Tales from the Arabic Part 50

The wife of the shopkeeper, to wit, the nurse, came out, with the rest of those who came out, to divert herself with gazing upon the show, and when she saw El Abbas and beheld his beauty and the goodliness of his army and that which he had brought back with him of herds and slaves and slave-girls and mamelukes, she improvised and recited the following verses:

El Abbas from Akil his stead is come again; Prize hath he made of steeds and many a baggage-train; Yea, horses hath he brought, full fair of shape and hue, Whose collars, anklet-like, ring to the bridle-rein.

Taper of hoofs and straight of stature, in the dust They prance, as like a flood they pour across the plain; And on their saddles perched are warriors richly clad, That with their hands do smite on kettle-drums amain.

Couched are their limber spears, right long and lithe of point, Keen- ground and polished sheer, amazing wit and brain.

Who dares with them to cope draws death upon himself; Yea, of the deadly lance incontinent he's slain.

Come, then, companions mine, rejoice with me and say, "All hail to thee, O friend, and welcome fair and fain!"

For whoso doth rejoice in meeting him shall have Largesse and gifts galore at his dismounting gain.

When the troops entered Baghdad, each of them alighted in his pavilion, whilst El Abbas encamped apart in a place near the Tigris and commanded to slaughter for the troops, each day, that which should suffice them of oxen and sheep and bake them bread and spread the tables. So the folk ceased not to come to him and eat of his banquet. Moreover, all the people of the country came to him with presents and rarities and he requited them many times the like of their gifts, so that the lands were filled with his tidings and the report of him was bruited abroad among the folk of the deserts and the cities.

Then, when he rode to his house that he had bought, the shopkeeper and his wife came to him and gave him joy of his safety; whereupon he ordered them three swift thoroughbred horses and ten dromedaries and an hundred head of sheep and clad them both in sumptuous dresses of honour. Then he chose out ten slave-girls and ten black slaves and fifty horses and the like number of she- camels and three hundred head of sheep, together with twenty ounces of musk and as many of camphor, and sent all this to the King of Baghdad. When this came to Ins ben Cais, his wit fled for joy and he was perplexed wherewithal to requite him.

Moreover, El Abbas gave gifts and largesse and bestowed dresses of honour upon great and small, each after the measure of his station, save only Mariyeh; for unto her he sent nothing.

This was grievous to the princess and it irked her sore that he should not remember her; so she called her slave- girl Shefikeh and said to her, "Go to El Abbas and salute him and say to him, 'What hindereth thee from sending my lady Mariyeh her part of thy booty?'" So Shefikeh betook herself to him and when she came to his door, the chamberlains refused her admission, until they should have gotten her leave and permission. When she entered, El Abbas knew her and knew that she had somewhat of speech [with him]; so he dismissed his mamelukes and said to her, "What is thine errand, O handmaid of good?" "O my lord," answered she, "I am a slave-girl of the Princess Mariyeh, who kisseth thy hands and commendeth her salutation to thee. Indeed, she rejoiceth in thy safety and reproacheth thee for that thou breakest her heart, alone of all the folk, for that thy largesse embraceth great and small, yet hast thou not remembered her with aught of thy booty.

Indeed, it is as if thou hadst hardened thy heart against her."

Quoth he, "Extolled be the perfection of him who turneth hearts!

By Allah, my vitals were consumed with the love of her [aforetime] and of my longing after her, I came forth to her from my native land and left my people and my home and my wealth, and it was with her that began the hardheartedness and the cruelty.

Nevertheless, for all this, I bear her no malice and needs must I send her somewhat whereby she may remember me; for that I abide in her land but a few days, after which I set out for the land of Yemen."

Then he called for a chest and bringing out thence a necklace of Greek handiwork, worth a thousand dinars, wrapped it in a mantle of green silk, set with pearls and jewels and inwrought with red gold, and joined thereto two caskets of musk and ambergris.

Moreover, he put off upon the girl a mantle of Greek silk, striped with gold, wherein were divers figures and semblants depictured, never saw eyes its like. Therewithal the girl's wit fled for joy and she went forth from his presence and returned to her mistress. When she came in to her, she acquainted her with that which she had seen of El Abbas and that which was with him of servants and attendants and [set out to her] the loftiness of his station and gave her that which was with her.

Mariyeh opened the mantle, and when she saw that necklace, and indeed the place was illumined with the l.u.s.tre thereof, she looked at her slave-girl and said to her, "By Allah, O Shefikeh, one look at him were liefer to me than all that my hand possesseth! Would I knew what I shall do, whenas Baghdad is empty of him and I hear no tidings of him!" Then she wept and calling for inkhorn* and paper and pen of bra.s.s, wrote the following verses:

Still do I yearn, whilst pa.s.sion's fire flames in my liver aye; For parting's shafts have smitten me and done my strength away.

