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

For lovers’ vengeance, all did vainly seek.

I see not on his face a sign fuli- *

genous, except his curls are hue of reek.

If so his paper[FN#247] mostly be begrimed *

Where deemest thou the reed shall draw a streak?

If any raise him other fairs above, *

This only proves the judge of wits is weak.’

And when she ended her verse she resumed, ‘Laud be to Allah Almighty,’” —And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Four Hundred and Twenty-third Night, She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the preacher woman ended her verse she resumed, addressing the man, “

‘Laud to Allah Almighty! how can it be hid from thee that the perfect pleasure is in women and that abiding blessings are not to be found but with them, seeing that Allah (extolled and exalted be He!) hath promised His prophets and saints black eyed damsels in Paradise and hath appointed these for a recompense of their godly works. And had the Almighty known that the joy supreme was in the possession of other than women, He had rewarded them therewith and promised it to them. And quoth he (whom Allah bless and preserve!), ‘The things I hold dearest of the things of your world are three: women and perfume and the solace of my eyes in prayer.’ Verily Allah hath appointed boys to serve his prophets and saints in Paradise, because Paradise is the abode of joy and delight, which could not be complete without the service of youths; but, as to the use of them for aught but service, it is Hell’s putridity[FN#248] and corruption and turpitude. How well saith the poet,

‘Men’s turning unto bums of boys is bumptious; *

Whoso love noble women show their own noblesse.

How many goodly wights have slept the night, enjoying *

Buttocks of boys, and woke at morn in foulest mess Their garments stained by safflower, which is yellow merde; *

Their shame proclaiming, showing colour of distress.

Who can deny the charge, when so bewrayed are they *

That e’en by day light shows the dung upon their dress?

What contrast wi’ the man, who slept a gladsome night *

By Houri maid for glance a mere enchanteress, He rises off her borrowing wholesome bonny scent; *

That fills the house with whiffs of perfumed goodliness.

No boy deserved place by side of her to hold; *

Canst even aloes wood with what fills pool of cess!’[FN#249]

Then said she, ‘O folk ye have made me to break the bounds of modesty and the circle of free born women and indulge in idle talk of chambering and wantonness, which beseemeth not people of learning. But the breasts of free-borns are the sepulchres of secrets’ and such conversations are in confidence. Moreover, actions are according to intentions,[FN#250] and I crave pardon of Allah for myself and you and all Moslems, seeing that He is the Pardoner and the Compassionate.’ Then she held her peace and thereafter would answer us of naught; so we went our way, rejoicing in that we had profited by her contention and yet sorrowing to part from her.” And among the tales they tell is one of

ABU SUWAYD AND THE PRETTY OLD WOMAN.

Quoth Abu Suwayd, “I and a company of my friends, entered a garden one day to buy somewhat of fruit; and we saw in a corner an old woman, who was bright of face, but her head-hair was white, and she was combing it with an ivory comb. We stopped before her, yet she paid no heed to us neither veiled her face: so I said to her, ‘O old woman,[FN#251] wert thou to dye thy hair black, thou wouldst be handsomer than a girl: what hindereth thee from this?’ She raised her head towards me”—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Four Hundred and Twenty-fourth Night, She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Abu Suwayd continued: “When I spake these words to the ancient dame she raised her head towards me and, opening wide her eyes, recited these two couplets,

‘I dyed what years have dyed, but this my staining *

Lasts not, while that of days is aye remaining: Days when beclad in gear of youth I fared, *

Raked fore and aft by men with joy unfeigning.’

I cried, ‘By Allah, favoured art thou for an old woman! How sincere art thou in thine after-pine for forbidden pleasures and how false is thy pretence of repentance from frowardness!’” And another tale is that of

THE EMIR ALI BIN TAHIR AND THE GIRL MUUNIS.

Once on a time was displayed for sale to Ali bin Mohammed bin Abdallah bin T�hir[FN#252] a slave-girl called Muunis who was superior to her fellows in beauty and breeding, and to boot an accomplished poetess; and he asked her of her name. Replied she, “Allah advance the Emir, my name is Muunis.”[FN#253] Now he knew this before; so he bowed his head awhile, then raising his eyes to her, recited this verse,

“What sayest of one by a sickness caught *

For the love of thy love till he waxed distraught?”

Answered she, “Allah exalt the Emir!” and recited this verse in reply,

“If we saw a lover who pains as he ought, *

Wi’ love we would grant him all favours he sought.”

She pleased him: so he bought her for seventy thousand dirhams and begat on her Obayd’ Allah bin Mohammed, afterwards minister of Police.[FN#254] And we are told by Abu al-Ayn�[FN#255] a tale of

THE WOMAN WHO HAD A BOY AND THE OTHER

WHO HAD A MAN TO LOVER.

