, I desire for my son the office of Wali or governor of a province,[FN#267] whereby his rank may be raised: and thirdly, I would fain have thee marry him to Al-‘Aliyah, the daughter of the Commander of the Faithful, for that she is his cousin and he is a match for her.” Ja’afar said, “Allah accomplisheth unto thee these three occasions. As for the money, it shall be carried to thy house this very hour: as for the government, I make thy son Viceroy of Egypt; and as for the marriage, I give him to mate Such-an-one, the daughter of our lord the Prince of True Believers, at a dowry of such and such a sum. So depart in the assurance of Allah Almighty.” Accordingly Abd al-Malik went away much astonished at Ja’afar’s boldness in undertaking such engagements. He fared straight for his house, whither he found that the money had preceded him, and in the morrow Ja’afar presented himself before Al-Rashid and acquainted him with what had passed, and that he had appointed Abd al-Malik’s son Wali of Egypt[FN#268] and had promised him his daughter, Al-‘Aliyah to wife. The Caliph was pleased to approve of this and he confirmed the appointment and the marriage. Then he sent for the young man and he went not forth of the palace of the Caliphate till Al-Rashid wrote him the patent of investiture with the government of Egypt; and he let bring the Kazis and the witnesses and drew up the contract of marriage.

 

AL-RASHID AND THE BARMECIDES[FN#269]

 

It is said that the most wondrous of matters which happened to Al-Rashid was this. his brother Al-H�d�,[FN#270] when he succeeded to the Caliphate, enquired of a seal-ring of great price, which had belonged to his father Al-Mahdi,[FN#271] and it reached him that Al-Rashid had taken it. So he required it of him, but he refused to give it up, and Al-Hadi insisted upon him, yet he still denied the seal-ring of the Caliphate. Now this was on Tigris-bridge, and he threw the ring into the river.[FN#272]

When Al-Hadi died and Al-Rashid succeeded to the Caliphate, he went in person to that very place with a seal-ring of lead, which he cast into the stream at the same stead, and bade the divers seek it. So the duckers did his bidding and brought up the first ring, and this was counted an omen of Al-Rashid’s good fortune and of the continuance of his reign.[FN#273] When Al-Rashid come to the throne, he invested Ja’afar bin Yahy� bin Kh�lid al-Barmaki[FN#274] with the Wazirate. Now Ja’afar was eminently noted for generosity and munificence, and the histories of him to this purport are renowned and have been documented. None of the Wazirs rose to the rank and favour whereto he attained with Al-Rashid, who was wont to call him brother[FN#275] and used to carry him with him into his house. The period of his Wazirate was nineteen[FN#276] years, and Yahya one day said to his son Ja’afar, “O my son, as long as thy reed trembleth,[FN#277] water it with kindness.” Men differ concerning the reason of Ja’afar’s slaughter, but the better opinion of it is follows. Al-Rashid could not bear to be parted from Ja’afar nor from his own sister ‘Abb�sah, daughter of Al-Mahdi, a single hour, and she was the loveliest woman of her day; so he said to Ja’afar, “I will marry thee to her, that it may be lawful to thee to look upon her, but thou shalt not touch her.” After this time the twain used to be present in Al-Rashid’s sitting chamber. Now the Caliph would get up bytimes and leave the chamber, and they being filled with wine as well as being young, Ja’afar would rise to her and know her carnally.[FN#278] She conceived by him and bare a handsome boy; and, fearing Al-Rashid, she dispatched the new-born child by one of her confidants to Meccah the Magnified (May Allah Almighty greaten it in honor and increase it in venerance and nobility and magnification!). the affair abode concealed till there befel a brabble between Abbasah and one of her hand-maidens whereupon the slavegirl discovered the affair of the child to Al-Rashid and acquainted him with its abiding-place. So, when the Caliph pilgrimaged, he sent one who brought him the boy and found the matter true, where he caused befel the Barmecides whatso befel.[FN#279]

 

IBN AL-SAMMAK AND AL-RASHID[FN#280]

 

It is related that Ibn al-Samm�k[FN#281] went in one day to Al-Rashid, and the Caliph, being athirst, called for drink. So his cup was brought him, and when he took it, Ibn al-Sammak said to him, “Softly, O Prince of True Believers! An thou wert denied this draught, with how much wouldst thou buy it?” He replied, “With the half of my reign;” and Ibn al-Sammak said, “Drink and Allah make it grateful to thee!” Then, when he had drunken; he asked him, “An thou wert denied the issuing forth of the draught from thy body, with what wouldst thou buy its issue?” Answered Al-Rashid, “With the whole of my reign;” and Ibn al-Sammak said, “O Commander of the Faithful, verily, a realm that weighteth not in the balance against a draught of water or a voiding of urine is not worth the striving for.” And Harun wept.

