The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, vol 5 by Sir Richard Francis Burton (best romance novels of all time txt) 📕

King Sakhr thinking him to be anhungered, bade bring him two roasted camels; and they carried them to him and bound them behind him on the mare’s crupper. Then he took leave of them and fared on, till he came to the end of King Sakhr’s dominions, where the mare stood still and Bulukiya dismounted and began to shake the dust of the journey from his raiment. And behold, there accosted him a party of men who, recognising the mare, carried her and Bulukiya before their King Barakhiya. So he saluted him, and the King returned his greeting and seated him beside himself in a splendid pavilion, in the midst of his troops and champions and vassal Princes of the Jann ranged to right and left; after which he called for food and they ate their fill and pronounced the Alhamdolillah. Then they set on fruits, and when they had eaten thereof, King Barakhiya, whose estate was like that of King Sakhr, asked his guest, ‘When didst thou leave King Sakhr?’ And Bulukiya answered, ‘Two days ago.’

Quoth Barakhiya, ‘Dost thou know, how many days’ journey thou hast come in these two days?’ Quoth he, ‘No,’ and the King rejoined, ‘Thou hast come a journey of threescore and ten months.’”—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

 

When it was the Four Hundred and Ninety-fifth Night, She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Queen continued: “Barakhiya said to Bulukiya, ‘In two days thou hast come a journey of threescore and ten months; moreover when thou mountedst the mare, she was affrighted at thee, knowing thee for a son of Adam, and would have thrown thee; so they bound on her back these two camels by way of weight to steady her.’ When Bulukiya heard this, he marvelled and thanked Allah Almighty for safety. Then said the King, ‘Tell me thy adventures and what brought thee to this our land.’ So he told him his story from first to last, and the King marvelled at his words, and kept Bulukiya with him two months.” Upon this Hasib Karim al-Din after he had marvelled at her story, again besought the Serpent-queen saying, “I pray thee of thy goodness and graciousness command one of thy subjects conduct me to the surface of the earth, that I may return to my family;” but she answered, “O Hasib, I know that the first thing thou wilt do, after seeing the face of the earth will be to greet thy family and then repair to the Hammam bath and bathe; and the moment thou endest thine ablutions will see the last of me, for it will be the cause of my death.” Quoth Hasib, “I swear that I will never again enter the Hammam bath so long as I live, but when washing is incumbent on me, I will wash at home.” Rejoined the Queen, “I would not trust thee though thou shouldst swear to me an hundred oaths; for such abstaining is not possible, and I know thee to be a son of Adam for whom no oath is sacred. Thy father Adam made a covenant with Allah the most High, who kneaded the clay whereof He fashioned him forty mornings and made His angels prostrate themselves to him; yet after all his promise did he forget and his oath violate, disobeying the commandment of his Lord.” When Hasib heard this, he held his peace and burst into tears; nor did he leave weeping for the space of ten days, at the end of which time he said to the Queen, “Prithee acquaint me with the rest of Bulukiya’s adventures.”

Accordingly, she began again as follows: “Know, O Hasib, that Bulukiya, after abiding two months with King Barakhiya, farewelled him and fared on over wastes and deserts nights and days’ till he came to a high mountain which he ascended. On the summit he beheld seated a great Angel glorifying the names of God and invoking blessings on Mohammed. Before him lay a tablet covered with characters, these white and those black,[FN#530]

whereon his eyes were fixed, and his two wings were outspread to the full, one to the western and the other to the eastern horizon. Bulukiya approached and saluted the Angel, who returned his salam adding, ‘Who art thou and whence comest thou and whither wendest thou and what is thy story?’ Accordingly, he repeated to him his history, from first to last, and the Angel marvelled mightily thereat, whereupon Bulukiya said to him, ‘I pray thee in return acquaint me with the meaning of this tablet and what is writ thereon; and what may be thine occupation and thy name.’ Replied the Angel, ‘My name is Michael, and I am charged with the shifts of night and day; and this is my occupation till the Day of Doom.’ Bulukiya wondered at his words and at his aspect and the vastness of his stature and, taking leave of him, fared onwards, night and day, till he came to a vast meadow over which he walked observing that it was traversed by seven streams and abounded in trees. He was struck by its beauty and in one corner thereof he saw a great tree and under it four Angels. So he drew near to them and found the first in the likeness of a man, the second in the likeness of a wild beast, the third in the likeness of a bird and the fourth in the likeness of a bull, engaged in glorifying Almighty Allah, and saying, ‘O my God and my Master and my Lord, I conjure Thee, by Thy truth and by the decree of Thy Prophet Mohammed (on whom be blessings and peace!) to vouchsafe Thy mercy and grant Thy forgiveness to all things created in my likeness; for Thou over all things art Almighty!’ Bulukiya marvelled at what he heard but continued his journey till he came to another mountain and ascending it, found there a great Angel seated on the summit, glorifying God and hallowing Him and invoking blessings on Mohammed (whom Allah assain and save!), and he saw that Angel continually opening and shutting his hands and bending and extending his fingers. He accosted him and saluted him; whereupon the Angel returned his salam and enquired who he was and how he came thither. So Bulukiya acquainted him with his adventures including his having lost the way; and besought him to tell him, in turn, who he was and what was his function and what mountain was that. Quoth the Angel, ‘Know, O Bulukiya, that this is the mountain Kaf, which encompasseth the world; and all the countries the Creator hath made are in my grasp. When the Almighty is minded to visit any land with earthquake or famine or plenty or slaughter or prosperity, He biddeth me carry out His commands and I carry them out without stirring from my place; for know thou that my hands lay hold upon the roots of the earth,’ “—And Shahrazed perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

