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

“Still cleaves to this homestead mine ecstasy, * And redoubled pine for its dwellers I dree;

And I send to your quarters the tale of my love * And the cup of your love gave the Cup-boy to me.

And for faring of you and your farness from home * My wounded lids are from tears ne’er free:

O thou leader of litters, turn back with my love * For my heart redoubleth its ardency:

Greet my love and say him that naught except * Those brown-red lips deals me remedy:

They bore him away and our union rent * And my vitals with Severance-shaft shot he:

My love, my lowe and my longing to him * Convey, for of parting no cure I see:

I swear an oath by your love that I * Will keep pact and covenant faithfully,

To none I’ll incline or forget your love * How shall lovesick lover forgetful be?

So with you be the peace and my greeting fair * In letters that perfume of musk-pod bear.”

Her sister Nasim admired his eloquence of tongue and the goodliness of his speech and the elegance of the verses he sang, and was moved to ruth for him. So she sealed the letter with virgin musk and incensed it with Nadd-scent and ambergris, after which she committed it to a certain of the merchants saying, “Deliver it not to any save to Zayn alMawasif or to her handmaid Hubub.” Now when the letter reached her sister, she knew it for Masrur’s dictation and recognised himself in the grace of its expression. So she kissed it and laid it on her eyes, whilst the tears streamed from her lids and she gave not over weeping, till she fainted. As soon as she came to herself, she called for pencase and paper and wrote him the following answer; complaining the while of her desire and love-longing and ecstasy and what was hers to endure of pining for her lover and yearning to him and the passion she had conceived for him.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Eight Hundred and Fifty-seventh Night, She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Zayn alMawasif wrote the following reply to Masrur’s missive: “This letter to my lord and master I indite * the king of my heart and my secret sprite Indeed, wakefulness agitateth me and melancholy increaseth on me and I have no patience to endure the absence of thee O thou who excellest sun and moon in brilliancy Desire of repose despoileth me and passion destroyeth me and how should it be otherwise with me, seeing that I am of the number of the dying? O glory of the world and Ornament of life, she whose vital spirits are cut off shall her cup be sweet to quaff? For that she is neither with the quick nor with the dead.” And she improvised these couplets and said, “Thy writ, O Masr�r, stirred my sprite to pine For by Allah, all patience and solace I tyne:

When I read thy scripture, my vitals yearned * And watered the herbs of the wold these eyne.

On Night’s wings I’d fly an a bird * And sans thee I weet not the sweets of wine:

Life’s unlawful to me since thou faredst far * To bear parting-lowe is no force of mine.”

Then she sprinkled the letter with powder of musk and ambergris and, having sealed it with her signet, committed it to a merchant, saying, “Deliver it to none save to my sister.” When it reached Nasim she sent it to Masrur, who kissed it and laid it on his eyes and wept till he fell into a trance. Such was their case; but as regards the Jew, he presently heard of their correspondence and began again to travel from place to place with Zayn alMawasif and her damsels, till she said to him, “Glory to God! How long wilt thou fare with us and bear us afar from our homes?” Quoth he, “I will fare on with you a year’s journey, so no more letters may reach you from Masrur. I see how you take all my monies and give them to him; so all that I miss I shall recover from you: and I shall see if Masrur will profit you or have power to deliver you from my hand.” Then he repaired to a blacksmith, after stripping her and her damsels of their silken apparel and clothing them in raiment of haircloth, and bade him make three pairs of iron shackles. When they were ready, he brought the smith in to his wife, having said to him, “Put the shackles on the legs of these three slavegirls.” The first that came forward was Zayn alMawasif, and when the blacksmith saw her, his sense forsook him and he bit his finger tips and his wit fled forth his head and his transport grew sore upon him. So he said to the Jew, “What is the crime of these damsels?” Replied the other, “They are my slavegirls, and have stolen my good and fled from me.” Cried the smith, “Allah disappoint thy jealous whims! By the Almighty, were this girl before the Kazi of Kazis,[FN#359] he would not even reprove her, though she committed a thousand crimes a day. Indeed, she showeth not thief’s favour and she cannot brook the laying of irons on her legs.” And he asked him as a boon not to fetter her, interceding with him to forbear the shackles. When she saw the blacksmith taking her part in this wise she said to her husband, “I conjure thee, by Allah, bring me not forth before yonder strange man!”