Oft for thy love as I would be consoled, my yearning turns To-thee- ward still and my desires my reason still gainsay.

My transports I conceal for fear of those thereon that spy; Yet down my cheeks the tears course still and still my case bewray.

No rest is there for me, no life wherein I may delight, Nor pleasant meat nor drink avails to please me, night or day.

To whom save thee shall I complain, of whom relief implore, Whose image came to visit me, what while in dreams I lay?

Reproach me not for what I did, but be thou kind to one Who's sick of body and whose heart is wasted all away.

The fire of love-longing I hide; severance consumeth me, A thrall of care, for long desire to wakefulness a prey.

Midmost the watches of the night I see thee, in a dream; A lying dream, for he I love my love doth not repay.

Would G.o.d thou knewest that for love of thee which I endure! It hath indeed brought down on me estrangement and dismay.

Read thou my writ and apprehend its purport, for my case This is and fate hath stricken me with sorrows past allay.

Know, then, the woes that have befall'n a lover, neither grudge Her secret to conceal, but keep her counsel still, I pray.

Then she folded the letter and giving it to her slave-girl, bade her carry it to El Abbas and bring back his answer thereto.

Accordingly, Shefikeh took the letter and carried it to the prince, after the doorkeeper had sought leave of him to admit her. When she came in to him, she found with him five damsels, as they were moons, clad in [rich] apparel and ornaments; and when he saw her, he said to her, "What is thine occasion, O handmaid of good?" So she put out her hand to him with the letter, after she had kissed it, and he bade one of his slave-girls receive it from her. Then he took it from the girl and breaking it open, read it and apprehended its purport; whereupon "We are G.o.d's and to Him we return!" exclaimed he and calling for ink- horn and paper, wrote the following verses:

I marvel for that to my love I see thee now incline, What time my heart, indeed, is fain to turn away from thine.

Whilere, the verses that I made it was thy wont to flout, Saying, "No pa.s.ser by the way[FN#105] hath part in me or mine.

How many a king to me hath come, of troops and guards ensued, And Bactrian camels brought with him, in many a laden line, And dromedaries, too, of price and goodly steeds and swift Of many a n.o.ble breed, yet found no favour in my eyne!"

Then, after them came I to thee and union did entreat And unto thee set forth at length my case and my design; Yea, all my pa.s.sion and desire and love-longing in verse, As pearls in goodly order strung it were, I did enshrine.

Yet thou repaidst me with constraint, rigour and perfidy, To which no lover might himself on any wise resign.

How many a bidder unto love, a secret-craving wight, How many a swain, complaining, saith of destiny malign, "How many a cup with bitterness o'erflowing have I quaffed! I make my moan of woes, whereat it boots not to repine."

Quoth thou, "The goodliest of things is patience and its use: Its practice still mankind doth guide to all that's fair and fine."

Wherefore fair patience look thou use, for sure 'tis praiseworthy; Yea, and its issues evermore are blessed and benign; And hope thou not for aught from me, who reck not with a folk To mix, who may with abjectness infect my royal line.

This is my saying; apprehend its purport, then, and know I may in no wise yield consent to that thou dost opine.

Then he folded the letter and sealing it, delivered it to the damsel, who took it and carried it to her mistress. When the princess read the letter and apprehended its contents, she said, "Meseemeth he recalleth to me that which I did aforetime." Then she called for inkhorn and paper and wrote the following verses:

Me, till I stricken was therewith, to love thou didst excite, And with estrangement now, alas! heap'st sorrows on my spright.

The sweet of slumber after thee I have forsworn; indeed The loss of thee hath smitten me with trouble and affright.

How long shall I, in weariness, for this estrangement pine, What while the spies of severance[FN#106] do watch me all the night?

My royal couch have I forsworn, sequestering myself From all, and have mine eyes forbid the taste of sleep's delight.

Thou taught'st me what I cannot bear; afflicted sore am I; Yea, thou hast wasted me away with rigour and despite.

Yet, I conjure thee, blame me not for pa.s.sion and desire, Me whom estrangement long hath brought to sick and sorry plight.

Sore, sore doth rigour me beset, its onslaughts bring me near Unto the straitness of the grave, ere in the shroud I'm dight.

So be thou kind to me, for love my body wasteth sore, The thrall of pa.s.sion I'm become its fires consume me quite.

