The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night Volume V Part 19

His brow had dazed all eyes no sight allowing: And whoso sojourns in a growthless land, *

How shall he move from land fair growths a-growing?'

And quoth another,

'My blamers say of me, 'He is consoled,' And lie! *

No consolation comes to those who pine and sigh.

I had no solace when Rose bloomed alone on cheek, *

Now Basil blooms thereon and now consoled am I.'

And again,

'Slim waisted one, whose looks with down of cheek *

In slaughtering mankind each other hurtle With the Narcissus blade he sheddeth blood, *

The baldrick of whose sheath is freshest myrtle.'[FN#239]

And again,

'Not with his must I'm drunk, but verily *

Those curls turn manly heads like newest wine[FN#240]

Each of his beauties envies each, and all *

Would be the silky down on side face li'en.'

Such are the excellencies of the youth which women do not own, and they more than suffice to give those the preference over these.' She replied, 'Allah give thee health! verily, thou hast imposed the debate upon thyself; and thou hast spoken and hast not stinted and hast brought proofs to support every a.s.sertion.

But, 'Now is the truth become manifest;'[FN#241] so swerve thou not from the path thereof; and, if thou be not content with a summary of evidence, I will set it before thee in fullest detail.

Allah upon thee, where is the youth beside the girl and who shall compare kid and wild cow? The girl is soft of speech, fair of form, like a branchlet of basil, with teeth like chamomile-petals and hair like halters wherefrom to hang hearts. Her cheeks are like blood-red anemones and her face like a pippin: she hath lips like wine and b.r.e.a.s.t.s like pomegranates twain and a shape supple as a rattan-cane. Her body is well formed and with sloping shoulders dight; she hath a nose like the edge of a sword s.h.i.+ning bright and a forehead brilliant white and eyebrows which unite and eyes stained by Nature's hand black as night. If she speak, fresh young pearls are scattered from her mouth forthright and all hearts are ravished by the daintiness of her sprite; when she smileth thou wouldst ween the moon shone out her lips between and when she eyes thee, sword blades flash from the babes of her eyes. In her all beauties to conclusion come, and she is the centre of attraction to traveller and stay-at-home. She hath two lips of cramoisy, than cream smoother and of taste than honey sweeter,'" --And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Four Hundred and Twenty-second Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the preacher woman thus pursued her theme in the praise of fair maids, "'She hath two lips of cramoisy, than cream smoother and than honey sweeter;' adding, 'And she hath a bosom, as it were a way two hills between which are a pair of b.r.e.a.s.t.s like globes of ivory sheen; likewise, a stomach right smooth, flanks soft as the palm-spathe and creased with folds and dimples which overlap one another, and liberal thighs, which like columns of pearl arise, and back parts which billow and beat together like seas of gla.s.s or mountains of glance, and two feet and hands of gracious mould like unto ingots of virgin gold. So, O miserable! where are mortal men beside the Jinn? Knowest thou not that puissant princes and potent Kings before women ever humbly bend and on them for delight depend? Verily, they may say, 'We rule over necks and rob hearts.' These women! how many a rich man have they not paupered, how many a powerful man have they not prostrated and how many a superior man have they not enslaved! Indeed, they seduce the sage and send the saint to shame and bring the wealthy to want and plunge the fortune favoured into penury. Yet for all this, the wise but redouble in affection of them and honour; nor do they count this oppression or dishonour. How many a man for them hath offended his Maker and called down on him self the wrath of his father and mother! And all this because of the conquest of their love over hearts. Knowest thou not, O wretched one, that for them are built pavilions, and slave girls are for sale;[FN#242] that for them tear floods rail and for them are collected jewels of price and ambergris and musk odoriferous; and armies are arrayed and pleasaunces made and wealth heaped up and smitten off is many a head? And indeed he spoke sooth in the words, 'Whoso saith the world meaneth woman.' Now as for thy citation from the Holy Traditions, it is an argument against thee and not for thee in that the Prophet (whom Allah bless and preserve!) compareth the beardless with the black eyed girls of Paradise. Now, doubtless, the subject of comparison is worthier than the object there with compared; so, unless women be the worthier and the goodlier, wherefore should other than they be likened to them? As for thy saying that girls are likened to boys, the case is not so, but the contrary: boys are likened to girls; for folk say, Yonder boy is like a girl. As for what proof thou quotest from the poets, the verses were the product of a complexion unnatural in this respect; and as for the habitual sodomites and catamites, offenders against religion, Almighty Allah hath condemned them in His Holy Book,[FN#243] herein He denounceth their filthy practices, saying, 'Do ye approach unto the males among mankind[FN#244] and leave your wives which your Lord hath created for you? Surely ye are a people who transgress!' These it is that liken girls to boys, of their exceeding profligacy and ungraciousness and inclination to follow the fiend and own l.u.s.ts, so that they say, 'She is apt for two tricks,'[FN#245] and these are all wanderers from the way of right and the righteous. Quoth their chief Abu Nowas,

'Slim waist and boyish wits delight *

Wencher, as well as Sodomite,'[FN#246]

As for what thou sayest of a youth's first hair on cheek and lips and how they add to his beauty and loveliness, by Allah, thou strayest from the straight path of sooth and sayest that which is other than the truth; for whiskers change the charms of the comely into ugliness (quoting these couplets),

'That sprouting hair upon his face took wreak *

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 G.o.dly 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 h.e.l.l's putridity[FN#248] and corruption and turpitude. How well saith the poet,

'Men's turning unto b.u.ms of boys is b.u.mptious; *

Whoso love n.o.ble women show their own n.o.blesse.

How many goodly wights have slept the night, enjoying *

b.u.t.tocks 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 b.r.e.a.s.t.s 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 Compa.s.sionate.' 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 Tahir[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,