Said he, “Why then camest thou forth before Masrur?”; and she made him no reply. Then he accepted the smith’s intercession, so far as to allow him to put a light pair of irons on her legs, for that she had a delicate body, which might not brook harsh usage, whilst he laid her handmaids in heavy bilboes, and they ceased not, all three, to wear haircloth night and day till their bodies became wasted and their colour changed. As for the blacksmith, exceeding love had fallen on his heart for Zayn alMawasif; so he returned home in great concern and he fell to reciting extempore these couplets,

“Wither thy right, O smith, which made her bear * Those iron chains her hands and feet to wear!

Thou hast ensoiled a lady soft and bright, * Marvel of marvels, fairest of the fair:

Hadst thou been just, those anklets ne’er had been * Of iron: nay of purest gold they were:

By Allah! did the K�zis’ K�zi sight * Her charms, he’d seat her in the highest chair.”

Now it chanced that the Kazi of Kazis passed by the smith’s house and heard him improvise these lines; so he sent for him and as soon as he saw him said to him, “O blacksmith, who is she on whom thou callest so instantly and eloquently and with whose love thy heart is full filled?” The smith sprang to his feet and kissing the Judge’s hand, answered, “Allah prolong the days of our lord the Kazi and ample his life!” Then he described to him Zayn alMawasif’s beauty and loveliness, brilliancy and perfection, and symmetry and grace and how she was lovely faced and had a slender waist and heavily based; and acquainted him with the sorry plight wherein she was for abasement and durance vile and lack of victual. When the Kazi heard this, he said, “O

blacksmith, send her to us and show her that we may do her justice, for thou art become accountable for the damsel and unless thou guide her to us, Allah will punish thee at the Day of Doom.” “I hear and obey,” replied the smith and betook himself without stay and delay to Zayn alMawasif’s lodging, but found the door barred and heard a voice of plaintive tone that came from heart forlorn and lone; and it was Zayn alMawasif reciting these couplets,

“I and my love in union were unite; * And filled my friend to me cups clearly bright

Between us reigned high mirth and jollity, * Nor Eve nor Morn brought ‘noyance or affright

Indeed we spent most joyous time, with cup * And lute and dulcimer to add delight,

Till Time estranged our fair companionship; * My lover went and blessing turned to blight.

Ah would the Severance-raven’s croak were stilled * And Union-dawn of Love show bless�d light!”

When the blacksmith heard this, he wept like the weeping of the clouds. Then he knocked at the door and the women said, “Who is at the door?” Answered he, “‘Tis I, the blacksmith,” and told them what the Kazi had said and how he would have them appear before him and make their complaint to him, that he might do them justice on their adversary.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say, When it was the Eight Hundred and Fifty-eighth Night, She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the blacksmith told Zayn alMawasif what the Kazi had said, and how he summoned them that he might apply the Lex Talionis to their adversary, she rejoined, “How can we go to him, seeing the door is locked on us and our feet shackled and the Jew hath the keys?”

The smith replied, “I will make the keys for the padlocks and therewith open door and shackles.” Asked she, “But who will show us the Kazi’s house?”; and he answered, “I will describe it to you.” She enquired, “But how can we appear before him, clad as we are in haircloth reeking with sulphur?” And the smith rejoined, “The Kazi will not reproach this to you, considering your case.”

So saying, he went forthright and made keys for the padlocks, wherewith he opened the door and the shackles, and loosing the irons from their legs, carried them forth and guided them to the Kazi’s mansion. Then Hubub did off the haircloth garments from her lady’s body and carried her to the Hammam, where she bathed her and attired her in silken raiment, and her colour returned to her. Now it happened, by exceeding good fortune, that her husband was abroad at a bridefeast in the house of one of the merchants; so Zayn alMawasif, the Adornment of Qualities, adorned herself with the fairest ornaments and repaired to the Kazi, who at once on espying her rose to receive her. She saluted him with softest speech and winsomest words, shooting him through the vitals the while with the shafts of her glances, and said, “May Allah prolong the life of our