Malayan Literature Part 20

When the aethiopian robber came out of his drunken slumber he saw that the princess Djouher-Manikam was no longer in his house. So he went out-of-doors weeping, and took up his journey, going from country to country until he arrived at the city of Roum. There he saw a _baley_, and hanging there a portrait which bore a perfect resemblance to the princess Djouher-Manikam. Quickly he climbed to the _baley_, and, holding the portrait in his arms, he wept and covered it with kisses.

"O unhappy man that I am! Here is the portrait of my well-beloved for whom I was seeking. Where can she be?"

The guards of the _baley_, seeing the act of the aethiopian, seized him and bore him before the King. They told the deed.

The prince said: "aethiopian robber, why did you act thus in reference to this picture?"

The aethiopian answered: "O my lord, king of the world, I ask you a thousand and a thousand pardons. Your servant will tell the truth. If they kill me I shall die; if they hang me I shall be lifted very high; if they sell me I shall be carried very far away. O king of the world, hear the words of your humble slave. A certain night I had started out to rob. I found a horse, and on its back there was a woman of the most marvellous beauty. I took her to my house. I fell asleep in my cups. My beloved one disappeared. I became mad, and so it is, O king of the world, that your slave came to the fort and saw the portrait hanging at the _baley_. This portrait is the faithful picture of my well-beloved.

That is why I weep."

The prince said: "O my vezir, let this man be carefully guarded. Treat him well and give him plenty to eat." On the other hand, Biyapri, after forty days, mounting the roof, saw that the princess Djouher was no longer there. He became mad, abandoned his house and all his wealth, and, becoming a dervish, went from country to country seeking the princess Djouher-Manikam, without ever finding her. Coming to the country of Roum he saw the _baley_ situated outside the fort, and stopped there. Then he saw the portrait, and, observing it with the closest attention, he began to weep. Then he took it in his arms and covered it with kisses.

"Alas, my well-beloved!" he cried, "here indeed is your picture, but where can I find you?" He was immediately seized by the guard and led before the King of Roum.

"Biyapri," said the prince, "whence do you come, and why did you act thus?" Biyapri answered: "O my lord, king of the world, your slave asks pardon a thousand and a thousand times. I will tell the whole truth. If they kill me, I shall die; if they hang me, I shall be lifted very high; if they sell me, I shall be taken very far away. When I was engaged in commerce I pa.s.sed under a tree, and saw that in this tree there was a woman of the most marvellous beauty. I took her and carried her to the city of Ba.s.srah and installed her on the roof of my storehouse. A certain night she disappeared without my knowing where she had gone. Then, O king of the world, I became as one mad and left my native land. Arriving at the country of Roum I saw a _baley_ outside the fort and came to sit down there. Then, my lord, I saw the portrait hanging at the _baley_. It exactly resembles my beloved, whom I lost. I pressed it in my arms and covered it with kisses. Such is the truth, O king of the world."

The prince then said to his minister: "O minister, let this man be carefully guarded and give him food and clothes."

The King of Damas, after abdicating the throne, had left his kingdom, and in the costume of a dervish had started to travel through the different countries. Arriving at Roum, the King Chah Djouhou saw a _baley_ situated outside of the fort, and went to sit down near it. The prince looking closely at the portrait, which was exactly like the princess Djouher-Manikam, burst into a flood of tears and exclaimed:

"Alas! Fruit of my heart, my well-beloved, light of my eyes! It is, indeed, your picture. But you, whom I seek, oh, where are you?"

Speaking thus, the prince took the portrait in his arms and covered it with kisses. Seeing this, the guards of the _baley_ seized him and carried him before the King.

The King said to him: "My lord, whence do you come? How have you wandered into this country? And why did you behave thus about my portrait?"

The King Chah Djouhou answered: "Know that my wife, who is named the princess Djouher-Manikam, has disappeared far from me. It is for that reason that I have left my kingdom, and that I, dressed as a dervish, have walked from country to country, from plain to plain, from village to village, seeking her whom I have never been able to find. But arriving in your Majesty's country I saw hanging at the _baley_ that portrait, which is of a striking resemblance to my wife. It is for this reason that I wept in contemplating this picture."