 

AL-MAAMUN AND ZUBAYDAH[FN#282]

 

It is said that Al-Maam�n[FN#283] came one day upon Zubaydah, mother of Al-Am�n,[FN#284] and saw her moving her lips and muttering somewhat he understood not; so he said to her, “O

mother mine, art thou cursing me because I slew thy son and spoiled him of his realm?” Said she, “Not so, by Allah, O

Commander of the Faithful!” and quoth he, “What then was it thou saidest?” Quoth she, “Let the Prince of True Believers excuse me.” But he was urgent with her, saying, “There is no help but that thou tell it.” And she replied, “I said, Allah confound importunity!” He asked, “How so?” and she answered, “I played one day at chess with the Commander of the Faithful, Harun al-Rashid, and he imposed on me the condition of forfeits.[FN#285]

He won and made me doff my dress and walk around the palace, stark naked; so I did this, and I felt incensed against him.

Then we fell to playing and I won; whereat I made him go to the kitchen and lie with the foulest and fulsomest wench of the wenches thereof; but I found not a slavegirl fouler and filthier than they mother;[FN#286] so I so bade him tumble her. He did my bidding and she conceived by him of thee, and thus was I the cause of the slaying of my son and the spoiling of him of his realm.” When Al-Maam�n heard this, he turned away, saying, “Allah curse the importunate!” that is, himself, who had importuned her till she acquainted him with that affair.

 

AL-NU’UMAN AND THE ARAB OF THE BANU

TAY[FN#287]

 

It is said that Al-Nu’um�n[FN#288] had two boon-companions, one of whom was hight Ibn Sa’ad and the other Amr� bin al-Malik, and he became one night drunken and bade bury them alive; so they buried him. When he arose on the morrow, he asked for them and was acquainted with their affair, whereupon he built over them a building and appointed to himself a day of ill-luck and a day of good fortune. If any met him on his unlucky day, he slew him and with his blood he washed that monument, which is a place well known in Kufah; and if any met him on this day of good fortune he enriched him. Now there accosted him once, on his day of illomen, an Arab of the Ban� Tay[FN#289] and Al-Nu’uman would have done him dead; but the Arab said, “Allah quicken the king! I have two little girls and have made none guardian over them; wherefore, and the king see fit to grant me leave to go to them, I will give him the covenant of Allah[FN#290] that I will return to him, as soon as I shall have appointed unto them a guardian.”

Al-Nu’uman had ruth on him and said to him, “An a man will be surety for thee of those who are with us, I will let thee go, and if thou return not I will slay him.” Now there was with Al-Nu’uman his Wazir Sharik bin Amru: so the T��[FN#291] looked at him and said,

 

“Ho thou, Sharik, O Amru-son is there fro’ Death repair? * O

brother to men brotherless, brother to all in care!

O brother of Al-Nu’uman an old man this day spare, * An old man slain and Allah deign fair meed for thee prepare!”

 

Quoth Sharik, “On me be his warranty, Allah assign the king!” So the T�� departed, after a term had been assigned him for his returning. Now when the appointed day arrived, Al-Nu’uman sent for Sharik and said to him, “Verily the high noon of this day is past;” and Sharik answered, “the king hath no procedure against me till it be eventide.” Whenas evened the evening there appeared one afar off and Al-Nu’uman fell to looking upon him and on Sharik who said to him, “Thou hast no right over me till yonder person come, for haply he is my man.” As he spake, up came the T�� in haste and Al-Nu’uman said, “By Allah, never saw I any more generous than you two! I know not which of you be the nobler, whether this one who became warrant for thee in death-risk or thou who returnest to thy slaughter.” Then quoth he to Sharik, “What drave thee to become warrant for him, knowing the while it was death?” and quoth he, “I did this lest it be said, Generosity hath departed from Wazirs.” Then Al-Nu’uman asked the T��, “And thou, what prompted thee to return, knowing that therein was death and thine one destruction?” and the Arab answered, “I did this lest it be said, Fidelity hath departed from the folk; for such thing would be a shame to mine issue and to my tribe.” And Al-Nu’uman cried, “By Allah, I will be the third of you, lest it be said, Mercy hath departed from the kings.” So he pardoned him and bade abolish the day of ill-luck; whereupon the Arab began to say,

 

“A many urged me that I false my faith, * But I refused whatso the wights could plead;

For I’m a man in whom Faith dwells for aye, * And every true man’s word is pledge of deed.”

 

Quoth Al-Nu’uman, “What prompted thee to keep faith, the case being as thou sayest?” Quoth he, “O king, it was my religion.”

Al-Nu’uman asked, “What is thy religion?” and he answered “The Nazarene!” The king said, “Expound it to me.” So the T��

expounded it to him and Al-Nu’uman became a Christian.[FN#292]

 

FIRUZ AND HIS WIFE[FN#293]

 

They relate