The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, vol 9 by Sir Richard Francis Burton (ebook reader library .TXT) 📕

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THE BOOK OF THE

THOUSAND NIGHTS AND A NIGHT

A Plain and Literal Translation of the Arabian Nights Entertainments Translated and Annotated by Richard F. Burton VOLUME NINE

Privately Printed By The Burton Club To Alexander Baird of Urie.

My Dear Baird,

I avail my self of a privilege of authorship, not yet utterly obsolete, to place your name at the head of this volume.

Your long residence in Egypt and your extensive acquaintance with its “politic,” private and public, make you a thouroughly competent judge of the merits and demerits of this volume; and encourage me to hope that in reading it you will take something of the pleasure I have had in writing it..

Ever yours sincerely, Richard F. Burton.

Tangier, December 31, 1885.

Contents of the Ninth Volume Ali Nur Al-Din and Miriam the Girdle-Girl (continued) 159. The Man of Upper Egypt and His Frankish Wife 160. The Ruined Man of Baghdad and his SlaveGirl 161. King Jali’ad of Hind and His Wazir Shimas: Followed by the History of King Wird Khan, son of King Jali’ad with His Women and Wizars

a. The Mouse and the Cat

b. The Fakir and His Jar of Butter c. The Fishes and the Crab

d. The Crow and the Serpent

e. The Wild Ass and the Jackal

f. The Unjust King and the Pilgrim Prince g. The Crows and the Hawk

h. The Serpent-Charmer and His Wife i. The Spider and the Wind

j. The Two Kings

k. The Blind Man and the Cripple l. The Foolish Fisherman

m. The Boy and the Thieves

n. The Man and his Wife

o. The Merchant and the Robbers

p. The Jackals and the Wolf

q. The Shepherd and the Rogue

r. The Francolin and the Tortoises 162. Abu Kir the Dyer and Abu Sir the Barber 163. Abdullah the Fisherman and Abdullah the Merman 164. Harun Al-Rashid and Abu Hasan, The Merchant of Oman 165. Ibrahim and Jamilah

166. Abu Al-Hasan of Khorasan

167. Kamar Al-Zaman and the Jeweller’s Wife 168. Abdullah Bin Fazil and His Brothers The Book Of The THOUSAND NIGHTS AND A NIGHT

When it was the Eight Hundred and Eighty-ninth Night, She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Nur al-Din heard the voice singing these verses he said in himself, “Verily this be the Lady Miriam chanting without hesitation or doubt or suspicion of one from without.[FN#1] Would Heaven I knew an my thought be true and if it be indeed she herself or other self!” And regrets redoubled upon him and he bemoaned himself and recited these couplets,

“When my blamer saw me beside my love * Whom I met in a site that lay open wide,

I spake not at meeting a word of reproach * Though oft it comfort sad heart to chide;

Quoth the blamer, ‘What means this silence that bars * Thy making answer that hits his pride?’

And quoth I, ‘O thou who as fool dost wake, * To misdoubt of lovers and Love deride;

The sign of lover whose love is true * When he meets his beloved is mum to bide.’”

When he had made an end of these verses, the Lady Miriam fetched inkcase and paper and wrote therein: “After honour due to the Basmalah,[FN#2] may the peace of Allah be upon thee and His mercy and blessings be! I would have thee know that thy slavegirl Miriam saluteth thee, who longeth sore for thee; and this is her message to thee. As soon as this letter shall fall into thy hands, do thou arise without stay and delay and apply thyself to that we would have of thee with all diligence and beware with all wariness of transgressing her commandment and of sleeping. When the first third of the night is past, (for that hour is of the most favourable of times) apply thee only to saddling the two stallions and fare forth with them both to the Sultan’s Gate.[FN#3] If any ask thee whither thou wend, answer, ‘I am going to exercise the steeds,’ and none will hinder thee; for the folk of this city trust to the locking of the gates.” Then she folded the letter in a silken kerchief and threw it out of the latticed window to Nur al-Din, who took it and reading it, knew it for the handwriting of the Lady Miriam and comprehended all its contents. So he kissed the letter and laid it between his eyes; then, calling to mind that which had betided him with her of the sweets of love-liesse, he poured forth his tears whilst he recited these couplets,

“Came your writ to me in the dead of the night * And desire for you stirred heart and sprite;

And, remembered joys we in union joyed, * Praised the Lord who placed us in parting plight.”

As soon as it was dark Nur al-Din busied himself with making ready the stallions and patiented till the first watch of the night was past; when, without a moment delay, Nur al-Din the lover full of teen, saddled them with saddles of the goodliest, and leading them forth of the stable, locked the door after him and repaired with them to the city-gate, where he sat down to await the coming of the Princess. Meanwhile, Miriam returned forthright to her private apartment, where she found the one-eyed Wazir seated, elbow-propt upon a cushion stuffed with ostrich-down; but he was ashamed to put forth his hand to her or to bespeak her. When she saw him, she appealed to her Lord in heart, saying, “Allahumma-O my God-bring him not to his will of me nor to me defilement decree after purity!” Then she went up to him and made a show of fondness for him and sat down by his side and coaxed him, saying, “O my lord, what is this aversion thou displayest to me? Is it pride or coquetry on thy part? But the current byword saith, ‘An the salam-salutation be little in demand, the sitters salute those who stand.”[FN#4] So if, O my lord, thou come not to me neither accost me, I will go to thee and accost thee.” Said he, “To thee belong favour and kindness, O

Queen of the earth in its length and breadth; and what am I but one of thy slaves and the least of thy servants. Indeed, I was ashamed to intrude upon thine illustrious presence, O unique pearl, and my face is on the earth at thy feet.” She rejoined, “Leave this talk and bring us to eat and drink.” Accordingly he shouted to his eunuchs and women an order to serve food, and they set before them a tray containing birds of every king that walk and fly and in nests increase and multiply, such as sand-grouse and quails and pigeon-poults and lambs and fatted geese and fried poultry and other dishes of all sorts and colours. The Princess put out her hand to the tray and began to eat and feed the Wazir with her fair finger-tips and kiss him on the mouth. They ate till they had enough and washed their hands, after which the handmaidens removed the table of food and set on the service of wine. So Princess Miriam filled the cup and drank and gave the Wazir to drink and served him with assiduous service, so that he was like to fly for joy and his breast broadened and he was of the gladdest. When she saw that the wine had gotten the better of his senses, she thrust her hand into her bosom and brought out a pastil of virgin Cretan-Bhang, which she had provided against such an hour, whereof if an elephant smelt a dirham’s weight, he would sleep from year to year. She distracted his attention and crumbled the drug into the cup: then, filling it up, handed it to the Wazir, who could hardly credit his senses for delight. So he took it and kissing her hand, drank it off, but hardly had it settled in his stomach when he fell head foremost to the ground.

Then she rose and filling two great pairs of saddle-bags with what was light of weight and weighty of worth of jewels and jacinths and precious stones, together with somewhat of meat and drink, donned harness of war and armed herself for fight. She also took with her for Nur al-Din what should