The princess smiled, and at the same time her heart was softened at seeing the conduct of her husband. She said to her prime minister: "O my minister, I confide this person to your care. Treat him worthily, give him the best of food and a suite of attendants. He is the King of Damas."

The minister therefore, by command of the princess, departed and conducted the King of Damas to a fine house, furnished and equipped according to the needs of kings.

The minister took all the riches which had been intended as presents for the King Haroun-er-Raschid. The ingots of gold and of silver, the rich garments in fine stuffs of the country of Rouzoungga, as well as the vestments of the princess Djouher-Manikam and of her three children, were transported and sold in the city of Bagdad. But the King Haroun-er-Raschid, seeing that his name and that of his daughter, the princess Djouher-Manikam, were graven on these ingots of gold and silver, seized all these riches.

The minister of the country of Damas said, "These riches are mine."

On his side the King Haroun-er-Raschid said: "These riches are mine, for my name and that of my child are engraved on these ingots of gold and silver."

The minister said, "Since your Majesty declares that these treasures are yours, we must try this case in a court of justice."

The King of Bagdad answered: "It is well. We will go wherever you wish."

"Very well," said the minister; "let us go then before the King of the country of Roum. That prince has the reputation of being extremely just. Each of us shall plead his cause."

The prince answered: "It is well." The minister replied: "O king of the world, let us start without delay."

So the King Haroun-er-Raschid set out with his son Min-bah-Chahaz, his chief warrior, and his soldiers. The cadi accompanied the prince. On his side, the minister of the country of Damas started, accompanied by his three sons and forty soldiers of the country of Damas. After proceeding some time, they arrived at the city of Roum and entered the fortifications. Each one of them presented himself before the King and pleaded his cause.

The King Haroun-er-Raschid expressed himself as follows: "O king of the world! I present myself before your Majesty to ask your impartial judgment. The minister of the country of Damas brought to Bagdad, among other precious objects, ingots of gold and ingots of silver, on which are engraved my name and that of my daughter, the princess Djouher- Manikam. I seized these, and come to your Majesty to decide my claim to them."

The King of Roum said: "If it pleases G.o.d the most high, this affair shall be judged with the best of my powers." The King of Roum continued: "My officers and you, my ministers and chiefs, seek all the divine inspiration to decide the difference existing between the King of Bagdad and the minister of Damas."

The officers bowed low and said: "O my lord, king of the world, whatever they may be, we shall put the commands of your Majesty above our heads and shall carry them out to the letter." And they deliberated on the character of the dispute.

The King of Bagdad declared: "These objects are precious to me, for they bear engraven upon them the names of myself and my child."

On the other hand, and at the same time, the minister Damas declared, "These precious objects are mine."

The ministers and chiefs were very much embarra.s.sed, and said to the King: "O king of the world, we, all of us, are unable to judge this dispute. It is too difficult for us. Only the impartial judgment of your Majesty can decide it."

The prince said: "It is well. I will p.r.o.nounce sentence, if it please G.o.d the most high, provided that you consent to accept it."

The King of Bagdad answered: "O king of the world, judge between us according to your impartial justice."

The King of Roum then said: "O minister of Damas, and you, King of Bagdad, is it the wish of both of you that I should give judgment according to the judgment of G.o.d the most high?"

And they both answered: "That is what we ask, the judgment of G.o.d."

The prince replied: "If you consent on both sides, it is well."

"I consent to it," said the minister of Damas.

"And I, too," said the King of Bagdad.

The King of Roum then spoke in these terms: "In conformity with the law of the most high G.o.d, I ask this question of the King of Bagdad: Have you a daughter?"

The King of Bagdad replied: "Yes, king of the world, I have a daughter and a son."

"And have you at present these two children?"

The King of Bagdad answered: "I have my son, but my daughter--I lost her."

