The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, vol 8 by Sir Richard Francis Burton (great books for teens TXT) 📕

“Would I wot for what crime shot and pierced are we * Thro’ the days with Estrangement’s archery!

O my heart’s desire, to thy door I came * One day, when high waxt mine expectancy:

But I found the home waste as the wold and void * And I ‘plained my pine and groaned wretchedly:

And I asked the walls of my friends who fared * With my heart in pawn and in pendency;

And they said, �All marched from the camp and left *An ambushed sorrow on hill and lea;’

And a writ on the walls did they write, as write * Folk who keep their faith while the Worlds are three.”

Now when Zayn alMawasif heard these lines, she knew that it was Masrur.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Eight Hundred and Fifty-fifth Night, She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Zayn alMawasif heard these lines she knew that it was Masrur and wept, she and her handmaids, and said to him, “O Masrur, I conjure thee by Allah, turn back, lest my husband see us twain together!” At her words he swooned away; and when he revived, they took leave each of other and he recited the following couplets,

“The Caravan-chief calleth loud o’ night * Ere the Breeze bear his cry in the morninglight:

They girded their loads and prepared to fare, * And hurried while murmured the leader-wight.

They scent the scene on its every side, * As their march through the valley they expedite.

After winning my heart by their love they went * O’ morn when their track could deceive my sight.

O my neighbour fair, I reckt ne’er to part, * Or the ground bedewed with my tears to sight!

Woe betide my heart, now hath Severance hand * To heart and vitals dealt bane and blight.”

Then he clung to the litter, weeping and wailing, whilst she besought him to turn back ere morn for fear of scorn. So he came up to her Haudaj and farewelling her a second time, fell down in a swoon. He lay an hour or so without life, and when he revived he found the caravan had fared forth of sight. So he turned in the direction of their wayfare and scenting the breeze which blew from their quarter, chanted these improvised lines, “No breeze of Union to the lover blows * But moan he maketh burnt with fiery woes:

The Zephyr fans him at the dawn o’ day; * But when he wakes the horizon lonely shows:

On bed of sickness strewn in pain he lies, * And weeps he bloody tears in burning throes,

For the fair neighbour with my heart they bore * ‘Mid travellers urging beasts with cries and blows.

By Allah from their stead no Zephyr blew * But sniffed I as the wight on eyeballs goes;[FN#355]

And snuff the sweetest South as musk it breathes * And on the longing lover scent bestows.”

Then Masrur returned, mad with love-longing, to her house, and finding it lone from end to end[FN#356] and forlorn of friend, wept till he wet his clothes; after which he swooned away and his soul was like to leave his body. When he revived, he recited these two couplets,

“O Spring-camp have ruth on mine overthrowing * My abjection, my leanness, my tears aye flowing,

Waft the scented powder[FN#357] of breezes they breathe * In hope it cure heart of a grief e’er growing.”

Then he returned to his own lodging confounded and tearful-eyed, and abode there for the space of ten days. Such was his case; but as regards the Jew, he journeyed on with Zayn alMawasif half a score days, at the end of which he halted at a certain city and she, being by that time assured that her husband had played her false, wrote to Masrur a letter and gave it to Hubub, saying, “Send this to Masrur, so he may know how foully and fully we have been tricked and how the Jew hath cheated us.” So Hubub took it and despatched it to Masrur, and when it reached, its news was grievous to him and he wept till he watered the ground. Then he wrote a reply and sent it to his mistress, subscribing it with these two couplets,

“Where is the way to Consolation’s door * How shall console him flames burn evermore?

How pleasant were the days of yore all gone: * Would we had somewhat of those days of yore!”

When the missive reached Zayn alMawasif, she read it and again gave it to her handmaid Hubub, saying to her, “Keep it secret!”

However, the husband came to know of their correspondence and removed with her and her two women to another city, at a distance of twenty days’ march. Thus it befel Zayn alMawasif; but as regards Masrur, sleep was not sweet to him nor was peace peaceful to him or patience left to him, and he ceased not to be thus till, one night, his eyes closed for weariness and he dreamt that he saw Zayn alMawasif come to him in the garden and embrace him; but presently he awoke and found her not: whereupon his reason fled and his wits wandered and his eyes ran over with tears; love-longing to the utterest gat hold of his heart and he recited these couplets,

“Peace be to her, who visits me in sleeping phantasy Stirring desire and growing love to uttermost degree: Verily from that dream I rose with passion madden�d For sight of fairest phantom come in peace to visit me: Say me, can dreams declare the truth anent the maid I love, * And quench the fires of thirst and heal my lovesick malady?