 

When it was the Four Hundred and Ninety-sixth Night, She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Queen continued: “When the angel said, ‘And know thou that my hands lay hold upon the roots of the earth,’ he asked, ‘And hath Allah created other worlds than this within the mountain Kaf?’ The Angel answered, ‘Yes, He hath made a world white as silver, whose vastness none knoweth save Himself, and hath peopled it with Angels, whose meat and drink are His praise and hallowing and continual blessings upon His Prophet Mohammed (whom Allah bless and keep!). Every Thursday night[FN#531] they repair to this mountain and worship in congregation Allah until the morning, and they assign the future recompense of their lauds and litanies to the sinners of the Faith of Mohammed (whom Allah assain and save!) and to all who make the Ghusl ablution of Friday; and this is their function until the Day of Resurrection.’ Asked Bulukiya, ‘And hath Allah created other mountains behind the mountain Kaf?’; whereto he answered, ‘Yes, behind this mountain is a range of mountains five hundred years’ journey long, of snow and ice, and this it is that wardeth off the heat of Jahannam from the world, which verily would else be consumed thereby. Moreover, behind the mountain Kaf are forty worlds, each one the bigness of this world forty times told, some of gold and some of silver and others of carnelian. Each of these worlds hath its own colour, and Allah hath peopled them with angels, that know not Eve nor Adam nor night nor day, and have no other business than to celebrate His praises and hallow Him and make profession of His Unity and proclaim His Omnipotence and supplicate Him on behalf of the followers of Mohammed (whom Allah bless and keep!). And know, also, O Bulukiya, that the earths were made in seven stages, one upon another, and that Allah hath created one of His Angels, whose stature and attributes none knoweth but Himself and who beareth the seven stages upon his shoulders. Under this Angel Almighty Allah hath created a great rock, and under the rock a bull, and under the bull a huge fish, and under the fish a mighty ocean.[FN#532] God once told Isa (with whom be peace! ) of this fish, and he said, ‘O Lord show me the fish, that I may look upon it.’ So the Almighty commanded an angel to take Isa and show him the fish. Accordingly, he took him up and carried him (with whom be peace!) to the sea, wherein the fish dwelt, and said, ‘Look, O

Isa, upon the fish.’ He looked but at first saw nothing, when, suddenly, the fish darted past like lightning. At this sight Isa fell down aswoon, and when he came to himself, Allah spake to him by inspiration, saying, ‘O Isa, hast thou seen the fish and comprehended its length and its breadth?’ He replied, ‘By Thy honour and glory, O Lord, I saw no fish; but there passed me by a great bull, whose length was three days’ journey, and I know not what manner of thing this bull is.’ Quoth Allah, ‘O Isa, this that thou sawest and which was three days in passing by thee, was but the head of the fish;[FN#533] and know that every day I create forty fishes like unto this.’ And Isa hearing this marvelled at the power of Allah the Almighty. Asked Bulukiya, ‘What hath Allah made beneath this sea which containeth the fish?’; and the Angel answered, ‘Under the sea the Lord created a vast abyss of air, under the air fire, and under the fire a mighty serpent, by name Falak; and were it not for fear of the Most Highest, this serpent would assuredly swallow up all that is above it, air and fire and the Angel and his burden, without sensing it.’”—And Shahrazed perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

 

When it was the Four Hundred and Ninety-seventh Night, She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the angel said to Bulukiya when describing the serpent, “‘And were it not for fear of the Most Highest, this serpent would assuredly swallow up all that is above it, air and fire, and the Angel and his burden, without sensing it. When Allah created this serpent He said to it by inspiration, ‘I will give thee somewhat to keep for me, so open thy mouth.’ The serpent replied, ‘Do whatso Thou wilt;’ and opened his mouth and God placed Hell into his maw, saying, ‘Keep it until the Day of Resurrection. When that time comes, the Almighty will send His angels with chains to bring Hell and bind it until the Day when all men shall meet; and