The King of Roum, continuing, said: "What is the cause of the loss of your daughter?" The King of Bagdad answered: "O king of the world, hear my story. While I was gone on a pilgrimage with my wife and my son, whose name is Minbah-Chahaz, I left my daughter to watch over my palace. Arriving at the end of my pilgrimage, I sent home a letter to the cadi, conceived as follows: 'May peace be with the cadi: I shall wait still for the grand pilgrimage about a year longer. As for all that concerns my kingdom, my palace, and my daughter, the princess Djouher-Manikam, watch with greatest care, and beware of any negligence in the protection of my kingdom and my child.' Some time later the cadi sent me a letter at Mecca, couched in these words: 'O king of the world, your servant has received the command to watch over the palace and the princess. But the princess now desires to marry me.' After I had read the letter from the cadi I called my son Minbah-Chahaz, and said to him: 'Start at once for Bagdad, and slay your sister.' My son Minbah-Chahaz started immediately for Bagdad, and killed his sister.

Then he returned and found me at Mecca. His cutla.s.s was still blood- stained. Then I cried: 'Praise be to G.o.d the Lord of the universe, our shame is effaced.' Such is my story, O king of the world."

The King of Roum said: "It is well. Now I shall p.r.o.nounce judgment."

And addressing the minister of Damas he said to him: "O minister of Damas, tell me the truth if you wish that at the day of judgment the prophet should intercede for you (may the peace and blessings of G.o.d be upon him!). Speak and tell the truth. Say whence come these riches, in order that I may p.r.o.nounce my judgment between you."

The minister of the King of Damas said: "O my lord, king of the world, I will lay at the foot of your Majesty's throne the completed story from the beginning. I received a mission from the King Chah Djouhou: 'O my minister,' he said, 'start, I send you to the city of Bagdad, taking my three children to their grandfather, and my wife, the princess Djouher-Manikam, to her mother and her father, the King Haroun-er- Raschid.' I set out, therefore, with the escort which accompanied the princess Djouher-Manikam, and we arrived at our first halting-place.

When it was night I erected a tent, and the people of the escort all put up tents around that of the princess. But Satan breathed into my heart a temptation. This thought came to me: 'The wife of the King is wonderfully beautiful, and she has such a pretty name! I will go and ask her to marry me.' So I entered her tent. At that moment she was seated by her sleeping children, occupied in keeping away the mosquitoes. The princess demanded, 'O my minister, why do you come here?' And I answered, 'I have come to ask you to marry me.' The princess said: 'Have you no fear of G.o.d the most high? No, I cannot marry you. What would become of me if I should do such a thing?' Then I said, 'If you will not agree to marry me, I will kill one of your children.' The princess answered: 'If you kill my child it will be by the judgment of G.o.d, and what can I do but to invoke his name?' Then I killed one of the children. When he was dead I asked again if she would marry me, and I killed another of the children. When this one was dead I asked the same question. The princess answered, 'I cannot marry when I am already married.' I said to her, 'If you will not, then I will kill the third of your children.' The princess Djouher-Manikam answered, 'If you kill my third child, it will be by the judgment of G.o.d, and what can I do but invoke his name, for I am only a woman?' So I killed the third child. After the death of this last child of the King, I put again my question to the princess. She would not consent to marry me. I said to her, 'If you don't, I will kill you.' She answered: 'If you kill me, it is the decree of G.o.d. But wait awhile, for I wish to wash my garments and cleanse the traces of my children's blood from my body.' I said, 'It is well. We will have the wedding-feast to- morrow.' She left the tent. It was raining in torrents. I could not discover where she went. Such is my story, O king of the world."

The King said, "Minister of the country of Damas, have you any sons?"

He answered, "Yes, my lord, king of the world, I have three sons."

The prince said: "Let your three sons come here, in order that I may give judgment quickly, according to the law inst.i.tuted by the prophet (may the peace and blessings of G.o.d be upon him!). Behold what his law prescribes: The minister killed the children of the princess Djouher- Manikam. It is not, therefore, the minister who should be punished with death, but his children should be slain. The execution of this judgment will be the just application of the law of retaliation between the minister and the princess."

The minister summoned his three sons. As soon as they had come, he pointed them to the King of Roum.