Anon to me she is liberal and she strains me to her breast; *

Anon she soothes mine anxious heart with sweetest pleasantry:

From off her dark-red damask lips the dew I wont to sip * The fine old wine that seemed to reek of musk’s perfumery.

I wondered at the wondrous things between us done in dreams, *

And won my wish and all my will of things I hoped to see; And from that dreamery I rose, yet ne’er could hope to find *

Trace of my phantom save my pain and fiery misery: And when I looked on her a-morn, ‘twas as a lover mad * And every eve was drunken yet no wine brought jollity.

O breathings of the northern breeze, by Allah fro’ me bear *

Them-wards the greetings of my love and best salams that be: Say them, �The wight with whom ye made that plight of fealty *

Time with his changes made him drain Death’s cup and slain is he!’”

Then he went out and ceased not to weep till he came to her house and looking on it, saw it empty and void. Presently, it seemed to him he beheld her form before him, whereupon fires flamed in him and his griefs redoubled and he fell down aswoon;—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Eight Hundred and Fifty-sixth Night, She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Masrur saw the vision of Zayn alMawasif and felt her embrace, he joyed with passing joy. As soon as he awoke he sought her house, but finding it empty and void he fell down a-swoon; and when he came to himself, he recited these couplets, “Fro’ them inhale I scent of Ottar and of B�n; So fare with heart which ecstasies of love unman: I’d heal thy longings (lovesick lover!) by return To site of beauty void sans friend or mate to scan: But still it sickeneth me with parting’s ban and bane * Minding mine olden plight with friend and partisan.”

When he had made an end of these verses, he heard a raven croak beside the house and wept, saying, “Glory be to God! The raven croaketh not save over a ruined homestead.” Then he moaned and groaned and recited these couplets,

“What ails the Raven that he croaks my lover’s house hard by, *

And in my vitals lights a fire that flameth fierce and high?

For times now past and gone I spent in joyance of their love *

With love my heart hath gone to waste and I sore pain aby: I die of longing love and lowe still in my liver raging * And wrote to her but none there is who with the writ may hie: Ah well-away for wasted frame! Hath far�d forth my friend * And if she will o’ nights return Oh would that thing wot I!

Then, Ho thou Breeze of East, and thou by morn e’er visit her; *

Greet her from me and stand where doth her tribe encamp�d lie!”

Now Zayn alMawasif had a sister, by name Nas�m—the Zephyr—who stood espying him from a high place; and when she saw him in this plight, she wept and sighed and recited these couplets, “How oft bewailing the place shall be this coming and going, *

While the House bemoaneth its builder with tear-flood ever a-flowing?

Here was bestest joy ere fared my friend with the caravan hieing * And its dwellers and brightest-suns[FN#358] ne’er ceased in its walls aglowing:

Where be those fullest moons that here were always arising? *

Bedimmed them the Shafts of Days their charms of spirit unknowing:

Leave then what is past of the Fair thou wast ever with love espying * And look; for haply the days may restore them without foreshowing:

For hadst thou not been, its dwellers had never departed flying *

Nor haddest thou seen the Crow with ill-omened croak a-crying.”

Masrur wept sore hearing these verses and apprehending their significance. Now Nasim knew that which was between him and her sister of love and longing, ecstasy and passion; so she said to him, “Allah upon thee, O Masrur, away from this house, lest any see thee and deem thou comest on my account! Indeed thou hast caused my sister quit it and now thou wouldst drive me also away.

Thou knowest that, but for thee, the house would not now be void of its dwellers: so be consoled for her loss and leave her: what is past is past.” When he heard this, he wept bitterly and said to her, “O Nasim, if I could, I should fly for longing after her; so how can I be comforted for her?” Quoth she, “Thou hast no device save patience;” and quoth he, “I beseech thee, for Allah’s sake, write me a writ to her, as from thyself, and get me an answer from her, to comfort my heart and quench the fire in my vitals.” She replied, “With love and gladness,” and took inkcase