Mariyeh folded the letter and gave it to Shefikeh, bidding her carry it to El Abbas. So she took it and going with it to his door, would have entered; but the chamberlains and serving-men forbade her, till they had gotten her leave from the prince. When she went in to him, she found him sitting in the midst of the five damsels aforesaid, whom his father had brought him. So she gave him the letter and he took it and read it. Then he bade one of the damsels, whose name was Khefifeh and who came from the land of China, tune her lute and sing upon the subject of separation. So she came forward and tuning the lute, played thereon in four-and-twenty modes; after which she returned to the first mode and sang the following verses:

Upon the parting day our loves from us did fare And left us to endure estrangement and despair.

Whenas the burdens all were bounden on and shrill The camel-leader's call rang out across the air, Fast flowed my tears; despair gat hold upon my soul And needs mine eyelids must the sweet of sleep forbear.

I wept, but those who spied to part us had no ruth On me nor on the fires that in my vitals flare.

Woe's me for one who burns for love and longing pain! Alas for the regrets my heart that rend and tear!

To whom shall I complain of what is in my soul, Now thou art gone and I my pillow must forswear?

The flames of long desire wax on me day by day And far away are pitched the tent-poles of my fair.

O breeze of heaven, from me a charge I prithee take And do not thou betray the troth of my despair; Whenas thou pa.s.sest by the dwellings of my love, Greet him for me with peace, a greeting debonair, And scatter musk on him and ambergris, so long As time endures; for this is all my wish and care.

When the damsel had made an end of her song, El Abbas swooned away and they sprinkled on him rose-water, mingled with musk, till he came to himself, when he called another damsel (now there was on her of linen and clothes and ornaments that which beggareth description, and she was endowed with brightness and loveliness and symmetry and perfection, such as shamed the crescent moon, and she was a Turkish girl from the land of the Greeks and her name was Hafizeh) and said to her, "O Hafizeh, close thine eyes and tune thy lute and sing to us upon the days of separation." She answered him with "Hearkening and obedience"

and taking the lute, tuned its strings and cried out from her head,[FN#107] in a plaintive voice, and sang the following verses:

O friends, the tears flow ever, in mockery of my pain; My heart is sick for sev'rance and love-longing in vain.

All wasted is my body and bowels tortured sore; Love's fire on me still waxeth, mine eyes with tears still rain.

Whenas the fire of pa.s.sion flamed in my breast, with tears, Upon the day of wailing, to quench it I was fain.

Desire hath left me wasted, afflicted, sore afraid, For the spy knows the secret whereof I do complain.

When I recall the season of love-delight with them, The sweet of sleep forsakes me, my body wastes amain.

Those who our parting plotted our sev'rance still delights; The spies, for fearful prudence, their wish of us attain.

I fear me for my body from sickness and unrest, Lest of the fear of sev'rance it be betrayed and slain.

When Hafizeh had made an end of her song, El Abbas said to her, "Well done! Indeed, thou quickenest hearts from sorrows." Then he called another damsel of the daughters of the Medes, by name Merjaneh, and said to her, "O Merjaneh, sing to me upon the days of separation." "Hearkening and obedience," answered she and improvising, sang the following verses:

"Fair patience practise, for thereon still followeth content." So runs the rede 'mongst all that dwell in city or in tent.

How oft of dole have I made moan for love and longing pain, What while my body for desire in mortal peril went!

How oft I've waked, how many a cup of sorrow have I drained, Watching the stars of night go by, for sleepless languishment!

It had sufficed me, had thy grace with verses come to me; My expectation still on thee in the foredawns was bent.

Then was my heart by that which caused my agitation seared, And from mine eyelids still the tears poured down without relent.

Yea, nevermore I ceased from that wherewith I stricken was; My night with wakefulness was filled, my heart with dreariment.

But now hath Allah from my heart blotted the love of thee, After for constancy I'd grown a name of wonderment.

Hence on the morrow forth I fare and leave your land behind; So take your leave of us nor fear mishap or ill event.

Whenas in body ye from us are far removed, would G.o.d I knew who shall to us himself with news of you present!

And who can tell if ever house shall us together bring In union of life serene and undisturbed content?

When Merjaneh had made an end of her song, the prince said to her, "Well done, O damsel! Indeed, thou sayest a thing that had occurred to my mind and my tongue was like to speak it." Then he signed to the fourth damsel, who was a Cairene, by name Sitt el Husn, and bade her tune her lute and sing to him upon the [same]

subject. So she tuned her lute and sang the following verses:

Fair patience use, for ease still followeth after stress And all things have their time and ordinance no less.