Quoth Abu al-Ayn�, “There were in our street two women, one of whom had for lover a man and the other a beardless youth, and they foregathered one night on the terrace-roof of a house adjoining mine, knowing not that I was near. Quoth the boy’s lover to the other, ‘O my sister, how canst thou bear with patience the harshness of thy lover’s beard as it falleth on thy breast, when he busseth thee and his mustachios rub thy cheek and lips?’ Replied the other, ‘Silly that thou art, what decketh the tree save its leaves and the cucumber but its warts?[FN#256]

Didst ever see in the world aught uglier than a scald-head bald of his beard? Knowest thou not that the beard is to men as the sidelocks to women; and what is the difference between chin and cheek?[FN#257] Knowest thou not that Allah (extolled and exalted be He!) hath created an angel in Heaven, who saith: ‘Glory be to Him who ornamenteth men with beards and women with long hair?’

So, were not the beard even as the tresses in comeliness, it had not been coupled with them, O silly! How shall I spread-eagle myself under a boy, who will emit long before I can go off and forestall me in limpness of penis and clitoris; and leave a man who, when he taketh breath clippeth close and when he entereth goeth leisurely, and when he hath done, repeateth, and when he pusheth poketh hard, and as often as he withdraweth, returneth?’

The boy’s leman was edified by her speech and said, ‘I forswear my lover by the lord of the Ka’abah!’” And amongst tales is one of

ALI THE CAIRENE AND THE HAUNTED HOUSE IN

BAGHDAD.

There lived once, in the city of Cairo, a merchant who had great store of monies and bullion, gems and jewels, and lands and houses beyond count, and his name was Hasan the Jeweller, the Baghdad man. Furthermore Allah had blessed him with a son of perfect beauty and brilliancy; rosy-cheeked, fair of face and well-figured, whom he named Ali of Cairo, and had taught the Koran and science and elocution and the other branches of polite education, till he became proficient in all manner of knowledge.

He was under his father’s hand in trade but, after a while, Hasan fell sick and his sickness grew upon him, till he made sure of death; so he called his son to him,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Four Hundred and Twenty-fifth Night, She said, it hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Jeweller, the Baghdadi, fell sick and made sure of death, he called to him his son, named Ali of Cairo, and said, “O my son, verily this world passeth away; but the next world endureth for aye. Every soul shall taste of death;[FN#258] and now, O my son, my decease is at hand and I desire to charge thee with a charge, which if thou observe, thou shalt abide in safety and prosperity, till thou meet Almighty Allah; but if thou follow it not, there shall befal thee much weariness and thou wilt repent of having transgressed mine injunctions.” Replied Ali, “O my father, how shall I do other than hearken to thy words and act according to thy charge, seeing that I am bounden by the law of the Faith to obey thee and give ear to thy command?” Rejoined his father, “O

my son, I leave thee lands and houses and goods and wealth past count; so that wert thou each day to spend thereof five hundred dinars, thou wouldst miss naught of it. But, O my son, look that thou live in the fear of Allah and follow His Chosen One, Mustafa, (whom may He bless and preserve!) in whatso he is reported to have bidden and forbidden in his traditional law.[FN#259] Be thou constant in alms-deeds and the practice of beneficence and in consorting with men of worth and piety and learning; and look that thou have a care for the poor and needy and shun avarice and meanness and the conversation of the wicked or those of suspicious character. Look thou kindly upon thy servants and family, and also upon thy wife, for she is of the daughters of the great and is big with child by thee; haply Allah will vouchsafe thee virtuous issue by her.” And he ceased not to exhort him thus, weeping and saying, “O my son, I beseech Allah the Bountiful, the Lord of the glorious Empyrean[FN#260] to deliver thee from all straits that may encompass thee and grant thee His ready relief!” Thereupon his son wept with sore weeping and said, “O my father, I am melted by thy words, for these are as the words of one that saith farewell.” Replied the merchant, “Yes, O my son, I am aware of my condition: forget thou not my charge.” Then he fell to repeating the two professions of the Faith and to reciting verses of the Koran, until the appointed hour arrived, when he said, “Draw near unto me, O my son.” So Ali drew near and he kissed him; then he sighed and his soul departed his body and he went to the mercy of Almighty Allah.[FN#261]

Therewith great grief fell upon Ali; the clamour of keening arose in his house and his father’s friends flocked to him. Then he betook himself to preparing the body for burial and made him a splendid funeral. They bore his bier to the place of prayer and prayed over him, then to the cemetery, where they buried him and recited over him what suited of the sublime Koran; after which they returned to the house and condoled with the dead man’s son and wended each his own way. Moreover, Ali prayed the Friday prayer for his father and had perlections of the Koran every day for the normal forty, during which time he abode in the